To make up for my recent lack of attention to this blog, I’m posting thoughts about Chanukah for each day of the eight-day festival. Today, I’m talking about:
SUFGANIYOT
They say that every Jewish festival can be summed up like this: They tried exterminate us; they failed; let’s eat. Chanukah follows the pattern.
Sufganiya (plural sufganiyot) is Hebrew for doughnut and shares its root with the word for sponge, due to its texture. Most are filled with jam. We prefer the ones with dulce de leche. Chocolate is also a popular filling. Some have exciting toppings.
Then there’s levivot (latkes) and other items from the various Jewish communities.
What all these foods have in common is that they’re fried in oil, linking them to the miracle, which I recounted on Day 2.
And yes, they’re all delicious and unhealthy. Fortunately, Chanukah lasts for only eight days!
Miriam Drori, Author 