The story of Potato latkes
The Hebrew word levivah already appears in the book of Samuel, in the story of Amnon and Tamar, where it was probably a dough cake. The first Hanukkah latkes were made of cheese: Italian Jews were already frying soft cheese pancakes in the Middle Ages and linked them to the story of Judith, who fed the enemy of her people salty cheese. In Eastern Europe frying was done in chicken fat, which cannot be used with cheese, so latkes there were made from buckwheat and rye flour.
Potatoes became a staple in Eastern Europe in the 19th century, after years of failed harvests, and they were cheap, available and filling. The latke, as it is called in Yiddish, became a potato pancake, and immigrants carried it to America, where it is served with applesauce and sour cream. In Israel the Hebrew name levivah came back, and next to the Ashkenazi version other communities brought their own to Hanukkah, such as Moroccan maakouda of mashed, spiced potato.
What makes Potato latkes itself
A good potato latke is a contrast: thin, crisp edges and a soft centre that tastes like baked potato. The secret is controlling water. Grated potato is full of liquid, and whatever is not squeezed out turns to steam in the pan, cools the oil and breaks the latke apart. Squeeze hard, return the starch that settles out of the liquid, and fry in oil that is hot enough, and the latke comes out crisp instead of greasy.
