Authentic German Potato Pancakes (2024)

FAQs

Where did German potato pancakes originate? ›

They originated in the eastern European countries of Germany Austria, Russia and Poland as a peasant food. Potatoes were cheap, plentiful and easy to store, making them a staple and necessitating inventive potato recipes.

Russet potatoes work best in this recipe because they have a high starch content, which helps to bind the pancakes together. I do not recommend substituting with red or yellow potatoes.

Kartoffelpuffer are made from russet potatoes that are peeled and grated raw. The shredded potatoes are mixed with egg, finely grated onion, flour, and salt and pepper to taste and then fried to light golden brown. The end result is a crispy exterior and soft interior.

Potato pancakes have a creamy, almost mashed-potato-like center, with a thin, golden, crisp exterior. Latkes, on the other hand, should have a deeply browned crust, with wispy, lacy edges.

Although the thought of a Dutch baby pancake might have come from the German Pfannkuchen, the present form originated in the United States in the early 1990s.

The stateside style recipe results in a relatively flat confection with an even surface and crisp exterior. The German pancake, on the other hand, is pillowy, like a custardy cloud with caramelized edges and is usually considerably larger than the more familiar flapjack.

Oil choice is crucial for a perfectly fried latke. Because you are deep frying, you want to use a neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable, canola, or grapeseed.

Get That Moisture Out.

Using a kitchen towel or paper towel, wring out as much moisture as possible. If you don't drain the moisture, they won't crisp as easily and that may be why your potato pancakes are gummy.

Use just the right amount of oil for frying.

You want the oil to come almost all the way up the sides of the pancake — but not so high that the pancakes are completely submerged. This way the edges keep frying even once you flip the pancake, but prevents the top and bottom from overcooking.

The potato pancake is much simpler, with nothing but raw grated potatoes, egg, and all-purpose flour. The latke, on the other hand, adds baking powder, matzo meal, and even a splash of milk, according to Cooktoria. Surprisingly, the potato pancake has a longer preparation time due to the simplicity of its batter.

Why are potato pancakes served with applesauce? ›

The sweet tang of applesauce adds a contrasty punch to the potatoes and green onions, which make up latkes, while also cutting the grease from frying them. On the other hand, sour cream, while also adding its own version of tartness, can weigh the fried potato cakes down with dairy.

No, hash browns and latkes are not the same thing. Although they contain similar ingredients like shredded potatoes and they are cooked in a frying pan, they are not the same. Hash browns are shredded potatoes and onions that are scattered in a pan and pan fried.

In German supermarkets, vorwiegend kochende potatoes are often labeled in red. Well-known varieties include: Bolero, Christa, Désirée, Finka, Gala, Hela, Maja and Saskia.

German Butterball potatoes, botanically classified as Solanum tuberosum, are members of the Solanaceae or nightshade family along with tomatoes and peppers. They are considered an heirloom variety even though they are relatively new, having been introduced in 1988.

In addition to apples' lengthy Jewish history, applesauce enjoys another key advantage: It's not dairy, so it can be served with latkes cooked in chicken schmaltz, a commonplace in the old country.

Native to the Bolivian and Peruvian Andes, the potato first arrived in Germany in 1630. According to legend, King Frederick II of Prussia believed in the economic and nutritious value of potatoes.

Originally from the Peruvian-Bolivian Andes Mountains, the potato wasn't incorporated into the Eastern European Jewish diet until the eighteen and nineteenth centuries. Historically, Jews in Central and Southern Europe cooked kaese (cheese) latkes, and Jews in Eastern Europe made latkes from buckwheat or rye flour.

Most German pancake recipes call for pouring the batter into a preheated skillet and/or using a preheated oven. This means that the batter at the edges heats and puffs up very quickly, drawing some of the batter from the middle of the skillet with it and resulting in a pancake that's superthin at the center.

The German Butterball potato was first introduced by David Ronniger in 1988. Ronniger Potato Farm, nestled in the northeastern corner of Moyie Springs, Idaho, is home to over two hundred varieties of potatoes. Ronniger was a grower proficient in varieties that were first made popular in pre-19th century Europe.