Doughnuts and potato pancakes: The simple pleasures of Hanukkah

By Joan Nathan, Special to CNN

Updated 2031 GMT (0431 HKT) December 7, 2012

A young Israeli boy looks at a serving of fresh oil-fried and jam-filled doughnuts, known in Hebrew as "sufganiyot", served at one of the local bakeries in Kadima, central Israel, during Hanukkah.
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Doughy delights – A young Israeli boy looks at a serving of fresh oil-fried and jam-filled doughnuts, known in Hebrew as "sufganiyot", served at one of the local bakeries in Kadima, central Israel, during Hanukkah.
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In Jewish tradition, it is customary to eat doughnuts and other foods fried in oil during the eight-day festival of Hanukkah.In this picture, a kosher bakery prepares doughnuts by injecting them with cream custard in the Ukranian port city of Odessa. A thriving Jewish community in the region ensures that there is plenty of demand for kosher foodstuffs.
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Get your fill – In Jewish tradition, it is customary to eat doughnuts and other foods fried in oil during the eight-day festival of Hanukkah.In this picture, a kosher bakery prepares doughnuts by injecting them with cream custard in the Ukranian port city of Odessa. A thriving Jewish community in the region ensures that there is plenty of demand for kosher foodstuffs.
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So popular are the doughnuts in Israel that Jewish-American chef Joan Nathan recalls the local marketplaces resembling a "pastry auction" around this time of year. Also known as the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah reaffirms the ideals of Judaism and is one of the most popular Jewish observances.
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Pastry auction – So popular are the doughnuts in Israel that Jewish-American chef Joan Nathan recalls the local marketplaces resembling a "pastry auction" around this time of year. Also known as the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah reaffirms the ideals of Judaism and is one of the most popular Jewish observances.
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For some, Hanukkah is "the potato pancake holiday", where the mundane potato is given a massive makeover in form of latkes -- a fried potato cake that can be served with lots of goodies including goat cheese, tomatoes, herbs, or topped with smoked salmon and dill.