What Makes Latkes Different From Potato Pancakes?

Latkes and potato pancakes have plenty in common, some even think the two terms are interchangeable. Of course, the most obvious similarity between the two is their shared main ingredient: potatoes. But there are differences, too.

These two foods originated in different parts of Europe. Latkes, despite often being associated with Hannukah, actually originated in Italy, where they started out as ricotta cheese pancakes. PBS reports that it was an Italian rabbi who first prepared latkes for Hannukah, which is why the connection between the dish and the holiday exists. Potato pancakes, on the other hand, are a European street food that was first popularized in Germany, according to DelightedCooking. They're known as Kartoffelpuffer, though in the U.S. are sometimes referred to as German potato pancakes.

Despite their similarities, there are a few distinct ways that latkes differ from potato pancakes, and it mostly boils down to the ingredients and texture.

Though the potato base is the same, the preparation between latkes and potato pancakes differs. Recipes from Europe suggests preparing potato pancakes by first finely grating raw potatoes. The spuds are then wrung out to remove excess water before they're mixed with finely grated onion (though some recipe research suggests not everyone adds onion to the recipe). Eggs and flour are involved, too, to help the pancakes bind and crisp up when fried. These four ingredients are all it takes to put together the perfect potato pancake

Latkes go through a bit of a different prep and cooking process; they're not as basic as the potato pancake. Cookatoria reports that latkes often involve more than just potatoes; the recipe can also include matzo meal, which are breadcrumbs made from ground matzo. Baking powder is also added to latkes before cooking, and some people add milk, though not always, as well as onion. The "batter" of a latke is more involved than a potato pancake, but the cooking process remains the same.

Ultimately, it comes down to the number of ingredients; potato pancakes are a bit simpler than latkes, and the milk and baking powder gives latkes a somewhat different texture than their street food counterpart.