SC - fermented cactus beer

[Huette von Ahrens]

>Greetings,
>I have been told by several different people that potatoes are not period,
>but if latkes are period, how can potatoes not be? The Jews have been eating
>them for centuries and they (the Jews) were in all countries. I would really
>like some clarification. Thanks!
>Chante

I know we shared latke techniques on this list, but i don't remember 
anyone claiming potato latkes were "period"...

Potatoes were only discovered by Europeans in the early 1500's, and 
they were not well accepted in Europe at first. So the Jews can only 
have been eating potatoes since some time in the 1500's at the 
earliest, but such an early date is highly unlikely.

And it isn't all Jews in all countries who eat latkes. The Jews who 
eat latkes are the Ashkenizim from Eastern Europe and Russia. Latkes 
are not a great tradition among the Shephardim or the Mizrachim - the 
former being those who fled Spain after 1492 and its concomitant 
Inquisition - the latter being those who have always lived in the 
Near East. They have their own special Chanukah foods - remember the 
bunuelo thread? That's Sephardic Chanukah food

I suspect that potato latkes do not have the most ancient of 
pedigrees. Much as i love them, they strike me as dressed up peasant 
food, a way to make the ordinary seem special.

Anyone know when potatoes reached Eastern Europe/Russia? I believe 
this was discussed previously, but all past messages from this list 
were lost in the great internal drive crash of October 1999.

Anahita al-shazhiya

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