The Greatest Holiday for Fried Foods Is…

Let’s be honest. Any day we fry food, whether it be a Nashville Hot chicken thigh or a tater tot, is kind of a celebration here at Pitco. We enjoy any reason to fire up the fryer. But when it comes to all of the holidays celebrated here in the United States, there’s one that actually takes the prize for the greatest fried food holiday.

Hanukkah.

That’s right. The festival of lights is really all about frying, and though it might seem like a stretch, we’re going to fill in the gaps here so you understand why. Let’s begin with the basics.

Hanukkah is a celebration, not of light, but of oil. According to ancient Jewish tradition, a miracle occurred extending a single day’s supply of oil, extending it out eight full days. Yes, the light was the end result, but the true miracle of this holiday is the oil that lasted for much longer than it should have. In essence, this ancient oil performed like so many of foodservice want today. It lasted and lasted.

But this anecdote isn’t the only tie between Hanukkah and fried foods. The holiday itself has deep traditions in eating all varieties of fried food because of the very oil in which they’re cooked. That oil is symbolic making the holiday’s fried foods also part of the symbolism.

When you think of Hanukkah and food, the most iconic gnosh is the latke. Latkes are essentially shaved potatoes that are molded together in the form of potato pancakes. They’re flash fried and will rival any hashbrown found in your favorite greasy spoon diner.

Hanukkah is also famous for fried donuts. Sufganiyot are jelly-filled donuts that deliver a sweet deliciousness, whether at breakfast or even after dinner. They also deliver the same, important aspects of the holiday — the miracle of the everlasting oil.

There’s one other food that should be mentioned for its Jewish heritage. While we might think of fish and chips as a distinctly British thing, if you trace the roots of the dish back to its origins and then study how it morphed on the streets of London, it’s clear the fried fish and chips we think of today actually had Jewish beginnings. And who wouldn’t want fish and chips before a jelly-filled donut? That sounds like our type of holiday!

HANUKKAH ISN’T THE ONLY THING THAT CAN EXTEND THE LIFE OF OIL

When it comes to extending the life of oil, we can’t help but think about our own ROV fryers. ROV allows operators to gain more shelf life out of the oils used in their frying programs, and even better, the initial volumes of oil required is less, too.

In terms of a frying program, the less oil used, the less oil purchased. This is a great benefit to profitability, especially when you consider how expensive frying oils can be. With ROV, oil never gets a chance to oxidize, and an automatic top-off system ensures just the right amount of oil is contained in the fryer.

In reality, the Hanukkah food traditions are a lot like the Pitco food philosophy. If you can imagine it, you can fry it, and we certainly thrive on using less oil. So this Hanukkah season, get out there, use your oil, and fry whatever you can imagine!

As you prepare your meals this holiday season, don’t forget about the best fried food holiday of them all Here at Pitco, we can help!