3 simple and iconic Hanukkah dishes to share with guests

Hanukkah is a great holiday to share a meaningful meal with loved ones. These iconic yet simple dishes are sure to be a hit at your Hanukkah party.

Hanukkah is a great holiday to share a meaningful meal with loved ones. One of the best ways to celebrate is by making the dishes associated with the holiday, including favourites such as latkes and brisket. When hosting a Hanukkah party for the first time, don't fret: a good rule of thumb is to keep the dishes as simple and traditional as possible. The following foods are ideal for your Hanukkah party menu, and will be a hit with all of your guests.

These are the two names for potato pancakes, in Yiddish and Hebrew respectively. The festival of Hanukkah celebrates a day's worth of lamp oil that burned for eight days, and latkes are a particularly delicious way of paying homage. Latkes are quite simple to prepare, consisting of shredded or mashed potatoes, flour, egg, baking powder and salt. They are a savoury treat that can taste great with applesauce and sour cream.

Cheese has been incorporated into many Jewish celebrations because of the story of Judith. According to the story, Judith's village was under siege by the Babylonian army. Armed with nothing more than a basket of wine and cheese, Judith went to visit the enemy general, Holofernes. She made a gift of the cheese, which was quite salty, and got the general heavily drunk on wine. When he was passed out, she took his life and then returned to her village. Their leader dead, the Babylonians retreated and the village was saved.

To honour Judith, Jewish households often serve cheese blintzes, which are thin crepes filled with soft cheese. They're easy to prepare, and can be served on their own or topped with fruit compote.

Centuries ago, Jewish families in eastern Europe were not financially well-off. Because of their poverty, they could only afford tougher cuts of beef, including brisket. Over time, Jewish families learned how to braise the brisket slowly over several hours, turning the tough muscle fibres into tender, delicate morsels. This cut of beef is still very commonly eaten in Jewish households, especially on holidays. For determined yet inexperienced party hosts, the brisket can be prepared simply with seasoning, wine and water. Cover the meat and braise it at 163 degrees Celsius until totally tender.

Both your Jewish and non-Jewish friends will have a wonderful time eating these traditional dishes and learning the stories behind them.