Typical Hanukah foods such as potato latkes and sufganiyot (jelly donuts) tend to involve a lot of oil. If you want to avoid the oil, there's also a recipe for gluten-free Hanukah cookies in the list below. Chocolate too is popular, especially little chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil.
Why the oil? In 165 B.C., the Jewish Maccabees won a military victory over the Greek-Syrians and were able to recapture the Jewish holy temple. The Temple had been desecrated, and during its re-purification, one day's worth of oil (all that was left in the desecrated temple) burned for eight days until more oil could be brought. Hanukah commemorates this eight-day miracle of the oil. (You can learn more on About.com's Judaism site.)
Below are links to recipes for Hanukah foods. And don't forget -- if you're too busy or not in the mood to cook from scratch, the Manischewitz Potato Pancake and Sweet Potato Pancake mixes (sold in many supermarkets) are both gluten-free.
Gluten-Free Hanukah Recipes from About.com
- Five recipes for Gluten-Free Potato Latkes from our Guide to Parenting Special Needs Children
- Gluten-Free Potato Latkes from our Guide to Food Allergies
- Gluten-Free Donuts from our Guide to Low Carb Diets
Elsewhere on the Web
From Jewish Women International (formerly B'nai B'rith Women)Gluten-Free Hanukah Cookies and Sufganiyot (Jelly Donuts)
From Gluten-Free-Bay
Gluten-free Sufganiyot (Jelly Donuts)
Sweet Potato and Leek Latkes
Parsnip and Carrot Latkes
Traditional Potato Latkes
From Jewish Food List
Gluten-Free Sufganiyot (Jelly Donuts)
From The Gluten-Free Goddess
Potato Latkes served with Cinnamon Applesauce
Egg-free latkes from The Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef
If you can't eat eggs, you can still have these egg-free potato latkes!
Edible Hanukah Gifts
From The Challah Connection
This company has a great assortment of edible gluten-free Hanukah gifts, from chocolates to cookies to gift baskets with savory or sweet treats.
From Amanda's Own Confections
Mail-order gluten-free, dairy-free, Kosher Hanukah gelt.
