As Chanukah draws closer, we wanted to get some insight from Rabbi Levy Teitlebaum, Director of the Ottawa Vaad HaKashrut, regarding some of the best local spots for good kosher Chanukah food, as well as what goes into making traditional favourites kosher in the first place.
As you’ll read later in the article, making oil kosher is an interesting process that doesn’t just involve the plant or seed that the oils come from, but everything from the storage of that oil to its transportation and packaging.
The burning question that many in the community have been asking is: Where can one find good kosher Chanukah food in Ottawa? Rabbi Teitlebaum had this to share in response:
“Wherever they sell kosher food, they will be selling kosher food for Chanukah,” said Rabbi Teitlebaum. “Both Creative Kosher and Cater4U, the Village Café at the JCC … Loblaws will have some. Keepin’ It Vegan and Strawberry Blonde will have latkes and donuts.”
The special foods we eat during Chanukah are symbolic of the events that took place during the Maccabean Revolt. Those familiar with the Chanukah story will recall the “miracle of the oil,” where there was only enough oil to light the menorah in the temple for one night but ended up lasting for eight.
Jewish communities around the world mark this miracle that G_d performed for us by eating foods fried in oil. For Ashkenazi communities, this means dishes like latkes and sufganiyot. For Sephardic communities, sfinge and sbekia are often on the menu.
The story of what makes oil kosher is fascinating as well.
“Unfortunately, there is a lot of fraud when it comes to higher grades of oil,” said Rabbi Teitlebaum. “For instance, making oil kosher … it is not just the seed and the making of it … it is about the storage of that finished product and if it is shared equipment.”
This highlights how much needs to be considered when determining whether oil is kosher or not. Considerations include the piping used in oil refinement, the transport of that oil, and its packaging in facilities across Canada.
Kosher Chanukah Recipes
For anyone looking for a new recipe to spice up their Chanukah table this holiday, we have some ideas here that might do just the trick:
Doughnut Twists: https://www.kosher.com/recipe/glazed-donut-twists-2980/
Zucchini Cheese Latkes: https://www.chabad.org/recipes/recipe_cdo/aid/3510562/jewish/Zucchini-Cheese-Latkes.htm
We hope these recipes and local businesses fill your Chanukah plates with warmth and joy this holiday. From all of us here at the E-Bulletin, we wish you a Chanukah filled with love and light, and we will see you again in 2025!