Potato latkes are a Hanukkah tradition. And latkes aren’t on the Hanukkah menu just because they’re delicious. The crispy fried treats symbolize the miracle of the oil after the Macabees successfully drove the Syrian army out of Jerusalem. The story goes that there was only one day’s worth of olive oil to light the menorah in the temple. But the menorah burned bright for eight nights—the reason Hanukkah lasts for the same amount of time.
If you’re looking to take your Hanukkah celebration to the next level or want a way to include your medication in the holiday celebration, why not infuse your latkes with cannabis?
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM
We recommend using a cannabis tincture to infuse the latkes, but you can choose the marijuana oil that you like best. It can be one that’s high in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) if you want a psychoactive effect, or if you’ve found that THC helps with your pain or poor sleep.
You can also choose a hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) oil instead. This would be a great option for cannabis newbies or for people who are mainly interested in easing inflammation or anxiety.
Instead of infusing the actual latkes with cannabis, we chose to medicate one of the most popular latke toppings: sour cream. While you could make the latkes with cannabis-infused cooking oil, a way to more easily personalize the cannabis dosage for each guest is to stir the cannabis oil into the sour cream.
You could split the sour cream into two bowls and infuse one but not the other so people can choose the medicated topping—or simply bypass it. Another option is to serve the latkes with personal ramekins of sour cream for each guest. That way you can give people a truly individual cannabis dose, taking into consideration their tolerance and desired effects.
Plus, eating the cannabis with the fat in the sour cream means the therapeutic cannabinoids become more bioavailable for your body to use.
RELATED: WHY YOU NEED TO EAT FAT WITH YOUR CANNABIS
We hope that including cannabis or hemp-derived CBD into your Hanukkah celebration makes the holiday all that more special, relaxing and enjoyable. As always, label the infused sour cream, and keep it away from children and pets.
Ingredients for Cannabis-Infused Potato Latkes
- 2 lbs potatoes, russet or Yukon Gold work best
- 1 yellow or white onion
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup matzo meal
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Oil for frying
- Cannabis tincture of your choice (start with about 2.5 mg per person)
- Sour cream for topping
How to Make Cannabis-Infused Potato Latkes
- Peel and shred the potatoes. You can do this by hand on a box grater or in a food processor.
- Place the shredded potatoes in a bowl of cold water for 2 minutes.
- While the potatoes are in the chilled water, shred the onions the same way you did the potatoes.
- Drain the potatoes.
- Wrap the shredded potatoes and onions in a paper towel or cheesecloth, and squeeze out any excess moisture.
- Return the potatoes and onion to a bowl. Beat the eggs and add them to the mixture along with the matzo meal and salt and pepper; mix well.
- Place about 1/4 inch of oil in a pan (one with high sides will work best) and when it begins to shimmer, you’re ready to fry your latkes.
- Take an 1/8 measuring cup and fill it with the latke mixture. Take the measured amount in your hands, lightly flattening it into a pancake shape; be careful not to flatten it too much.
- Carefully place the latke in the oil and repeat until there’s no more room in the pan, careful not to crown the latkes too much; you’ll have to fry several batches.
- Flip the latkes at regular intervals, until each side is golden brown, about 8–10 minutes per latke.
- When they’re finished, place them on a paper towel or cooling rack. (If you’re making your latkes ahead of time, you can warm them in the oven for 10 minutes right before serving.)
- When it’s time to eat, decide how you want to serve the medicated sour cream. A microdose of cannabis with THC is usually around 2.5–5 mg; this amount per person may be a good place to start. For hemp-derived CBD, you could go for a larger dose, because CBD doesn’t make people feel high like THC does, though some people are particularly sensitive to CBD. You can also ask your guests how much they’re comfortable consuming and provide each person with their own personalized dose.
Photo credit: Element5 Digital
If you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our Cannabis 101 index of articles. HelloMD can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it’s easy, private and 100% online.
