I·ATE: Crispy Potato Fritters | Gromperekichelcher | Patatokeftedes

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Potato! What a vegetable! One can taste it boiled, fried, rosted, with sauces, with other vegetables, as a side dish, as a main dish etc. We can “encounter” its combinations in different countries meaning that multiple flavour and linguistic variations should exist. As a result for this week’s food term we chose to present you how crispy potato fritters are called around the world and ask you to also let us know if other variations exist and where!

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Luxembourg’s Gromperekichelcher 

In Luxembourg, the smell of gromperekichelcher is linked to every big celebration and festivity. For example, in Christmas, there will always be a kiosk  of this crispy potato snack in the center of every marché de Noël and in June of course during the celebrations for the Fête NationaleThe  Gromperekichelcher it is traditionaly eaten with apple sauce and it is made with onion, potatoes, flour, salt and pepper, butter, nutmeg, parsley, shallots, garlic and eggs.

Germany’s Kartoffelpuffer

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In Germany, the Crispy Potato Fritters are called Kartoffelpuffer. They are a very popular dish throughout the entire country. It is interesting to mention that depending on the region of Germany not only the ingredients and preparation change but also the name of the dish. Here some examples: in Bavaria they are called Reiberdatschi, Täschli or Backes, in parts of Lower Saxony, Thuringia and Saxony Puffer, in north-east Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Kartoffelkuchen and in Rhineland Reibekuchen. In Austria, apparently they are simply known as Kartoffelpuffer or Erdäpfelpuffer.

To prepare delicious Kartoffelpuffer you need: 1.2 kg potatoes, two onions, four eggs, 60 g flour, pepper, salt and vegetable oil for frying. For the preparation peel and grate the potatoes and onions and mix them together. Then you add the eggs and finally the flour as well as salt and pepper. Stir the whole mixture once again. Now heat the vegetable oil in a pan and fry the dough (approximately two to three tablespoons) on both sides until deep golden.

As already mentioned above the dish varies not only in its names but it is also eaten topped with a variety of condiments. Typically Kartoffelpuffer are eaten with Apfelkompott (apple sauce) or powdered sugar. For the lovers of salty dishes a frequently used garnish is sauerkraut or smoked salmon.

Rpotato-pancakeomania’s Clătite cu cartofi și dovlecei (klatite ku kartofi shi dovletchei)

In Romania, this is a popular dish which is actually a variation of the traditional latke recipe and it is served with apple sauce and /or sour cream. It is made it with onion, zucchini, yellow potatoes, eggs, canola oil, salt, black pepper and flour/potato flour. This latke variation is prepared as an ordinary dish or offered among others during Christmas and Easter celebrations. The Potato Latkes – Деруни (Deruni) mentioned before, have their origin in Ukraine. Latke it is the Yiddish word for pancakes.

 

Greece’s Patatokeftedes

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In Greece, if you go to a taverna or if you are invited in a friendly house for a meze, patatokeftedes is a dish that most likely will be served to you! Mostly, it serves as an appetiser accompanied almost always with tzatziki sauce and tsipouro. The basic ingredients are: grated potato, Greek kefalograviera cheese, eggs and a touch of nutmeg! Of course this dish can be tasted in a lot of variations that include different herbs according to the region, different cheeses and fillings like jambon.

And in your country? In your region? Do you have similar  potato fritters recipes? If yes, how do you call it?

Have a nice weekend with our mouthwashing linguistic discoveries and enjoy!


Written by  Katerina PalamiotiTranslator, Social Media and Content Manager, Communication Trainee and Foodie at the Terminology Coordination Unit of the European Parliament and Iris Rinner – Terminology trainee at the Terminology Coordination Unit of the European Parliament, BA in Modern Foreign Languages and Cultures from the University of Sassari and MA in Specialized Translation from the University of Vienna.

Sources:

    • Sasha Martin, Crispy Potato Fritters | Gromperekichelcher, (19/01/2012) Available at: http://bit.ly/2tVfs3T (Accessed 22/06/2017)
    • Spotlight Verlag GmbH (20/02/2017), Einfach besser Deutsch. Deutsch perfekt. Kartoffelpuffer, Available at: http://bit.ly/2txBqKO (Accessed 22/06/2017)
    • Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache e.V. (n.d.), Der Kartoffelpuffer und seine mundartlichen Bezeichnungen, Available at: http://bit.ly/2sY6vu1 (Accessed 22/06/2017)
    • Alpha TV, Τι θα φάμε σήμερα μαμά; Πατατοκεφτέδες (03/05/2014) Available at: http://bit.ly/2t1EvFO (Accessed 22/06/2017)
    • Romanian Food Recipes, Potato Pancakes / Clatite cu cartofi Available at: http://bit.ly/2sSGCJs (Accessed 22/06/2017)