What are Sufganiyah?

Sufganiyah are a donut-like food that are made using

• Yeast
• Hot Water
• Flour
• Powdered Sugar
• Salt
• Nutmeg
• Egg Yolks
• Oil

They are usually eaten during the Jewish holiday Hannukah which is the celebration of light. You can put many different things inside of them, popular ones in my household being jams, nutella, oreos and chocolates.

How are Sufganiyah made?

Sufganiyah are made by

• Mix yeast and hot water
• Mix flour with powdered sugar, salt and nutmeg
• When yeast is bubbly, combine egg yolks and oil with yeast mixture
• Mix wet and dry ingredients
• Let it rise for at least 1 hour
• Surround filling with a small handful of dough and cover the filling on all sides
• Fry in oil for about 3 minutes, flipping after a minute and a half

This is my family’s recipe for sufganiyah that we make every year for Hannukah.

The History of Sufganiyah

Sufganiyah doesn’t seem to have as much of a religious origin as other Jewish foods like hamentashen, latkes or matzah. The historical story, however is very complex in comparison. Sufganiyah seem to have originated in Northern Africa, in Jewish communities that immigrated due to the diasporas (the Jews were exiled from Israel by the Romans and also by the Babylonians). The treat then made its way across the Mediterranean to places like Germany, which added the more common jelly filling. Antisemitism lead to Jews from Europe to go back to Israel, which then spread between Jewish communities rapidly. Sufganiyah are usually eaten on Hannukah because they are usually fried, and Hannukah is oil-centric.