Reibekuchen

The story

In the Rhineland towns along the Rhine, fried pancakes of grated potato are as much a part of the Christmas markets as Glühwein. The vendor cooks them outdoors on a large metal griddle, the smell drifting across the whole market square, and serves them hot, wrapped in paper, with applesauce or sugar-beet syrup (Rübenkraut). At home, Reibekuchen are a simple supper that takes little preparation, welcome in the days before Christmas while everyone saves their strength for the holiday table. The secret to a good Reibekuchen is squeezing the excess water out of the grated potato before frying, a step recipes often skip, and the one that decides whether the crust turns out crisp or limp. For immigrant communities from the Rhineland, the smell of potatoes sizzling in oil is as powerful a memory of the Christmas markets as the taste itself.