As we head into the last Shabbat of November, I can’t help but feel that familiar shift… the moment when fall becomes winter, the snow starts to swirl, the kitchen feels extra cozy, and my mind turns immediately toward one thing: doughnuts.
More specifically—sufganiyot season!

Well, let’s be honest—fried food season in general. Hanukkah is nearly here, and with it comes one of my favorite culinary times of the year.

Latkes, Fritters & Fried Goodness Around the Jewish World

We all know the classic Ashkenazi Hanukkah pairing:
latkes + applesauce + sour cream.
Is there anything more comforting?

But as delicious and traditional as a simple potato latke is, I love all the playful twists on it:

zucchini fritters
sweet potato latkes
carrot-harissa latkes
cauliflower latkes
mashed potato croquettes

And then, when you zoom out beyond Ashkenazi tradition, you suddenly remember that Jews from all over the world have their own incredible fried Hanukkah foods:

Sfenj (Moroccan/Sephardi yeast dough fritters dusted with sugar)
Bimuelos (Turkish or Ladino Jewish fried dough balls soaked in syrup)
Atayif / Qatayef (Middle Eastern stuffed pancakes, sometimes fried)
Burmelos (Sicilian Jewish ricotta fritters)
Latkes with Indian spices from Bene Israel communities
Yemenite Zalabiya, tangy fried dough dipped in honey

It’s one of my favorite things about Jewish food—the way the same celebration can look so different depending on where your ancestors came from. Hanukkah may not be the biggest holiday, but the food? The food is spectacular everywhere.

The Rise—and Art—of Sufganiyot

Sufganiyot have exploded in popularity in recent years, especially in Israel. There, they’ve become an entire art form. Bakeries create wild, over-the-top flavors that look more like pastry showpieces than doughnuts—towers of fillings, glazes, crumbs, sprinkles, brûléed tops… you name it.

Here at Mosaic, my own approach to sufganiyot has evolved over time.
Through years of trial, error, experimentation, (and yes—a few fried disasters!) we’ve found a method that’s consistent, delicious, and uniquely ours.

We make our dough from scratch, roll and cut each doughnut by hand, and fry them fresh in the morning. We always offer the classics—jelly, custard, and chocolate—but the real fun happens during the week when we start rolling out special flavors from the café.

Over the years, we’ve made everything from lemon lavender to s’mores, and watching our customers light up when they see the new flavor lineup has become one of the highlights of the season.

A Week to Remember

I still think back to the Hanukkah years when we were short-staffed and I was in the kitchen every single day, rolling, cutting, frying, filling—sometimes for 16 hours straight. It was exhausting and chaotic, but the feedback from people who loved our sufganiyot made every sticky, sugary minute worth it.

That year, I somehow made it through the entire week without eating a single one.
(Probably because I was too tired to remember to eat!)

Now, with the team we have, it feels different. They work together, support each other, and take so much pride in getting these doughnuts just right. Watching them collaborate during our busiest days is one of the best parts of the season.