For 5,000 years, the culinary debate has raged from the Promised Land to the palettes of Princeton students. Jews have weighed the texture, flavor and cultural magnitude of two holiday favorites: the latke and the hamentaschen.
Students and professors gathered in the Whig Senate Chamber last night to end the classical struggle once and for all, and "Team Latke" reigned victorious due to its comedic prowess.
The "Latke and Hamentaschen Debate" was first ritualized at the University of Chicago in 1946. The debates were modeled after friendly family disputes over which holiday treat is better, the fried potato latke or the triangular, jam or poppy seed-filled hamentaschen. The Center for Jewish Life and Tiger Magazine organized the University's third such debate yesterday.
Before host Michael van Landingham '08 could open the floor for debate, he quieted the packed chamber by hitting a gavel against the podium numerous times.
"I will be your moderator for one of the most raging debates that have ever existed in our society," he said. "Five thousand years, and this hasn't been solved yet."
"This is the year," an audience member shouted in response.
This outburst from the audience set the tone as the debaters compared their preferences for latkes or hamentashen to intellectual concepts ranging from patriotism to string theory.
"This is not a case of ask what your country can do for you, but ask what you can eat for your country," Wilson School visiting professor Daniel Kurtzer, a member of "Team Hamentaschen," said during his speech advocating hamentaschen superiority.
Kurtzer, former ambassador to Israel, defended the hamentaschen cookie along with Aaron Souza '08.
Physics professor William Bialek and Ben Amster '07 argued for the scientific and culinary superiority of the latke pancake. Amster is a former Daily Princetonian photography editor.
Souza began the debate with a "three-pronged speech," citing rhetorical, geometric and nutritional reasons for enjoying the hamentaschen up to the last "climactic moment."
Amster countered by explaining the succulent nature of each latke bite.
"On the first bite of a latke, you get the crunchy-ness of the outside, the warmth of the fried oil and the delicate potato taste," Amster said. "The first bite of hamentaschen ... you get a lot of dry crust and some filling if you're lucky."
"Deep fry a hamentaschen, then we could have this debate on more equal standing," he added.
After Amster's compelling argument on the American preference for fried food, van Landingham reproved the hamentaschen team on their first-round inferiority.
"Souza, you got served," van Landingham said.
Kurtzer commenced the battle of the professors with a historical perspective on the superiority of hamentaschen. Ben Franklin, Pilgrims and "the Quaker Oats guy" all wore hamentaschen hats, Kurtzer said.
He concluded with a condemnation of latkes as an oily culprit in America's fight for energy independence.
"A vote for the latke is not only a vote for oil, but a vote for Saddam Hussein," Kurtzer said.
While judges Rob Biederman '08, Amy Unterman '08 and Michael Lemonick, a visiting lecturer in astrophysical sciences, sided with the latke as a comedic winner, the verdict is still out on which treat is superior. The latkes and hamentaschen served after the debate were equally popular.
"The hamentaschen side made some good points about patriotism" Jacob Oppenheim '09, a latke supporter, said after the debate, "but obviously the latke side was better."
Rebecca Arkin '10 said she prefers hamentaschen "because desserts are the best part of every meal."
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