When one thinks of the quintessential British dishes, fish and chips undoubtedly comes to mind first. However, just like Britain's other national dish “chicken tikka masala,” fish and chips originated from a very different landscape. One that was deeply rooted in Jewish culinary traditions. So let's dig into the history behind everyone's favorite battered fish and fries dish.
Up until the 15th century, the Iberian Peninsula was a haven for Jewish life. Spain served as the hub for many of the world's greatest Jewish thinkers and physicians becoming high ranking politicians and members of government. All the great Jewish minds being in one place turned Spain into a sort of Mecca.
Here the Spanish Jewish community also cultivated a rich culinary tradition with plenty of dishes that derived from local produce and techniques like the Sambusak, a crescent pastry filled with mashed chickpeas and spices or cheese. Or Pipitada, a drink made from fermented dried melon seeds and orange blossom water, served as a post-Yom Kippur aperitif.
However, their biggest contribution to worldwide cuisine has to be Pescado Frito, or fried fish. The Jewish community prepared "pescado frito," a dish of fish coated in flour and fried in olive oil, which was particularly popular in Spain and Portugal.
It wasn't long before anti-semitism began to proliferate in Spain in the 14th century with pogroms and massacres becoming nearly normalized. This all reached a boiling point with the Alhambra decree, which declared that all non-christians must convert or face the consequences.
The Spanish Inquisition's relentless pursuit of religious uniformity led to the persecution of hundreds of thousands of Jews. Many were subjected to torture and execution, forcing them to leave Spain or convert to Catholicism against their will.
Nevertheless, there were a select few Jews who converted publicly but remained Jews in private. These Jews became known as crypto-Jews, for their hidden identities. They would pray every day and keep shabbat, but to blend in as god-fearing Catholics they adopted the traditions of their Christian neighbors.
And since observant Christians avoid meat on Fridays (at least up until the 1960s when the pope declared otherwise), fish was their protein of choice for Friday meals. So Sephardi Jews kept up their special cooking method and turned Friday to Fry-day. These crispy filets were a hit amongst the Spanish as well, and unbeknownst to them the battered fish made for scrumptious leftovers on shabbat, when the crypto-Jews couldn't cook food. By helping them blend in with the locals it's possible that Pescado Frito saved hundreds of Jewish lives.
Tired of living in secret, over the next century many of these crypto-Jews found refuge in neighboring countries that were more tolerant of Jews, like Britain. There, they kept frying fish and brought the flavors of Spain to the Brits. Looking for ways to make ends meet some Jews decided to sell their crispy fish out of their homes. As word of mouth spread the Jewish way of cooking up fish became one of the most popular preparations of fish in England.
Even Thomas Jefferson became a fan when he ate “fish in the Jewish fashion” during a visit to the English capital.
But the dish wasn't complete until Eastern European immigrant Joseph Malin, opened up the first chippy, or fish and chip shop along London's East End selling fried fish alongside chipped potatoes which, until then, had been found only in the Irish potato shops.
This match proved to be made in heaven, as it caught on quickly as one of England's favorite meals. Especially currying favor with working class Britons making for a quick and easy meal during a short lunch break.
The dish grew in popularity as new techniques of trawl fishing and the invention of the railroad brought fish into England's biggest metropolises.
Fish and chip shops became so popular, reaching a zenith with at one point over 35,000 fish and chip joints in the UK. Fish and chips played a major role in both World Wars, by sustaining the British population in wartime. Unlike many other foods, fish and chips were not rationed, making them an accessible and comforting meal during times of hardship. This period cemented the dish's status as a national treasure.
Even with all that's changed in the world since, the simple pairing of fried fish and crispy potato wedges has largely remained intact. In a way, this dish serves as a testament to the cultural exchanges that have shaped national cuisines, highlighting how immigrant communities can leave a lasting impact on their adopted homelands.
The flaky battered fish, the crispy potato wedges make for every Brit's favorite combo, but next time you chow down on a crispy battered cod that would make even Gordon Ramsay's mouth water, remember the industrious Jews who first created the classic English meal as a way to escape the Inquisition.
