I ate gefilte fish today for the very first time

Cafe Society
1

For many years I’ve looked longingly at jars of gefilte fish on supermarket shelves, but never tried it. Back in my dating years, most of my girlfriends were Jewish, and I’m 1/16th Jewish myself, so I feel entitled to eat it. Yesterday, I saw it was on sale, so I said to myself, oy vey :smack:, I’d be meshugganah not to buy for this little gelt!

I warmed it up, drizzled a little horseradish sauce on top and ate it for breakfast this morning. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. I like the flavor of fish, but this tasted a bit too…carpy to me (no surprise, I guess). I saw, next to the gefilte fish, jars of similarly appearing “whitefish” balls. Now, I love me some smoked whitefish salad on my bagels even more than lox (it’s easy to make the salad if you can find the smoked whitefish; so try it; you’ll like it!). My question: would it be worth my time to try the whitefish balls next time? Is the fishy-flavor less intense?

I could not get my daughters to even try the gefilte fish, even though I lied and told them they were matzo balls. They refuse to eat fish of any type. I have to tell them my fish cakes are chicken patties just to get them to open their yaps and fork it in—sometimes that works (they don’t have refined flavor palates). But, with the gefilte fish, since my kids are only 1/32 Jewish, I didn’t push the issue with those shiksas.

2

Growing up in a largely jewish neighborhood, I’ve always liked gefilte fish, chicken livers and hardboiled egg, matzo, that sesame seed candy bar, etc.

3

I hate the stuff. :slight_smile:

4

It’s vile stuff. But around this time every year, like clock work, I crave it much to the disgust of my wife and kids. I eat mine with tons of hot horse raddish (the type with beets) to mask the carpy flavour.

5

A decade or so ago I used to stock shelves at Safeway, and one of my aisles was the “International/Ethnic” food aisle. I always looked at the gefilte fish with great interest, because it looked to me, about as far from Jewish as one can be, like some sort of bizarre science experiment. I’ve still never tried it (but I would if ever a convenient opportunity presented itself).

6

I love gefilte fish, but don’t warm it up. It’s usually eaten cool or at room temp. When it’s done right, it doesn’t have a fishy flavor at all (to me anyway). I mean, it’s nowhere close to being as fishy as, say, canned tuna. What it does do is provide the perfect neutral (WRT to temperature and flavor) setting where the horseradish can explode in your mouth (possibly causing permanent brain/sinus damage)–the way the clearest, blackest night sky is the best backdrop for experiencing fireworks. Heating it up probably intensified the fishiness, so don’t. And just pile on more horseradish.

7

^This is how to do it. Freshly made gefilte fish may still be warm or room temperature but the bottled stuff should be cold. There are also various forms of the bottled stuff, if it’s labeled ‘Traditional’ it’s probably the worst variety. Try out varieties labeled “Sweet” or “All Whitefish”. Also, right now the groceries should be stocking up with fresh stuff, but often those jars sit on the shelf for a year, restocked just before Passover only, so make sure you’re getting something fresh.

8

It is traditionally made from the cheapest stuff at the fish market.
Mrs. Plant’s (v.2.0) daughter ate it with chocolate milk.
:rolleyes:

9

AFAIK, I have no Jewish ancestry. None of my girlfriends have been Jewish. But like the OP, I’ve always been curious about those jars of fish I keep seeing.

I finally tried gefilte fish several years ago. Not bad. Not delicious. Just bland, not-objectionable food. After the first test, the rest of them were better because I wrapped them in bacon before I cooked them. But even the bacon didn’t make them tasty enough to buy another jar.

10

:rolleyes:

11

It’s ok as long as he uses kosher bacon.

12

:slight_smile:

13

Umm… Mazel tov?

14

Hate it. Bacalla too. Apparently my Italian ancestors thought gefilte fish was a hilarious joke to play on little kids and decided to try to get in on it.

It’s amazing that two groups of people could come up with deli and Italian cuisines, two of the greatest gifts to humanity, and also both say to themselves “What’s the most horrific was to bastardize fish?”

15

It might be universal, ever had lutefisk?

16

I have never heard of eating hot gefilte fish. Even room temperature is too warm for me. And I have fond memories of my grandmother’s home-made gefilte fish. The stuff in jars doesn’t even come close; it’s too bland. I don’t blame newbies for not liking it.

17

I’m with the eat it cold set. But what color horseradish did you use? I can only get white in this damn wilderness (the Bay Area) which isn’t the same but has to do in a pinch.

There is no whitefish around here. My daughter sends me some every year for my birthday. But the best whitefish salad I’ve ever had out was at the deli of the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City. About the only thing the Donald has ever done right.

I don’t do Pesach any more, but this year I experimented with some egg and onion matzo - which is great. Very tasty, though I like regular matzo too.

18

Re past tense.

:smack: Did I miss Passover again this year??

19

Yeah, I agree, Jewish delis and mom & pop Italian shops are culinary delights and gifts to humanity. I consider myself lucky to have lived long periods in cities that are home to excellent Jewish delis, Little Italy’s (…and China Towns, Little Havanas, etc.): Philadelphia, Cleveland and Miami. My current city doesn’t quite measure up food-wise, but we’ve got good seafood, Indian and bar-b-que.

Cleveland is home to the very best chopped chicken liver sandwich which you can find at Corky & Lenny’s Deli on Chagrin Blvd.

I switched gears to eating mostly Cuban food and stone crabs (Joe’s) in Miami, but their Italian and Jewish is nothing to sniff at. I got hooked quickly on café cubana (kind of like rocket fuel, but stronger and more combustable) when I moved there, so I got around (quickly) a lot.

It goes without saying that the best Italian hoagies and cheesesteaks come from Philly. But, the very best aren’t where you’d think—Pat,s, Genos, Jim’s are good, but not stellar—the very best come from Philly’s Main Line.

When I lived in Philly, I used to eat a few times a week at a place called, The Wurst House on Baltimore Avenue, West Philadelphia. It was primarily a German-Jewish deli when I lived there in the 70’s. I was excited when I was thinking about going back there a few years ago and my Google search revealed the Wurst House was still in business! Then I was immediately disappointed when I learned they turned into a pizzeria, of all things! And, according to reviews, not even a good pizzeria (great pizza abounds in Philly/South Jersey and will get you a thumbs up; bad pizza will get you a severed horse head in your bed).

Anyway, when it was a deli, they made the very best sandwich in the known universe. They called it a Hot Jewish. They should have called it The Sandwich that Could Convert Jesus Back Into a Hot Jew Sandwich—it was that good. If you can imagine a Reuben and a Hot Pastrami and an Italian Hoagie having 3-way sex and giving birth to a big fat meaty baby who they raise Russian Jewish and slather with tangy cream lotion—then stick a deli pickle up its ass, you’ll come close, but not quite understand just how decadently delicious this sandwich was. I ate these babies all the time and you guys didn’t, so…nya, nya, nya, sucks to be you.

And, just to be clear, South Jersey pizza punches NYC pizza in the nose, and teabags Chicago pizza. :smiley:

20

Absolutely true.

I used to go to a place called Michael-Felters for wurst, tons of varieties. They had one location in Penn Center and another one at the King of Prussia Mall.

The Philadelphia area definitely has the best pizza, it’s not limited to Jersey. The use of high quality ingredients has been convincingly urged upon the pizza shop proprietors by their suppliers.

Also, it’s unbecoming to dump on Chicago pizza, that’s like using frozen Pizza Bagels as a comparison.