Whitefish salad is a salad of smoked freshwater whitefish and mayonnaise. Whitefish salad is a staple fare of Ashkenazi Jewish American cuisine, often found at appetizing stores and Jewish delicatessens.[1][2] Common ingredients that can be added to whitefish salad include dill, lemon juice, capers, celery, chives, green peppers, vinegar, hard-boiled egg, and mustard.[citation needed] The mayonnaise can be substituted with sour cream, lebneh, or crème fraîche. Whitefish is often served on a bagel.
 Whitefish salad on a bagel with onion and tomato | |
| Course | Breakfast or lunch |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | Freshwater whitefish and mayonnaise |
Whitefish salad is commonly served for Yom Kippur break fast and Hanukkah, as well as for sitting shivas, bar/bat mitzvahs, and other gatherings.[3][4] Tablet Magazine founder Alana Newhouse included whitefish salad in her book "The 100 Most Jewish Foods."[5] Food critic Mimi Sheraton recommends whitefish salad as a topping for toast or dark pumpernickel.
History
editWhitefish salad originated in North America among Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants. Ashkenazi Jews discovered that the freshwater whitefish, found in the Great Lakes, was similar to freshwater whitefish found in Europe, and soon smoked freshwater whitefish became a staple of Ashkenazi Jewish appetizing stores and delicatessens and became an iconic example of Jewish American cuisine. Whitefish salad is a popular dish at breakfasts and morning celebrations, including brits and Sunday morning brunches.[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Smoked Whitefish Salad With Crème Fraîche and Capers". The New York Times. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
- ^ "Whitefish Salad with Labneh and Lemon Recipe". MyJewishLearning.com. 25 June 2020. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
- ^ "Dang, That's Some Good Whitefish Salad". Men's Journal. 4 December 2017. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
- ^ Sheraton, Mimi (2015). 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die: A Food Lover's Life List. Workman Publishing Company. p. 467. ISBN 9780761183068.
- ^ Newhouse, Alana (2019). The 100 Most Jewish Foods:A Highly Debatable List. Artisan. p. 277. ISBN 9781579659271.
- ^ Marks, Gil (2010). The Encyclopedia of Jewish Food. ISBN 9780544186316.