Pod cast 2 Fish & Chips

Gastropod Episode - "Fish & Chips: Uncovering the Forgotten Jewish and Belgian Origins of the Iconic British Dish"

Today, I'm going to take a deep dive into one of the most iconic dishes in the world, fish and chips. 

Now, you might be thinking, “Fish and chips? We all know it’s British!” But wait, did you know the dish has origins that stretch much farther than the UK? This episode of Gastropod, hosted by Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley, unveils the unexpected Jewish and Belgian roots of this meal. 

You’ve probably heard that fish and chips is the quintessential British comfort food. But in this episode, Gastropod takes us back to uncover how Belgian and Jewish communities influenced the development of this dish. It turns out that the version of fried fish paired with chips may have been a culinary marriage made in the Belgian and Jewish kitchens long before it became the British favorite we know today.

One of the first surprising revelations from the episode is that fried fish was a common Jewish tradition, especially among Jewish communities in Eastern Europe. Fish was often fried in kosher oil as part of traditional holiday meals. But where does the chip part come in? Turns out, the combination of fried fish and chips is rooted in Belgium, where street vendors were frying fish and potatoes together long before it became part of British street food culture.

Cynthia and Nicola walk us through the origins of frietkot (Belgian fry shacks) in Flanders, where vendors were pairing frites with fried fish long before the British ever got involved. In fact, the chip shop as we know it today may owe much of its existence to these Belgian fryers.

Now, let’s talk about the Jewish contribution to fish and chips. You might be surprised to learn that the combination of fried fish and crispy fries was heavily influenced by Jewish immigrants—especially those who settled in London in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They brought with them the practice of frying fish, often as part of the Jewish tradition for Shabbat meals and special occasions.

The episode goes into fascinating detail about how Jewish immigrants worked with the Belgian fryers to create a fusion of Belgian-style frites and fried fish, which soon became a hit with the British working class. Over time, the dish became a staple at chippy shops across the UK.

One of the things that makes this episode so engaging is how it places fish and chips in the broader context of street food culture and culinary fusion. This dish didn’t just appear in Britain out of nowhere, it was the result of a mix of influences from Belgium, Eastern Europe, and the Jewish community, all coming together to form the beloved meal we now associate with British comfort food.