Two things I had forgotten

[fpb]

1) How much I like gefilte fish.
2) What scary awful prices kosher foods cost. I guess that is one thing that stokes the legend of Jewish wealth - if they can afford to pay four pounds for a bag of gefilte fish or two or three for a few slices of salt beef, they MUST be well off!

Comments

[super-pan.livejournal.com]

I have never had gefilte fish! I would like to try it one day.

[super-pan.livejournal.com]

I thought it was Scandinavians who ate gefilte fish?

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Er no. I think the Scandinavian recipe is called something like lunkfish - I might be wrong. But gefilte fish is definitely kosher, and I should know, since the lot I bought bore the approval marks of two Beth Din (Jewish courts) as well as one Muslim Halal authority.

[super-pan.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah, I am thinking of the wrong thing! I think it's called ludefisk or lude fish or something.

Gefilte fish might be something I can actually find here in SC. I will have to look for it!

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Lutefisk - that's it! It's also meant to be something of an acquired taste, whereas I can tell you that gefilte fish is just plain nice.

Lutefisk & Yam (with apologies to Dr. Seuss)

[eliskimo.livejournal.com]

(excerpted from the original by Ulf Gunnarsson)

Lars did ask his name then. "I am Sven," he mentioned.
"Sven I am," he stated. "Do you like lutefisk and yams?"

"Nay." said Lars, "though largely like I food most goodly, but
I do not like lutefisk and yams, I do not like them Sven I am."

...

"Hmmm," said Sven, "Good fellow,
would you eat them on the field?
Would you eat them off your shield?"

"Nay!" cried Lars most wrothly,
"Like I food most goodly, but
I would not eat them on the field,
I would not eat them off my shield,
I would not eat them on a raid,
I would not eat them with a maid,
I would not eat them on a trip,
I would not eat them on my ship.
I do not like lutefisk and yams.
I do not like them, Sven I am."

Sven then looked most crafty. He then slyly stated:
"Would you eat them served up cold?
Would you eat them if I paid you gold?"

"Well," said Lars, "since largely, Like I food most goodly...
I might like lutefisk and yams. I might like them, Sven I am."

[eliskimo.livejournal.com]

You can get lutefisk around here (Ontario), although it's easier (not surprisingly, considering the demand) in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Manitoba.

[jordan179.livejournal.com]

Well, we have to import them all the way from Heaven. Through Hell. You wouldn't believe the duties on that ... ;-)

[tibba.livejournal.com]

*giggle* :D

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Gives a whole new meaning to the expression "giving the Devil his due".

[dustthouart.livejournal.com]

Seriously? Kosher food is quite reasonably priced in the United States. Perhaps it's due to the UK not having quite as large a population of kosher-keeping Jews as the US? Volume means price goes down, generally.

One of the supermarket chains near where I grew up, Weis Markets, is owned by a Jewish family and they have an extensive kosher selection. While I'm not keen on gefilte fish, we always bought kosher matzo and kosher prepared potato pancakes and similar.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

You are probably right. I can tell you that, in the Sainsbury's supermarket chain, prepared meat such as salt beef costs in the range of the most expensive kinds of non-kosher luxury prepared meat, namely bresaola (part-dried spiced beef) and Parma ham, namely more than two pounds per hundred gram. I don't know how that translates into American measures, but it's a lot, and I can't imagine a modestly off Jewish family paying that much on food without either having to live on a stringent diet, or going without a lot of other things.

[fellmama.livejournal.com]

Kosher food is less expensive where I live (New York state), but I also know many observant Jews who are vegetarian or semi-vegetarian (eating meat or fish only on the Sabbath) just to reduce the headache of keeping kosher. I'd imagine that would be even more appealing where meat is expensive.

[goreism.livejournal.com]

Yeah, and in fact, most canned goods in the supermarkets around here have a hechsher.

OT

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Hello there, long time no see.

Re: OT

[goreism.livejournal.com]

Hello yourself! Yeah, I've been insanely busy with my dissertation. (Have been? Still am!) But one day I might finish and unleash myself onto your comment threads. Prepare yourself.

You?

Re: OT

[fpb.livejournal.com]

I wish I had anything as interesting as a dissertation to report. Just boring, grinding guff. May ask what it is about? And I would be all too happy to have one of my most articulate, good-tempered and provocative commentators back.

[eliskimo.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. I don't find kosher food all that different in price than "regular" food here in Ontario (Canada). Must be a British thing.

Of course, we do have a relatively high Jewish population plus a fair number of people (like me) who aren't Jewish/don't keep kosher, but just like kosher food. I think the same is true with Hallal food. A know a LOT of non-Muslims who shop at the hallal delis.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

If it is a British thing, I wish it would stop. I could enjoy gefilte fish and salt beef even more if I wasn't feeling like I was blowing money on unnecessary luxuries.