With such a generic name, some might be surprised to learn that whitefish is kind of a big deal. A cherished staple of Jewish cuisine, this smoky deli classic tops bagels and graces bar mitzvah buffets all across the country. Whitefish deserves some love!

What exactly is whitefish?

The term “whitefish” can actually be used to mean a lot of different fish. We know what you’re thinking—you just sorted out what lox means! But don’t worry, here we’re only covering that fish you see on display behind glass in your local deli, either whole or fileted. This kind of whitefish generally refers to fish in the salmon subfamily Coregoninae. They have a shiny gold skin, white flesh, and a delightful mild taste. It’s most often served smoked; the skin of the fish protects the delicate inside from drying out, but lets through a lot of that lovely smoke flavor.

Jewish tradition

Back in the old country, traditional recipes were developed using the local freshwater fish available to the Ashkenazi Jews in Central and Eastern Europe. Upon immigration to the United States, these enterprising people found that they could use whitefish caught in the waters of the Great Lakes area. It was incorporated into the “appetizing” stores and delicatessens of the Jewish community, and the rest is history—it’s enjoyed widespread popularity ever since! It even made it into notable Jewish writer and founder of Tablet magazine Alana Newhouse’s best-selling book, The 100 Most Jewish Foods.

The case for whitefish salad

If you like tuna salad, you better be sitting down. Whitefish salad its richer, smokier cousin. This delicious creation may have started as a way for delis to use up their whitefish scraps, but these days its humble origin doesn’t have any bearing on its icon status. Mayo, sour cream, dill, celery, and lemon juice make whitefish salad the perfect creamy topping for a fresh bagel on Sunday morning.

Other ideas

If you have a good amount of whitefish left over from your celebration, try putting it in a pasta, or adding it to a lettuce-based salad. It goes great with eggs, too, much like hot-smoked salmon. Here at Gotham Bagels Chicago, we combined some classic deli flavors and came up with a pastrami rub-crusted smoked whitefish recipe that really hits right. You can find it on our Sag Harbor sandwich, combined with horseradish cream cheese, red onion, and cucumber on a sesame bagel. Order it online for pick-up or delivery today and see for yourself.