Kiwi food favourites: The yummy history of fish & chips
Published on Thu Oct 31 2019 in Community
Fish and chips – this very British dish has been a part of Kiwi life since at least the First World War. Many of us remember these Friday night dinners, a quick takeaway meal wrapped in newspaper from the local shops. It’s a tradition that New Zealanders have kept up through the decades—minus the newspaper wrapping in recent years!
Battered white fish with a side of fried potatoes are a perfect match, but how did this delicious duo come to be? Let’s take a look at the history of our favourite fast food.
Fish & Chips – born in Spain?
Fish and chips are a staple in much of the United Kingdom, as well as here in New Zealand and in Australia. However, the origins of this dish are actually traced to Spain and Portugal.
Breading and frying fish was a weekly tradition for Sephardic Jews living in these countries. Cooking is not allowed on the Jewish Sabbath, which stretches from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. Families needed to prepare meals early Saturday that could keep throughout the next day. The solution was battering and frying fish.
Sephardic Jews were forced out of Spain and Portugal in the 1400 and 1500s. As these immigrants searched Europe for a place to freely practice their religion, they introduced their food traditions to others. British cookbooks called battered fish a Jewish recipe as far back as 1781, and Thomas Jefferson wrote about eating “fried fish in the Jewish fashion” after a trip to England.
So, what about chips? Their origins are a bit of a mystery, but also believed to have begun in Spain.
Potatoes were first brought to Spain in the 1500s by explorers returning from South America. They were considered inedible at first, but had reached modern-day Belgium about a hundred years later. There, fishermen would carve potatoes into fish shapes and fry them for lunch at sea.
Matchmaking in England
It’s in England that the fish finally met the chips of our story. The first English chippy was either opened in 1860 by a Jewish immigrant named Joseph Malins or in 1863 by John Lees of Manchester. No one is sure who started selling fish and chips first, but both men undoubtedly helped spark the nation’s love for this food combo.
England went completely mad for fish and chips. The food was cheap and convenient, thanks to large-scale trawl fishing beginning around 1900 and a general love for the humble potato. Fresh fish was plentiful and a great way to feed hungry factory workers and their families. By 1910, there were 25,000 fish and chip shops in the UK.
Fish and chips became such a part of the English identity that they’ve even been part of their war efforts. During both World Wars, prime ministers made sure that fish and chips stayed off the ration lists to help boost morale at home. On D-Day, British soldiers would even identify each other by yelling out “Fish!” and waiting for a reply of “Chip!” Perhaps it wasn’t the best code, but it was a very English one!
Coming to New Zealand
No one’s sure exactly when fish and chips first reached our shores, but it was likely introduced sometime in the late 1800s. And it’s remained a firm favourite for Kiwi families ever since. Fish and chips is still the nation’s number one takeaway meal, topping other go-to meals like burgers, pizza and Chinese.
Fish and chips even briefly entered New Zealand politics. On 12 December 1980, a Herald photographer snapped four Labour MPs enjoying a meal from the Wellington Fish Supply, a chippy located across the road from Parliament. These four men—David Lange, Michael Bassett, Roger Douglas and Mike Moore—were dubbed the “Fish and Chip Brigade”. The photo became famous, partly because each of the men pictured went on to hold bigger roles in Parliament. In fact, Lange would become Prime Minister just four years later. Maybe the fish and chips helped?
Takeaway time!
Fish and chips have travelled the world, finding their way into Kiwi stomachs and hearts. The next time you visit your local chippy, think about all the people from different countries, religions and backgrounds who have enjoyed this humble meal. It doesn’t matter if you eat it with mushy peas or curry—fish and chips are for everyone!
About Author: Momentum Life is a leading provider of Life insurance and Funeral insurance in New Zealand.
Sources:
How Stuff Works, How Fish and Chips Became England’s National Dish
Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, Seafood
Canstar Blue, New Zealander’s 5 Favourite Takeaways
NZHerald.com, A taste of bigger things to come
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