Comment by dalbasal | Hacker News Reader

Comment by dalbasal | Hacker News Reader

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Takeaway fish suppers in England go back a long way. As the legend goes, fish-n-chips (sans-chips, since potatoes, still hadn't arrived) was established by Jewish migrants (around 1500) exiled from Spain. The UK was getting more nautical att, so I assume the trend dovetailed with increased commercial fishing.

This new, cosmopolitan fish n chips thing would hundreds of years before it was more popular than the more traditional jellied eel n peas. I think that was the most popular takeaway supper until eel numbers started to hurt from industrial pollution.

Industrial-scale cod fishing started producing as freshwater and shore fish stocks declined. I imagine the batter's job was to mask the "weird" texture and flavour.

These days, picky eaters in the UK will only eat cod (or stuff dubiously labeled cod). No freshwater fish that isn't a trout is considered edible in the UK, even though Americans and Europeans eat pike, eel, perch, etc.

Anyway, preferences and availability always play on each other over time. Kalamari n' chips works for me. Make mine sweet potato please.

> I imagine the batter's job was to mask the "weird" texture and flavour.

I thought the batter was originally there as a crust in which the fish would steam in its own moisture, and some people claim it was originally discarded after cooking, until people started to eat it as well.

I recall hearing somewhere tempura was introduced into Japan by the Portuguese in the 1500s.

I wonder if they had an influence on British battered foods as well?

it's simple enough that it has probably been rediscovered independently many times throughout history.

Perch are like the least fishy fish there is. I am surprised that people would turn their noses up.

Bones are a big issue in eating perch. Not such a problem with cod. Fish and chips is usually eaten quickly and often on the go. I wouldn’t want to mess around picking bones out.

Here you get perch on a Friday fish fry and there aren't really bones to worry about. The issue really is that the fillets are small.

(I'm talking about Lake Michigan Perch)

I never understand why bones are such a deal-breaker. Fry whole. Eat slowly.

>These days, picky eaters in the UK will only eat cod (or stuff dubiously labeled cod).

In Scotland, fish and chips is usually haddock. England is cod. You can often find plaice and chips as well.

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