Where do Knishes Come From?
Knishes are pockets of square-shaped dough that are baked or deep-fried and filled with a combination of meat, cheese, and vegetables. While they are traditionally packed with mashed potatoes or kasha... pastrami, cheese, sweet potatoes, spinach, and mushrooms, are also common. These comforting pockets are warm, slightly spicy, and have lots of seasoning. The exterior is not greasy, but simply crispy and the inside is soft.
During the 20th century when Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants from Central and Eastern Europe came to America, they brought what the Ukrainians called a “knysh” and the Poles a “knysz.” Both were essentially a dough in the shape of a sphere that has a generous amount of filling in it. The word knish came from the Yiddish derivative. The comfort food staple went mainstream in NY in 1910 as the first knish bakery opened. As other knish shops popped up, knishes started to make their way into Jewish owned groceries and stores. Yonah Schimmel’s Knish Bakery, which opened in 1916, is NY and America’s longest-standing knish bakery and is still family-run. In 1921, square-shaped and deep-fried Coney Island knishes were invented on Forsyth Street on the Lower Eastside. The Gabila’s family company spread their knishes to hot dog carts and deli stands. Sadly in 2013, the company’s factory caught fire and this led to a knish shortage.
Because the Coney Island knishes had made such a statement in the market, they became more mainstream than the baked ones and the Gabila family was what New Yorkers associated with knishes. However, some New Yorkers say that the mass-produced knishes are less superior to the reigning original handmade, baked ones.
The Knish was extremely cheap to make and super filling and nourishing. It was a food that immigrants could sell on the streets and make a profit to keep their family together. The knish made it possible for Jewish immigrants to move out to the suburbs and gain more economic success. The knish also became a symbol that the city’s political candidates would rally behind to show support for the Jewish community.
It was even a location in Woody Allen’s Whatever Works and was painted by Hedy Pagremanski that is a permanent piece in the Museum of the City of New York’s collection.
As the late 20th century arrived, knish stores started to sadly lose their popularity as well as Jewish delicatessens. However, the revival of interest in Jewish Culture by younger generations has given rise to knishes again. In 2014 there was even a book published all about Knishes by Laura Silver called Knish: In Search of the Jewish Soul Food. Hopefully, the knish will stick around, they really are delicious balls of dough and warm filling.
Knishes from Zabar's
Yonah Schimmel’s Knish Bakery knishes
Sources:
Crowley, C. (2018, August 10). Why the Knish Became New York's Miss Congeniality.
Retrieved December 05, 2020, from https://www.seriouseats.com/2015/03/knish-miss-
O'Leary, J. (2020, March 12). The History of the Humble Knish in America: The Nosher.
Retrieved December 05, 2020, from https://www.myjewishlearning.com/the-
School, B. (2017, December 07). What Is a Knish? What To Know About This Jewish Staple.
Retrieved December 05, 2020, from https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/what-is-a-