Surprising JEWISH origins of FISH & CHIPS (authentic British style)

My personal fish-and-chips saga began when I ordered “fish and chips” at a number of kosher establishments and was handed a sad little fillet of tilapia caked in panko crumbs. Mate… that is not fish and chips. Join me as we do this properly—authentic British pub-style fish and chips made from scratch. We’re talking thick, snow-white cod or haddock fried in a crisp, golden batter that crackles, combined with proper thick-cut chips that are fluffy inside and crunchy outside. Served with nothing but salt and a generous dousing of malt vinegar. Discover the surprising Jewish origins of this iconic British dish. Sephardic Jews fleeing the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal arrived in England and introduced batter-fried fish as a Shabbos treat. Indeed, Thomas Jefferson, during a visit to London, wrote of eating “fried fish in the Jewish fashion.” Then, around 1860, a Jewish immigrant named Joseph Malin had the genius idea to marry that crispy fried fish with the newly popular fried potato at his East End shop—and the iconic British national dish was born. 00:00 The Tilapia Problem 01:06 Making the Seltzer Batter 02:14 Blanched Potatoes & Frying the Chips 02:56 Sephardic Origins of Batter-Dipped Fried Fish 03:41 Thomas Jefferson & "Fish Made in the Jewish Fashion" 04:18 Joseph Malin: The Ashkenazi Jew Who Invented Fish & Chips 04:41 Battering & Frying the Cod 05:41 Plating, Malt Vinegar & Salt (No Ketchup!) 06:03 Taste Test & Final Verdict Written, Directed & Hosted by Rabbi Shais Taub Produced by Shloimy Klein & Shifra Klein A Production of SSK&Co https://www.sskandco.com Director of Photography & Editor Sruly Jacobs --- *For more classes from Rabbi Shais Taub:* 🌐 *Website:* https://www.soulwords.org/ *Follow Rabbi Shais Taub:* 📸 *Instagram:* https://www.instagram.com/rabbi_shais_taub 🎥 *TikTok:* https://www.tiktok.com/@rabbi_shais_taub 🐦 *X (Twitter):* https://www.x.com/ShaisTaub 📘 *Facebook:* https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573478244968 💼 *LinkedIn:* https://www.linkedin.com/in/shais-taub-81a95466/ 🎧 *Listen to the SoulWords Podcast:* 🎵 *Spotify:* https://open.spotify.com/show/51E7XHWFDbZCGJQz7CoAZP 🍏 *Apple Podcasts:* https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/soulwords-full-libr… *Support Our Work:* 💳 *Donate:* https://www.soulwords.org/donate/ 💰 *PayPal:* https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/soulwordspayments 💵 *CashApp:* https://cash.app/$soulwords 🪙 *Venmo:* https://venmo.com/u/soulwords *About SoulWords:* SoulWords is a virtual community hosted by Rabbi Shais Taub, where people come together to explore the spiritual insights of Torah and discover their unique purpose. This platform is here to facilitate your spiritual growth by sharing the mystical teachings of Judaism in contemporary language—making deep wisdom accessible and relevant to your life.