 Knishes with mashed potato and fried onions | |
| Alternative names | Knysh |
|---|---|
| Type | Snack,side dish,finger food |
| Region or state | Ukraine,United States,Israel,Argentina, other countries with a significantAshkenazi Jewish population |
| Created by | Ukrainians (original version),Jewish communities in Central and Eastern Europe (modern version) |
| Main ingredients | Mashed potatoes,dough,ground meat,sauerkraut,onions,kasha,cheese |
Aknish orknysh (/kəˈnɪʃ/ or/knɪʃ/,Ukrainian:книш) is a traditional food of Eastern European origin, characteristic ofUkrainian andAshkenazi Jewish cuisine.[1] It typically consists of afilling covered withdough that isbaked or sometimesdeep-fried.
In most traditional versions, the filling is made entirely ofmashed potato,kasha (buckwheatgroats), orcheese. Other varieties of fillings includebeef,chicken,sweet potatoes,black beans, orspinach.[2]
Knishes may be round, rectangular, or square. They may be entirely covered in dough, or some filling may peek out of the top. Sizes range from those that can be eaten in a single bite as anhors d'oeuvre tosandwich-sized.
Knish (קניש) is a Yiddish word of Slavic origin, related to Ukrainian wordsknysh (книш) and Polishknysz, the exact origin of which is unknown. It could be connected to theAncient Greek term κνίση - "smell of roasting meat".[3]
The ancestor of the knish was a medieval fried vegetable patty or fritter; eventually, it became a stuffed item. In Ukraine, theknysh evolved into a filled yeasted bun, and today it is usually sweet rather than savoury; the Russian cousin to the Jewish knish is thepirozhok (пирожóк, plural пирожки́). The traditional food spread to neighbouring countries, migration from which helped spread the food further. Knishes began to be baked (rather than fried) around the same time the potato was popularized in Eastern Europe, and the dough wrapper gradually became more like a pastry than bread.[4]
The traditional Ukrainian knysh could be made both with and without a filling. InVolhynia, a special kind of knysh would be baked beforeChristmas and decorated with crosses or other symbolic figures, playing an important part in festivities. OnChristmas Eve, a knysh was used to meet the guests and accompaniedkutia, the traditional festive food. One or several knyshes would be put near adidukh, where they remained for two weeks until the end of the holidays. DuringEpiphany, it would be used as an attribute of the blessing ceremony by the head of the household. Afterward, a knysh would be given to a priest or shared between the family, with the crust being fed to a cow or other household animals, as it was considered to possess its own "soul". In parts of Ukraine, knyshes would also be baked in memory of a deceased person and brought to churches duringwake ceremonies, as well as on memorial days. Small varieties of knysh made from sweet dough would also be given to children singing carols (shchedrivky) onNew Year's Eve.
InUkrainian Galicia, knysh was a daily food of the local population and could have various fillings, such as cabbage and potatoes. AmongBoykos from the Carpathian region, knyshes with boiled potato, buckwheat, or cheese were widespread and are still cooked in some places. InHutsul territories, knyshes without filling were used duringconfession and on Christmas Eve, meanwhile filled ones would be consumed as ordinary food. In the Ukrainian part ofPolesia, knyshes could be baked without a filling or stuffed with various ingredients such as onions,dill, cheese,salo, apples, pears, berries, and poppy seeds. InChernihiv oblast, knyshes were traditionally baked withhemp seeds. InDnieper Ukraine, a specialty known as knysh was more similar to a pancake. In modern-dayPoltava region during the early 19th century, knyshes were baked from rye and buckwheat dough with an addition of pork lard. There and in nearbyChernihiv region, knyshes were baked by unmarried girls before the New Year and would be used during a ritual of searching for a potential husband.[5]
Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants who arrived sometime around 1900 brought knishes to the United States.[6]
The first knish bakery in America was founded in New York City in 1910.[7] Generally recognized as a food made popular in New York City by Jewish immigrants in the early 20th century,[8] the United States underwent a knish renaissance in the 2000s driven by knish specialty establishments such as Knishes and Dishes in Philadelphia, the Knish Shop in Baltimore, Maryland,[9] Buffalo and Bergen[10] in Washington, DC, or My Mother's Knish,[11] in Westlake Village, California.
In the 20th century, New York City and state politicians portrayed themselves eating knishes to show solidarity with Jewish working-class people. The trend declined after suburbanization and the policies ofEd Koch andRudy Giuliani that restricted the sale of knishes from food carts.[8]
Knishes are often purchased fromstreet vendors in urban areas with a large Jewish population, sometimes at ahot dog stand, or from a butcher shop. They are still strongly associated withNew York City cuisine.[12]
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