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Fish and Chips: A History
Deep-fried in facts and cultural insight, a mouth-watering history of this briny staple—complete with salt and vinegar, mushy peas, and tartar sauce.
Double-decker buses, bowler hats, and cricket may be synonymous with British culture, but when it comes to their cuisine, nothing comes to mind faster than fish and chips. Sprinkled with salt and vinegar and often accompanied by mushy peas, fish and chips were the original British fast food. In this innovative book, Panikos Panayi unwraps the history of Britain’s most popular takeout, relating a story that brings up complicated issues of class, identity, and development.
Investigating the origins of eating fish and potatoes in Britain, Panayi describes the birth of the meal itself, telling how fried fish was first introduced and sold by immigrant Jews before it spread to the British working classes in the early nineteenth century. He then moves on to the technological and economic advances that led to its mass consumption and explores the height of fish and chips’ popularity in the first half of the twentieth century and how it has remained a favorite today, despite the arrival of new contenders for the title of Britain’s national dish. Revealing its wider ethnic affiliations within the country, he examines how migrant communities such as Italians came to dominate the fish and chip trade in the twentieth century.
Brimming with facts, anecdotes, and images of historical and modern examples of this batter-dipped meal, Fish and Chips will appeal to all foodies who love this quintessentially British dish.
Double-decker buses, bowler hats, and cricket may be synonymous with British culture, but when it comes to their cuisine, nothing comes to mind faster than fish and chips. Sprinkled with salt and vinegar and often accompanied by mushy peas, fish and chips were the original British fast food. In this innovative book, Panikos Panayi unwraps the history of Britain’s most popular takeout, relating a story that brings up complicated issues of class, identity, and development.
Investigating the origins of eating fish and potatoes in Britain, Panayi describes the birth of the meal itself, telling how fried fish was first introduced and sold by immigrant Jews before it spread to the British working classes in the early nineteenth century. He then moves on to the technological and economic advances that led to its mass consumption and explores the height of fish and chips’ popularity in the first half of the twentieth century and how it has remained a favorite today, despite the arrival of new contenders for the title of Britain’s national dish. Revealing its wider ethnic affiliations within the country, he examines how migrant communities such as Italians came to dominate the fish and chip trade in the twentieth century.
Brimming with facts, anecdotes, and images of historical and modern examples of this batter-dipped meal, Fish and Chips will appeal to all foodies who love this quintessentially British dish.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published September 15, 2014
6 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 31, 2020
A detailed account of the origins and evolution of fish and chips in Britain, this book is well researched and informative. I particularly enjoyed the second part of this book, which provides social context and how Britain’s favourite food has a multicultural origin and continuation.
While a serious book, I did delight in the author’s assertion (twice) that it is the most healthy of the fast foods* subject to portion size.
While a serious book, I did delight in the author’s assertion (twice) that it is the most healthy of the fast foods* subject to portion size.
October 14, 2017
This was a very good, short, scholarly, social history about fish and chips. It covered how and when they became popular, and the rise and fall in fish and chip shops. It started looking at the Jewish origins of fried fish, and fried fish sellers in the East End. The huge rise in popularity during the 1890-early 20th century. The nationalism, racism, anti-Semitism and about how they became "British food". How this developed in the post war British landscape and abroad. Interesting and thought provoking micro history that says a lot about the bigger picture. Now I'm very hungry.
October 5, 2022
Reaktion Books have put together an interesting and impressive list of books about food history and 'Fish and Chips' is one of the more substantive and academic titles. The author, Panikos Panayi, has made a serious attempt to map the technological, social, economic and dietary history of what might be considered the first mass market takeaway meal, whilst contextualising all this within the construct of the Britishness of fish and chips. There's no doubt that he achieves his goal, however the end result is not quite as satisfactory as what might've been expected.
Perhaps the core problem with Panayi's book is that the subject is not as demanding of such considered study as seen in the size of this publication. There is no doubt that the history of the dish, including both its pre-modern roots and establishment in Victorian era Britain is rich and interesting. The same can be said about how fish and chips became so important to the diet and economy of many in the lower and middle classes of Britain up to and including the 1960s, with particular reference to the Jewish influence on the industry. That Panayi goes into such detail in these avenues of study is commendable and he makes plenty of good points about the cultural and social value of the humble 'chipper'.
Yet as one reads this book it becomes obvious after about three chapters that Panayi keeps saying the same things about his subject, and the repetition of ideas such as the impact of Indian, Chinese and American fast food on British fish and chips providores becomes rather boring. There is also perhaps not enough 'popular' history in his study, with a good portion of the book based on academic or commercial publications or industry-related materials. It would have enlivened his text no end if he had supplied a lot more personal testimony from consumers of fish and chips across the decades, including perhaps the delights of specific types of fish and chip meals and regional variations.
It must also be noted that Panayi is rather lacking in his observations on fish and chips as a cultural product outside of the UK; his relative dismissal of how Australians have loved fish and chips for decades is but one example of the somewhat chauvinistic gap in his approach to the subject. He also misses out on discussing key issues such as the changing nature of fish stocks, the impact of alternatives uses of seafood (specifically sushi and sashimi) and even how the British love for Cod led to 'war' with Iceland in the 1970s.
So where does this leave the potential reader of 'Fish and Chips: A History'? It will be appreciated by many who pick it up and it does have value. However Panayi has not provided his audience with the most appetising of dishes; metaphorically speaking, this is a bit like a cold piece of flake accompanied with a measly serve of chips.
Perhaps the core problem with Panayi's book is that the subject is not as demanding of such considered study as seen in the size of this publication. There is no doubt that the history of the dish, including both its pre-modern roots and establishment in Victorian era Britain is rich and interesting. The same can be said about how fish and chips became so important to the diet and economy of many in the lower and middle classes of Britain up to and including the 1960s, with particular reference to the Jewish influence on the industry. That Panayi goes into such detail in these avenues of study is commendable and he makes plenty of good points about the cultural and social value of the humble 'chipper'.
Yet as one reads this book it becomes obvious after about three chapters that Panayi keeps saying the same things about his subject, and the repetition of ideas such as the impact of Indian, Chinese and American fast food on British fish and chips providores becomes rather boring. There is also perhaps not enough 'popular' history in his study, with a good portion of the book based on academic or commercial publications or industry-related materials. It would have enlivened his text no end if he had supplied a lot more personal testimony from consumers of fish and chips across the decades, including perhaps the delights of specific types of fish and chip meals and regional variations.
It must also be noted that Panayi is rather lacking in his observations on fish and chips as a cultural product outside of the UK; his relative dismissal of how Australians have loved fish and chips for decades is but one example of the somewhat chauvinistic gap in his approach to the subject. He also misses out on discussing key issues such as the changing nature of fish stocks, the impact of alternatives uses of seafood (specifically sushi and sashimi) and even how the British love for Cod led to 'war' with Iceland in the 1970s.
So where does this leave the potential reader of 'Fish and Chips: A History'? It will be appreciated by many who pick it up and it does have value. However Panayi has not provided his audience with the most appetising of dishes; metaphorically speaking, this is a bit like a cold piece of flake accompanied with a measly serve of chips.
September 7, 2024
An interesting account of how a now common take away food originated and came together, the fish and potatoes separately at first.
February 20, 2025
Well researched and has a lot of great information, although it felt quite repitive.
June 25, 2015
Interesting and short, which was good for what Inspector Montalbano would call a "pointy headed book", ie, a semi-scholarly read.Fried fish vendors are mentioned in Dickens:fried fish combined with fried potatoes came later. Panayi examines the role of ethnicity in the popularization of the dish, which by the 1960s had supplanted roast beef as the most British of dishes.
December 17, 2016
I rather enjoyed reading this book. I cam imagine my ancestors enjoying fish and chips at various stages over the past 150 years or so and this continues to this day. Its a pity there isn't a decent fish and chip shop in Regina!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews