The vanishing delights of America’s Jewish delis
A tale of pastrami, kasha varnishkes and upward mobility
PICKLED VEGETABLES, fish and meat preserved in salt, and bread made from rye flour, or baked in a circle with a hole in the middle, were once staple foods for the poor of all backgrounds in central and eastern Europe. But it was Jewish emigrants who brought these recipes to the West, particularly to America, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Assimilation nation”
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From the November 26th 2022 edition
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