They were cooked even during the shortage. Interesting facts from the history of origin and unexpected ways of cooking Forshmak

Forhmak is originally, as English -speaking sources, Eastern European dishes made of salted fish or meat. Various variants of this dish are especially widespread in the Ashkenazian Jewish, Scandinavian, German and Finnish cuisines. However, the dish is attributed to German roots, and its forms are found in the cuisine of Sweden. The oldest version of the recipe was a kind of fried herring dish that came from Prussia. It is known that this poor country did not differ in a wonderful cuisine. It is Ashkenazi that prepare a dish based on herring in brine and sliced. Colorfully boiled eggs, onions and apple are added. There is a Finnish version in which the gherkins are added. And depending on the method of cooking or personal taste, this product can be eaten cold, spread on bread or pancake, or hot.

But let’s start with history.

Name “Vorschmack ”appears in the old German culinary books and literature of the eighteenth century, where this word was primarily a hearty snack, which was presented before the main dish. Actually, the very meaning of the word is “pre -label”. Therefore, such a small taste for the main food could not only be a herring, as we were used today, but also with other fish or meat, often beef. The dish could be served hot with the addition of mushrooms and vegetables. The baked herring was the most metamorphous first option to see the world. In Eastern Europe, however, references to Forshmak with herring can be found in culinary collections of the XIX century, especially among Jewish recipes. For example, the promotion of Forshmak was recorded in the culinary books of Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine.

Where does the herring appear in the recipe?

First, the fish was more affordable and cheap than meat. In addition, in the Jewish culinary tradition, kosher is a lot of important factor for the dish. Therefore, the main advantage of the herring will appear here – it is compliance with the rules of casual, where the fish should be scales and fins. Jews, as a constantly persecuted people, were able to distribute their dish throughout Europe. Forshmak, a little like a French pate, German snack, and was familiar to the taste of the North peoples, where many fish traditionally eat. The herring at that time, around the eighteenth century, was not such a respected fish, but he was learned to clean it properly so that there was no unnecessary aroma (Remove gills from fresh fish).

Therefore, with some trips in Forshmak appeared their variations: from a Prussian-German version with a fried herring to a Swedish recipe, when the hot herring is passed through a meat grinder. The dish also got into Ukraine, probably with Jews during the reign of Catherine II. In the stalet – Jewish towns, which were near large cities, such as Kiev, Odesa and Katerynoslav (Dnipro) Forshmak was prepared from available fish, which was salted in barrels for a long time. That is why the modern Odessa recipe requires well salted fish. The revolutions and the change of the borders of the states in the XX century only increased interest in Forshmak, as usual for many foods. Moreover, the recipe with apples got into a book about delicious and healthy food in 1939. Even during the shortage, the dish was cooked and served in the canteens. Together with military envoys, or more precisely in 1910, General Mannergeim, Forshmak went even to the kitchen of Finland, where he became the traditional dish of their cuisine. There it is served in premium restaurants, with baked potatoes, salted cucumbers, sour cream and vodka.

The recipes themselves are certainly difficult to follow. They can be several hundred or even thousands. Potatoes, for example, appeared in the forshmak somewhere in the eighteenth century, also put sour or baked apple, also cheese, olenine, anchovies, tomatoes, served with beets, sour cream, vegetables and necessarily with dark bread.

By the way, let’s go back, and remember, the famous Savoy hotel has its own recipe for Forshmak. According to legend, he was brought by the same General Mannergeim. However, in their version today the recipe for beef and lamb in combination with one herring fillets.

Ukraine also has its own peculiarities, as it is to prepare Forshmak only from the Danube herring, with nuts and white bread. Previously, fish are also soaked, for example, in black strong tea. In Soviet times, if not from herring, then from sprats. Like Truskavets recipe “Resort ”: there sprats are ground with egg, butter and onions, and served with lemon juice.

Belgian journalist in 2023 also told about Odessa Forshmak in the context of war in Ukraine. Then he visited the Privoz and two Odessa establishments Dacha and Yours Space Bistro and talked with their bosses about classic and non -reaper. In the latter “Fish cream, served as a caviar, in a small aluminum box, is served with slices of anchovies and yellow, translucent, iodized herring caviar. Rye bread disappeared, he was replaced by a hall, similar to Bryosha, as a nod on the Jewish origin of this dish, similar to Hephylte’s fish. “

Moreover, Forshmak in the Ukrainian culinary culture of the present puts significant on the level of borscht. How to cook it? NV Food offers some favorite recipes.

Forhmak in Odessa: a simple recipe for snack that can be prepared without light

To claim a real, “only right” recipe for Forshmak is a futile business.

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Finnish Forshmak: recipe with herring, beef and beetroot

Forshmak According to this recipe, it has a rich, complex and rich taste that combines salty, sour-sweet and meat notes. You have not tasted such a forshmak.

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Recipe for real Odessa Forshmak from the “right” herring

This fish appetizer goes perfectly with the simplest ingredients, creating a refined range of taste and aroma.

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