History · 3
Where was the world's first recorded use of fried fish in batter — the technique that became a key part of 'fish and chips'?
Answer
In Sephardic Jewish communities in Portugal and Spain
The technique of frying fish in batter (pescado frito) was a tradition of Sephardic Jews expelled from Spain and Portugal in the 1490s. Jewish refugees brought the dish to England and the Netherlands, where it was served cold on the Jewish Sabbath (when cooking was forbidden). The British fish and chip shop tradition is thought to have grown from this influence, with chips (fried potatoes) added later in the mid-19th century.
💡 Did you know?
Sephardic Jews expelled from Spain in the 1490s brought battered fried fish to England — a tradition linked to fish and chips. The fried potato component arrived 300 years later.
Other options people guess
- In the fishing villages of coastal England
- In the Netherlands, from Dutch fish traders
- In Scotland, introduced by French Huguenot refugees
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