Appetizing store facts for kids
An appetizing store is a special kind of food shop, often found in New York City. These stores mainly sell foods that go well with bagels. Think of delicious items like smoked fish, fish spreads, different kinds of cream cheese, and pickled vegetables.
Most appetizing stores first opened in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In 1930, there were about 500 of them in New York City. By 2015, fewer than ten were left. However, in the 2010s, new stores started opening in places like Toronto, Philadelphia, and Brooklyn, bringing the idea back to life.
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What Does "Appetizing" Mean?
The word "appetizing" is sometimes shortened to "appy." People use it to talk about both the stores and the foods they sell. This term is mostly used by American Jews, especially those living in the New York City area. These neighborhoods often have a long history of large Jewish populations.
Some people think the term "appetizing" comes from cold appetizers served in Eastern Europe. However, many of the foods sold today, like lox (smoked salmon), were new to immigrants coming from Eastern Europe.
What Foods Do They Sell?
Appetizing stores sell foods that are perfect with bagels. But you can also enjoy these foods with other breads. These include bialys, challah, corn rye bread, Jewish rye, and onion rolls.
The foods include both dairy items and "parve" items. Parve means they are neither meat nor dairy. Examples are lox (smoked salmon), sable, whitefish, and various cream cheese spreads. They also sell pickled vegetables, candies, nuts, and dried fruit. These foods are often served for Sunday brunch.
Jewish kashrut (dietary laws) say that meat and dairy products cannot be eaten together. This is why appetizing stores only sell fish and dairy products, but no meat.
About the Stores
Appetizing stores are different from delicatessens. An appetizing store sells fish and dairy products, but no meat. A kosher delicatessen sells meats, but no dairy. You can think of them as "the deli's other half."
Many of these stores opened in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In the 1950s and 1960s, many stores began to close. This happened because the owners' children often chose different careers. Also, supermarkets started selling many of the same Jewish specialty foods.
By 2015, fewer than 10 appetizing stores were left in New York City. However, new ones have started to open. Shelsky's was the first appetizing store to open in Brooklyn in 60 years when it started in 2011. In 2014, a new appetizing store opened in Toronto. In 2021, a similar shop opened in Philadelphia.
Famous Appetizing Stores
