What's A Knish?

Last semester I took a class called Finding NYC where one of my assignments was to go to a NYC food place that contains a lot of history. So on 137 East Houston Street on the Lower East Side, a small place called The Original Yonah Schimmel Knishery exists and has been there since 1910. This small, cozy place only has seven tables and smells like freshly baked dough and potatoes. Yum!  Yet, do you know what a knish even is? Because I had no idea before I went and I had never tried a knish until I visited this knishery, but let me just tell you, there probably isn't a better place to try your first knish. Yonah Schimmel's offers all different kinds of knishes, including blueberry with cheese, apple strudel, and even cabbage. However, the difficult decision is whether to order a sweet knish, like a dessert, or a salty one, like the more original knishes. The menu explains that a knish is a snack food from Eastern Europe that was made popular in North America by Jewish immigrants. A knish is baked, never fried (healthy!) and it contains the filling of your choice. Oh and Yonah Schimmel’s is the oldest Knishery in America! Isn't that interesting? The menu also taught me that most traditional knishes have fillings made of mashed potato, onions, kasha, or cheese. Yonah Schimmel's menu includes all these options, in addition to more modern knishes made with sweet potato, fruit, broccoli, spinach, and jalapeño fillings. One knish is less than $5! The menu even has the recipe for how to make your own knish at home! I'm not going to tell you the recipe, however, because I encourage you to visit Yonah's Schimmery, try a knish, fall in love with it, and then write down the recipe yourself.

I finally decided on the spinach knish. On the walls, pictures and newspaper articles hang and have headings that say, “Lucky City Dwellers Know Their Knishes” and “New Twists on the Knish Tradition” and “A Knish Giant Celebrates 100 Years.” Obviously, the public adores this knish place and it has a great reputation. So go! See for yourself! People also sent the knishery postcards that are also on the walls and say, “Best Knish Ever” and “The knishes are AMAZING”. Praise the knish!

The last thing I noticed during my visit was especially remarkable. At the end of each of the tables lies a journal that says  “Memories in Yonah Schimmel Knishery” on the cover. I flipped through it and read entries in English, French, Spanish, and even Swedish. Ok I couldn't exactly understand the  entries in Swedish, but I can tell you that people from all over the world visit this place. One of the entries from 2009 says that he (the person who wrote the entry) started coming to the Yonah Schimmel Knishery in 1980 and loves it just as much every time he returns now. The journal is completely filled up with comments, but I managed to squeeze in a little comment at the end and I wrote, “Just had my first knish and it was delicious! Thank you, I will be back!” and signed my name. I'm telling you, go visit The Original Yonah Schimmel Knishery. I promise, if you like dough and fillings and just food in general (which you should because if not why are you on my blog?) you will enjoy a knish. I know that I will go again to try perhaps the sweet potato or maybe the blueberry cheese knish. And just remember, in the words of the knishery itself:

P.S: I forgot to take pictures while I was there (I know, how could I?!) so the picture of the spinach knish is from Google so don't give me credit for it. Don't worry, next time I'll take a picture myself ;)

P.P.S: I saw some people eating the knish with mustard on it. I guess that's common. Well, I'm not a very big mustard fan but if you are, go for it!