Rethinking Gefilte Fish

The Launch of the Gefilteria

In the Spring of 2012, we were on a mission to reimagine the dominant perception of Ashkenazi Jewish cooking. Gefilte fish symbolized everything we felt had gone wrong with our food this past century: a jarred product made with synthetic gel and cheap fish. But where others saw the butt of jokes, we saw inspiration for our broader culinary work.

Recipes, Ideas, Inspiration

We knew that if we could change the perception of gefilte fish, the prospects for changing the perception of the entire cuisine would be far brighter. We began researching old cookbooks, making gefilte fish from scratch, meeting with elders and more. We developed multiple recipes for the cherished dish and learned more than any reasonable 20-something should have about its origins. We also nerded out on sustainable practices, threw wild gefilte fish parties, served up sleek versions at the James Beard House, and brought our culinary focus on gefilte fish to cities and countries worldwide. We inspired thinkpieces, including this essay in the New Yorker. And when we wrote our cookbook, we called it The Gefilte Manifesto and slapped an old-fashioned stuffed gefilte fish on the cover (though the book containers over 100 recipes, only two of which are actually for gefilte fish!).

Commercial Production

From 2012 - 2023, we produced artisanal gefilte fish on a commercial scale and shipped it nationwide. It was always made by hand, with great attention to the quality of the ingredients. To this day, we’re pretty sure it’s the only gefilte fish ever featured in Vogue. This was a groundbreaking product and we’re so grateful for all the families that incorporated it into their holiday rituals.

Changing Times:

As of spring 2024, in response to the increasingly high cost of sourcing sustainable fish, significant shifts in our shipping partners’ capabilities to safely transport our product, as well as changes in our company’s priorities, we’ve put commercial gefilte fish production on an indefinite pause. We are sad to make this change after so many years developing relationships with loyal customers like you, and yet we acknowledge the challenging realities of artisanal production.

Please know that we are very much still experimenting with the dish and developing new recipes, always. We look forward to sharing more with you over the years to come! There’s so much more to come with The Gefilteria and our love of this iconic and meaningful delicacy.