Fish, Chips & Vinegar?

Occams Barber · Jan 12, 2022

I recently came across a Quora discussion where it was alleged that some Americans were shocked/surprised/amazed/disgusted at the idea of liberally splashing vinegar, as a dressing, on chips (fries).

Salt and vinegar is the classic dressing for 'fish and chips', the iconic British meal combining battered, deep fried fish with chips (fries)- real chips, not those stringy excuses for chips - often accompanied by pickled onions. If you're not familiar with the idea, it's quite common in the UK, New Zealand and Australia. In Aus we have shops specialising in the meal; usually wrapped in white paper for takeaway.

I've also heard US tourists expressing surprise on discovering fish and chips while touring in Aus.

Is fish'n chips with salt and vinegar unusual in the US and Canada?

OB

comana · Jan 12, 2022

Occams Barber said:
I recently came across a Quora discussion where it was alleged that some Americans were shocked/surprised/amazed/disgusted at the idea of liberally splashing vinegar, as a dressing, on chips (fries).

Salt and vinegar is the classic dressing for 'fish and chips', the iconic British meal combining battered, deep fried fish with chips (fries)- real chips, not those stringy excuses for chips - often accompanied by pickled onions. If you're not familiar with the idea, it's quite common in the UK, New Zealand and Australia. In Aus we have shops specialising in the meal; usually wrapped in white paper for takeaway.

I've also heard US tourists expressing surprise on discovering fish and chips while touring in Aus.

Is fish'n chips with salt and vinegar unusual in the US and Canada?

OB

Fish and chips is not all that common in the US (at least not near me) and generally not up to par when I have found it. I didn’t realize that omitting the vinegar was an option but then again I was raised by an English/Aussie step father.

Nithavela · Jan 12, 2022

I've never had fish and chips over here in germany. But there are what you would call crisps with salt and vinegar dressing, and I have found them to be quite tasty. There's also potato salad with vinegar.

jacks · Jan 12, 2022

I've always seen vinegar at fish and chip places. (Something to use when you run out of ketchup and mayonnaise.) Just don't use Vegemite!

Occams Barber · Jan 12, 2022

comana said:
Fish and chips is not all that common in the US (at least not near me) and generally not up to par when I have found it. I didn’t realize that omitting the vinegar was an option but then again I was raised by an English/Aussie step father.

To purists like me, leaving out the vinegar verges on heresy. I have heard of it happening. I understand that the perpetrators were burned at the stake.

OB

Michie · Jan 12, 2022

Occams Barber said:
I recently came across a Quora discussion where it was alleged that some Americans were shocked/surprised/amazed/disgusted at the idea of liberally splashing vinegar, as a dressing, on chips (fries).

Salt and vinegar is the classic dressing for 'fish and chips', the iconic British meal combining battered, deep fried fish with chips (fries)- real chips, not those stringy excuses for chips - often accompanied by pickled onions. If you're not familiar with the idea, it's quite common in the UK, New Zealand and Australia. In Aus we have shops specialising in the meal; usually wrapped in white paper for takeaway.

I've also heard US tourists expressing surprise on discovering fish and chips while touring in Aus.

Is fish'n chips with salt and vinegar unusual in the US and Canada?

OB

It’s how we eat them here too. We even have salt and vinegar dry chips sold in a bag. It’s just a matter of taste here.

Occams Barber · Jan 12, 2022

jacks said:
I've always seen vinegar at fish and chip places. (Something to use when you run out of ketchup and mayonnaise.) Just don't use Vegemite!

An Australian Fish & Chip shop could never run out of 'ketchup' because they don't have any.

What you call 'ketchup' we call 'tomato sauce' or just plain 'sauce' or, when deep in Ockerland, - 'dead horse'.

OB

Occams Barber · Jan 12, 2022

Michie said:
It’s how we eat them here too. We even have salt and vinegar dry chips sold in a bag. It’s just a matter of taste here.

We also have thin, crispy, salt and vinegar potato chips sold in a bag. It's confusing - here 'chips' has a couple of different meanings.

OB

jacks · Jan 12, 2022

Occams Barber said:
An Australian Fish & Chip shop could never run out of 'ketchup' because they don't have any.

What you call 'ketchup' we call 'tomato sauce' or just plain 'sauce' or, when deep in Ockerland, - 'dead horse'.

OB

The term "tomato sauce" makes more sense. (Though here tomato sauce is something else...) So it made me wonder where the term Ketchup came from or what does it mean? Turns out Nobody Knows! Sure they have theories, but it is one of the worlds great mysteries.

Occams Barber · Jan 12, 2022

jacks said:
The term "tomato sauce" makes more sense. (Though here tomato sauce is something else...) So it made me wonder where the term Ketchup came from or what does it mean? Turns out Nobody Knows! Sure they have theories, but it is one of the worlds great mysteries.

The Online Etymological Dictionary (my favourite website) has a couple of suggestions but nothing definite.

ketchup (n.)
1711, said to be from Malay (Austronesian) kichap, but probably not original to Malay. It might have come from Chinese koechiap "brine of fish," which, if authentic, perhaps is from the Chinese community in northern Vietnam [Terrien de Lacouperie, in "Babylonian and Oriental Record," 1889, 1890]. Catsup (earlier catchup, 1680s) is a failed attempt at Englishing, still in use in U.S., influenced by cat and sup.

OB

grasping the after wind · Jan 12, 2022

Occams Barber said:
I recently came across a Quora discussion where it was alleged that some Americans were shocked/surprised/amazed/disgusted at the idea of liberally splashing vinegar, as a dressing, on chips (fries).

Salt and vinegar is the classic dressing for 'fish and chips', the iconic British meal combining battered, deep fried fish with chips (fries)- real chips, not those stringy excuses for chips - often accompanied by pickled onions. If you're not familiar with the idea, it's quite common in the UK, New Zealand and Australia. In Aus we have shops specialising in the meal; usually wrapped in white paper for takeaway.

I've also heard US tourists expressing surprise on discovering fish and chips while touring in Aus.

Is fish'n chips with salt and vinegar unusual in the US and Canada?

OB

Not where I come from or in the parts of Canada I have travelled to. However, I have been to places in the US where it is unknown. Which has always amazed me as we have a nationally distributed product what called Lay's Potato Chips and I believe you may call the same kind of thing Crisps or something similar that come in different flavors including Salt and Vinegar.

comana · Jan 12, 2022

In the US you will also find that fish and chips is usually served with tartar sauce which is basically mayo and pickle relish.

grasping the after wind · Jan 12, 2022

comana said:
In the US you will also find that fish and chips is usually served with tartar sauce which is basically mayo and pickle relish.

And IMO totally disgusting. I prefer cocktail sauce if i can get it or just plain fish with a little lemon will suffice. Additionally, I am not aware of anyone using the tartar sauce on their French-fries, though I suppose if some people put ranch dressing on their wings anything is possible.

Occams Barber · Jan 12, 2022

grasping the after wind said:
Not where I come from or in the parts of Canada I have travelled to. However, I have been to places in the US where it is unknown. Which has always amazed me as we have a nationally distributed product what called Lay's Potato Chips and I believe you may call the same kind of thing Crisps or something similar that come in different flavors including Salt and Vinegar.

'Crisps' is British for what I would call 'potato chips' We also have salt and vinegar flavour. To confuse things even more what you call fries I would also call chips.

OB

grasping the after wind · Jan 12, 2022

Occams Barber said:
'Crisps' is British for what I would call 'potato chips' We also have salt and vinegar flavour. To confuse things even more what you call fries I would also call chips.

OB

O K, then we share the same wording for potato chips but you drop the potato when referring to what i would call French fries and many of my countrymen have been indoctrinated over the years by The McDonald's corporation into calling them fries. Whatever one calls them they are so much better with a bit of vinegar.

jacks · Jan 12, 2022

Separated by a common language...

Occams Barber · Jan 12, 2022

comana said:
In the US you will also find that fish and chips is usually served with tartar sauce which is basically mayo and pickle relish.

Tartare sauce is a French conspiracy designed to undermine and destroy Salt & Vinegar culture. While Sauce Tartare has some appeal for the gentrified and Nouveau Riche snowflakes, S&V continues to dominate Fish & Chip cuisine.

OB

Occams Barber · Jan 12, 2022

grasping the after wind said:
O K, then we share the same wording for potato chips but you drop the potato when referring to what i would call French fries and many of my countrymen have been indoctrinated over the years by The McDonald's corporation into calling them fries. Whatever one calls them they are so much better with a bit of vinegar.

"By George - I think you've got it!"

OB

Occams Barber · Jan 12, 2022

Nithavela said:
I've never had fish and chips over here in germany. But there are what you would call crisps with salt and vinegar dressing, and I have found them to be quite tasty. There's also potato salad with vinegar.

Crisps is British. Australians (confusingly) call 'crisps' 'potato chips'.

What do you call chips/fries in Germany? I assume you have them.

The French equivalent is 'pommes frites' - aka 'French fries'.

OB

Occams Barber · Jan 12, 2022

grasping the after wind said:
And IMO totally disgusting. I prefer cocktail sauce if i can get it or just plain fish with a little lemon will suffice. Additionally, I am not aware of anyone using the tartar sauce on their French-fries, though I suppose if some people put ranch dressing on their wings anything is possible.

Squeezing a lemon over your F&C is also common here. Some F&C shops will automatically include a wedge or two of lemon with your takeaway.
OB

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