I absolutely love gefilte fish! I know some are perhaps icked out by this, but I love the fish sauce too. When it becomes gelatinous, I love it with challah and some mayonnaise. This is a food that reminds me of my grandmother. Even now writing about this it’s making my mouth water. There is a place in Yerushalayim that sells the freshest gefilte fish, so I always have to make a trip there when I am in Israel. I used to love watching my grandmother make gefilte fish in big giant rolls in large pots for my aunt, mother, uncle or anyone from the neighborhood who craved really authentic style gefilte fish.
Contrary to common believe, “gefilte” means stuffed, not sweet rolled up logs. People today don’t know what gefilte fish used to look like. I remember growing up, gefilte fish looked different. The traditional old school look of it was football shaped and the size of your hand, not logs.
To me, gefilte is simply the taste of tradition. And not everyone appreciates its delicate taste and texture. I say this because my ba’al teshuvah friends seem to dislike gefilte fish in all forms and variations. I know people who love all Jewish food like cholent, challah, kugel, but really cannot stomach gefilte fish. Perhaps you have to be exposed to it from an early age to fully appreciate it.