Contemporary Polish version

The genesis of the name, which in German means stuffed fish, goes back to the time when this was actually a fact. I remember from my childhood the labororious way in which the flesh of the raw fish, usually carp or pike (always a fresh-water fish) was carefully separated from the skin, the bones removed, the flesh minced, the other ingredients added and the resulting mass stuffed back into the skin, carefully stitched together and the resulting fish, still retaining its head, was cooked in a fish kettle, in which vegetables, such as carrots and onions, had already been cooked. When it was removed and placed in a serving dish, the resulting stock, to which the major bones of the spine had been added, was boiled down, strained and poured over the fish, creating a jelly when cooled.

Gefilte fish as used for the fish balls going under that name in the West is a misnomer, as no stuffing is involved.

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