Knish: In Search of the Jewish Soul Food

A Brief History of Competitive Knish Eating

In Coney Island, as per tradition, knishes are served hot or, worst case scenario, at ambient temperature. On July 7, 2009, thirty-six knishes, square ones, reclined in a rectangular foil tray. The tray sat balanced on the edge of a trash can. The trash can stood in a concrete passageway that led to a ball field. Keyspan Field, as it was called in the summer of 5768, was home to a ball club, minor league, named for a local roller-coaster. A Brief History of Competitive Knish Eating 165 Silver_Knish_Book.indb 165 1/31/2014 11:51:46 AM Knish 166 The Cyclones were observing Jewish Heritage Night, which meant knishes. And, better yet, a contest. The crowds came from Bensonhurst . They came from Flatbush. They came from the Bronx and the Upper West Side of Manhattan. They trickled out of the Stillwell Avenue subway station onto Surf Avenue, past Nathan’s, which no longer sells knishes; past Williams Candy, with rows of candy apples shiny enough to give passersby a glimpse of their soon-to-be loosened teeth. It was six o’clock. The sun stood high. The wind picked up. A cluster of people paused in front of the selfdefined “Sausage Heros—Corn on the Cob—Hot Pizza” place. Six square packets of potato-stuffed dough reclined between paper boats filled with fried shrimp and corn on the cob. On the back wall, hand-painted letters proclaimed, Our knishs are delicious. The Ecuadorian-born guy behind the counter said they were good. Real good. That’s what the customers said. He had never tried one. In his country, they did not have such a thing. Two and half hours before the action was set to begin, Joel Podelsky purchased his ticket. One bleacher seat: eight dollars. Keyspan Field bore the name of the local utility and the reassigned adulation of a borough bereft of its team. The Brooklyn Cyclones were linked to the Mets. Podelsky preferred the Yankees. Still, he did not want to dillydally. It had been two years since he’d downed three and a half square knishes—in four minutes—for the title and the platter that read: BROOKLYN CYCLONES 2007 CHAMPION • KNISH EATING CONTEST Silver_Knish_Book.indb 166 1/31/2014 11:51:46 AM A Brief History of Competitive Knish Eating 167 Podelsky was not one to luxuriate in his success. Each competition was a blank slate, or rather, a full plate. Each competition demanded attention, skill, and focus. As he approached the stadium, Podelsky had resolve. He also had shpilkes. Shpilkes sounds like something you have as a side dish with a schnitzel or a lean cut of brisket, something marginally delicious , decidedly lumpy, and not unlike what Podelsky was about to consume. Shpilkes is Yiddish for being on edge, having pins and needles, from the Polish szpilki, pins. The Italian-American equivalent is “to have agita”). The knish champ appeared calm; his thick black hair was slicked back, porcupine quills in repose. The previous contest lasted four minutes. This year it would go five. Podelsky was eager to get on with it—until he saw the red-haired guy. The spectators poured forth. Some slowed for a beer; some stopped for shrimp (fried), a shish kebab on a stick, or a hot dog from the grill. There were no barkers on Surf Avenue, no bottleneck of bodies crammed the sidewalk or boardwalk. The bumper cars languished. The rain had rained. Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest had left little trace. The spectators grabbed programs and pawed free decks of cards and shook hands with the upright seagull mascots: Sandy (named for the Brooklyn Dodgers’ pitcher who refused to play in Game 1 of the 1965 World Series on Yom Kippur) and his propeller-beanied nephew, Pee Wee. Spectators nudged children under the wings of mascots and snapped photos of them waving Israeli flags, plastic and made in China. Israeli pop oozed through the loudspeakers. The crowd entered Silver_Knish_Book.indb 167 1/31/2014 11:51:46 AM Knish 168 in rivulets. Sons of Abraham and daughters of Sarah had come to pray for the home team. Next door at Peggy O’Neill’s, Podelsky ordered a water and eyed the red-haired man. The guy looked like the eater who had nearly beat him in a hot dog–eating contest two weeks earlier. The redhead , if he was...