How to go beyond fish sticks.

Fish on Friday: Another intersection between food and culture

3/19/13

"Fish on Friday" is a Catholic thing, and something that non-Catholics may notice in subtle ways, particularly if you live in an area with a strong Catholic population. For example, my local Safeway has a series of "$5 Friday" specials every week. I noticed that they have recently added several fish bargains to the list, including several frozen fish options, as well as fresh fried fish sticks from the in-store deli.

Technically, the Catholic church recommends that every Catholic abstain from meat on Fridays. Although for most Catholics, "fish on Friday" is a rule that is primarily followed during Lent. Lent, as you no doubt know, is the period of spiritual cleansing that falls on the 40 days before Easter.

Unlike many other religious food-related prohibitions, "Fish on Friday" is about abstaining from something that is ordinarily allowed. In honor of the death of Jesus on Good Friday, the church recommends abstaining from meat on Friday as a form of penance. Fruit, vegetables, eggs, dairy, grains (including bread and pasta) and seafood are all still allowed.

Many of the older members of my family still have a feeling of dread stemming from eating tuna noodle casserole every Friday of their childhoods. These days, the abundance of good vegetarian options, as well as the easy availability of high-quality seafood (if only in the freezer case) means that abstaining from meat on Friday is hardly a chore.

(Note: This may invalidate the entire point of abstaining from meat. I leave it up to the reader whether it violates the spirit of the law to go all-out and fix a truly delicious fish meal for Lent. That's strictly between you and the Head Chef in the Sky.)

Some delicious suggestions for Fish on Friday: