LOX, ATLANTIC SALMON.

History of the Lox: The American Dream of Jewish Immigrants. Bagels and lox are a classic Jewish pairing. But who invented the magical combination of smoked salmon and a bagel? And how did it become synonymous with New York Jewry? Bagels and lox for breakfast have become an almost religious ritual in New York City, but it didn’t start there. Despite being one of the most iconic New York dishes, lox was first invented on the other side. In the 19th century, Scandinavian fishermen needed a creative way to preserve their catch. Their idea was to use a salty brine to preserve the fish. You might wonder: Could poor Jews in Eastern European shtetls afford expensive smoked salmon? Claudia Roden clears up this misconception in The Book of Jewish Food. She says, “There is no evidence that Eastern European Jews ate it. Lox didn’t become widely available or popular until Eastern European Jews arrived in America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.” The American Dream The story of how Lox came to