Auwvax.228
net.cooks
utcsrgv!utzoo!decvax!duke!chico!harpo!uwvax!jon
Fri Feb 19 11:27:52 1982
fried kasseri
The fried cheese dish described is usually called "cheese saganaki"
in Greek restaurants, and knowledgable patrons will join the waiter
in crying "oppa!" when the cheese is flamed. It is generally assumed
that "oppa!" is an interjection equivalent to "whoopee", but in fact it
is contraction of a phrase whose meaning is obscure;
it means either "Oh, sh-t! it caught on fire",
"Help! my hair is burning!" or "Ha ha! look at the clown with no eyebrows!"
It is a little known fact that the Greeks learned to make cheese from
the Germans, and the name "kasseri" is a borrowing from the German "kaeserei"
(more or less: cheesery). The same word made an interest round trip,
and was borrowed back into Yiddish, a Germanic language.
The Jews thought that fried cheese was disgusting, so the word took on
a pejorative meaning, and eventually generalized into the present "chazzeray".
Some people may not believe everything I just said, but I assure you
that cheese saganaki is delicious.
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