I was watching my favourite TV show today,
The Wire, fourth season. And there was a mention of a
lake trout, which was what
Randy Wagstaff wanted to eat. I thought it was strange a kid from the ghetto liked trout, which I always imagine like a fish for fancy dinners, then I discovered it is a fried fish sandwich. More about it
here. Basically, it is quite close to the fish and chips: simple hearty and deep fried. One of the many, many things I love about
The Wire is that Baltimore is a character in itself: you learn about its colours, flavours,
its culture. And it is done in a subdued, almost subliminal way: no explanation is given, the characters simply order lake trout, or drop
raw eggs in their beer, or eat
blue crabs. I blogged
before that food has an important role in national and regional identities. The show illustrates this brilliantly. I have never seen it done so well on TV, and very rarely in novels. So I have never been in Baltimore, but I discover this city and want to learn more.