The noun appetizing (as in to eat or serve appetizing) is a Jewish food tradition chiefly localized in New York City. Appetizing spreads typically include a variety of delicacies such as smoked and cured fish, schmears, and homemade salads — colloquially known as “the food one eats with bagels.”  

The term appetizing is indigenous to New York, but the tradition itself originated in Eastern Europe where Jews began their mea...