Despite the name, lake trout is whiting, a saltwater fish dredged in cornmeal and fried until the edges shatter, then served in a paper bag with hot sauce. It is a Baltimore corner-shop staple.

Lake trout has nothing to do with trout or lakes. The story goes that whiting arriving late in the season at Lexington Market was sold as late trout, which slurred into lake trout. The cheap, flaky white fish became a corner-store and carry-out fixture, fried in cornmeal and folded into white bread with hot sauce. It remains a defining cheap eat of Black Baltimore, sold from steam tables and fish counters across the city.

2 editor picks for Lake trout in Baltimore, ranked by editorial score. All Baltimore signature dishes · Lake trout across every city.

Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide

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