At the Ethnic Market: Kopcheny jazik

At the Ethnic Market highlights international specialty foods and ingredients that you're very unlikely to find at your local Gristedes.

Don't tell us you've never heard of kopcheny jazik! Even though Gothamist has spent more than our fair share of time at old-school Jewish delis we've only recently begun to enjoy this Russian cousin of deli tongue. In case you're wondering, the ruddy colored smoked veal tongue is pronounced "KOP-chornee YAH-zeeg."

We always slice it at home, if only because of the fond memories of a certain scene in The Devil's Advocate that it evokes. The meat itself is creamier than any other tongue we've eaten at a deli and has just a hint of smoke and garlic. If you need to cut its richness, grab a small jar of Russian horseradish mustard. The labels on this incendiary spread always crack us up with their depictions of everything from grandmothers with steam coming out of their ears to soldiers with their eyes popping out of their heads.

Apart from its sheer tastiness, at $9.99 a pound kopcheny jazik also offers much more value than most delis charge for tongue. At 2nd Avenue Deli they charge a whopping $35.95 a pound for tongue. We found our kopcheny jazik as Monya & Misha's in Rego Park where they smoke it in-house. Call in advance before trekking out to Rego Park, since they often run out.

Monya & Misha European Deli, 64-46 108 St., Rego Park, 718-459-0180