Hollandse Nieuwe herring

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About Hollandse Nieuwe herring

Hollandse Nieuwe herring is a company with a local service area.

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Raw herring, lightly brined and ripened by its own enzymes. Held up by the tail, or served in pieces with onion and pickle.

Why it tastes sweet

The gills are removed but the pancreas stays in. The enzyme it contains ripens the flesh in the barrel, and that is why Dutch herring is softer and sweeter than herring anywhere else.

The fat content

Hollandse Nieuwe may only carry the name at sixteen per cent fat or more. The fish reach that in spring, after feeding heavily and before spawning.

Flag Day

The first barrels of the season land in June, traditionally at Scheveningen. The first cask is auctioned for charity and fetches tens of thousands.

With or without onion

Amsterdam eats it with chopped onion, Rotterdam more often without. Not a rule, but a difference people notice.

Where to find it

Herring carts on the street, fish shops along the coast, and market stalls nationwide.