The market · Fish and seafood · Northern and Central Europe

Herrings

A small, oily silver fish that fed northern Europe for centuries — mostly eaten cured: pickled, salted or smoked.

briny · oceanic · rich

What to do with it

Rosa Ibarra's Clarified milk punch, mezcal and pineappleHerring would soften its edge Ibu Sari's Sambal ijoHerring would soften its edge Kenji Hara's Milk punch, with hojichaHerring would soften its edge

Kinds

Matjes: Young herring, mildly salt-cured; soft and rich.
Pickled (sill, rollmops): Cured in vinegar, sugar and spice.
Kippers: Split, salted and cold-smoked.

Goes with

potato sour cream dill onion

Knowing it

Where to buy: Scandinavian and Polish shops for jars; fishmongers for fresh.
A little history: The herring trade helped make the fortunes of the Hanseatic League, and later the Dutch.
Worth knowing: Serve cold pickled herring with hot boiled potatoes, sour cream, dill and sharp raw onion.

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