# Let's talk about herring **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 15, 2013, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-herring/666293 "2013-08-15T09:30:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-herring/666293/1 "2013-08-15T09:30:48Z")
I love pickled herring. In wine sauce- I’m not crazy about it in cream sauce. I love the chewy texture, and the vinegary-sweet taste. I’m not so fond of smoked herring- at least, the one time I tried it. Too much smoky flavor for me, not enough herring flavor. Any other ways to enjoy herring? ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-herring/666293/2 "2013-08-15T09:37:33Z")
Kipper snacks here. Please don’t call them herring. I had to look it up to be sure that’s what they were since I’d forgotten and I think I prefer it that way. 😕 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-herring/666293/3 "2013-08-15T10:49:21Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I love pickled herring. In wine sauce- I’m not crazy about it in cream sauce. I love the chewy texture, and the vinegary-sweet taste. > > I’m not so fond of smoked herring- at least, the one time I tried it. Too much smoky flavor for me, not enough herring flavor. > > Any other ways to enjoy herring? Ditto. Pickled herring in wine sauce (also not a fan of cream sauce) was a staple growing up. Sunday or holiday brunches had herring, a smoked white fish, gefilte fish (homemade from freshly ground and poached fish!), lox and bagels. Mmmmmm, good stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-herring/666293/4 "2013-08-15T12:27:39Z")
I am a fan of the PBS cooking show, “_[New Scandinavian Cooking](http://www.newscancook.com/)_.” The host, Andreas Viestad, is both quirky and creative in his cooking. Well anyway, the cooking he demonstrates. Plus, there’s generally plenty of scenery porn. Anyway, they did a show entirely about herring, and the page with recipes for the seven dishes they made can be found [here](http://www.newscancook.com/wp-content/themes/newscancook/find.php?Chef=53&Episode=139&s=): [ol] [li]Fried Herring with Apple, Bacon and Celeriac[/li][li]Russian Herring Salad[/li][li]Swedish Herring Salad[/li][li]Grandmother’s Salt Herring[/li][li]Glassmestersild (Herring Pickled In a Glass Jar)[/li][li]Soused Herring with Potato Salad and Classical Trimmings[/li][li]Grilled Herring with Chilli, Leeks and Peppers[/li][/ol] I’ve not tried any of them, but they look interesting. The [local Mediterranean supermarket](http://www.phoeniciafoods.com/) has several different varieties of canned and jarred herring. I’m a fan of it smoked, as a rollmop, or in that creamy, dill sauce a lot of them seem to be packed in. Add horseradish and yum. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-herring/666293/5 "2013-08-15T13:09:01Z")
Have you tried “surstromming” yet? I hear it is an acquired taste!:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-herring/666293/6 "2013-08-15T13:15:07Z")
Purchase kippers. Open tin. Eat. Rinse (thoroughly) and repeat. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-herring/666293/7 "2013-08-15T13:41:18Z")
Gonna try a tin of kipper snacks next time we’re at the supermarket. I don’t think I’ve tried it before. ---
**Author:** ![Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_First_Time)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-herring/666293/8 "2013-08-15T16:32:23Z")
My Swedish grandmother has a pickled herring recipe that we usually eat on the holiday. However, it starts with smaltz herring, which it about impossible to find these days. There was one deli in the greater Philadelphia area which my mom would drive to in order to find it. If anyone knows of a place in the greater Chicago area that carries it, I’d love to get some and make the recipe. Everyone in my family adores it. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-herring/666293/9 "2013-08-15T16:38:38Z")
If you can find fresh herring, they’re pretty awesome grilled, as are sardines and mackerel. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-herring/666293/10 "2013-08-15T18:20:22Z")
> [@Long\_Time\_First\_Time](#): > > My Swedish grandmother has a pickled herring recipe that we usually eat on the holiday. However, it starts with smaltz herring, which it about impossible to find these days. There was one deli in the greater Philadelphia area which my mom would drive to in order to find it. If anyone knows of a place in the greater Chicago area that carries it, I’d love to get some and make the recipe… I’ve read [two](http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=150463) separate [posts](http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=13914) at one Chicago-area food message board that indicated [Eurostyle Deli](http://www.yelp.com/biz/eurostyle-deli-skokie) in Skokie carried schmaltz herring. Failing that, is it something that [Kuhn’s](http://www.kuhnsdeli.com/), Grand Duke’s, or [Max’s](http://www.yelp.com/biz/maxs-delicatessen-and-restaurant-highland-park#hrid:Xz73NwjjVYGbphbb11I_nA) in Highland Park would carry? Maybe [Hagen’s Fish Market](http://www.hagensfishmarket.com/fresh_fish.html)? Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-herring/666293/11 "2013-08-15T18:36:22Z")
**Let’s talk about herring** A better idea than actually _eating_ it! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-herring/666293/12 "2013-08-15T18:44:18Z")
When I was little I could tolerate a little pickled herring. Then one time I had a little, and the next day, just thinking about it made me nauseated. Vile stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-herring/666293/13 "2013-08-15T19:26:21Z")
I like cream sauce (with onions) and mustard sauce. Wine is ok but usually too sweet for me. What I can’t handle is schmaltz herring, which contains extra fat and every micron of salt in the universe. I also like smoked kippers. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-herring/666293/14 "2013-08-15T19:33:16Z")
“Could we have kippers for breakfast Mummy dear, Mummy dear They got to have ?em in Texas Cos everyone?s a millionaire” ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-herring/666293/15 "2013-08-15T19:50:44Z")
I love the jarred herring in mustard sauce, and dill one. Favorite brand is Abba, which is Danish and can be hard to find in the US. But I like many other brands, including one from Maine that I can never remember the name of. ---
**Author:** ![Uther\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Uther\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uther_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-herring/666293/16 "2013-08-15T22:56:10Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > I love the jarred herring in mustard sauce, and dill one. Favorite brand is Abba, which is Danish and can be hard to find in the US. But I like many other brands, including one from Maine that I can never remember the name of. Abba is actually a brand from Sweden. I am sure someone here can come up with a trick to remember that more easily. Another good way to eat herring are the Dutch “hollandse nieuwe” or “maatjesharing”. Traditionally immature, fat herring is prepared by removing the gills and most intestines, but leaving the pancreas in place, then it’s mildly salted and stored for a week in oak barrels. The pancreatic enzymes cure the fish during that time. Real Dutch maatjesharing will be much milder and less salty than salted herring from other countries. It is usually eaten with raw, chopped onion. Delicious. And in modern times available deep frozen the whole year, without need for additional salt. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-herring/666293/17 "2013-08-16T00:11:08Z")
Pike Place Fish Market has some pickled herring I like. Maybe a little on the sweet side, but still good. Usually I just go for the kipper snacks, since I can get them and eat them whenever I want. I got some kippers from Scotland at PPFM, and they were very good – though a bit bony. There was a brand of herring in Dijon mustard sauce that I liked, but I can’t remember where I got them. One thing I like as a nice treat is the tinned kippers fried in a pan, with scrambled eggs. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-herring/666293/18 "2013-08-16T16:22:40Z")
> [@Uther\_Penguin](#): > > Abba is actually a brand from Sweden. I am sure someone here can come up with a trick to remember that more easily. Ha! Good to know. Not sure why I believed it was Danish. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-herring/666293/19 "2013-08-16T16:37:31Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > If you can find fresh herring, they’re pretty awesome grilled, as are sardines and mackerel. I see frozen herring at the corner market where I live. I suspect it’s being sold as bait, and I’m not sure if it’s intended for human consumption. It’s ironic that in an area renowned for its seafood, I can’t seem to find fresh herring or fresh sardines, and fresh mackerel is very seasonal. I seem to have a herring problem. ---
**Author:** ![Poto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@Poto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poto)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-herring/666293/20 "2013-08-16T16:46:18Z")
Herring casserole was a weekly item when I was a kid back in Ruthenia. Sliced potatoes herring…you can fillet it…in alternate layers . Its got some egg. Onions. I can translate at least the ingredients…if needed. > **[Silakkalaatikko - Resepti | Kotikokki.net](https://www.kotikokki.net/reseptit/nayta/117936/Silakkalaatikko/)** > > Kotikokista löydät ohjeet, miten silakkalaatikko valmistetaan. Katso tämä ja tuhannet muut reseptit. Google pictures and silakkalaatikko will get the picture. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-herring/666293.md?page=2)