It’s pickled herring. The Dutch put them in wooden casks where they ripen, so they become incredibly tender, very mild and just a little salty. And they don’t smell bad at all.
I’m German and whenever I visit the Netherlands, I make sure to have some.
I’m not sure if pickled is the right description, it for sure doesn’t give the right impression. It’s more like a salted or cured product and relatively fresh. It has nothing to do with the pickled sour herring in jars which can be conserved for a long time.
Here in the US I’ve gotten a lot of pickled herring over the years, and “mild” is NOT how I’d describe it. It’s super sour and sweet (and creamy if you get ones with sour cream, which I usually do) One of my favorite foods, but now I’m worried that I’ve been eating something else lol.
That’s something completely different. If it’s super sour it’s probably something like a rolmops. Also referred to as sour herring. It’s very different from the fresh raw, slightly pickled herring.
Absolutely. It is complex and pleasant. Best time to have it is in late June when they celebrate the opening of the new batch at Scheveningen (Den Haag).
We have pickled herring in Germany as well. You can buy it as grocery stores. It’s labelled “nordische Art” (“northern style”), and totally not the same as the real thing from the Netherlands - much more salty, less complex and not in the same league at all. So if ever you go to Germany, don’t confuse the two.
This is what I tell people: it is not that salty and I taste a bit of sweetness with it (that sort of mild sweetness, hope you know what I mean).
If I travel to Germany in the future, I would love to try Mett. That’s one dish people here sometimes turn their heads at, however it sounds very nice from the descriptions.
I think more people should consider the whole “when in Rome, live as the Romans do” idea when traveling, food is a great way to appreciate a country or area.
Mett is quite popular where I live (Berlin). It’s basically just ground pork seasoned with a little salt. Absolutely nothing special tastewise, but when you grow up with it, it becomes sort of a comfort food.
We put it on freshly baked sliced in half “Brötchen”, add pepper and onions and sometimes pickles as well, depending on personal preference.
Me and my pals sometimes jokingly call it “Nothack”, literally “emergency minced meat”, implying you always need some of it within easy reach.
It’s pickled herring. The Dutch put them in wooden casks where they ripen, so they become incredibly tender, very mild and just a little salty. And they don’t smell bad at all. I’m German and whenever I visit the Netherlands, I make sure to have some.
I’m not sure if pickled is the right description, it for sure doesn’t give the right impression. It’s more like a salted or cured product and relatively fresh. It has nothing to do with the pickled sour herring in jars which can be conserved for a long time.
Here in the US I’ve gotten a lot of pickled herring over the years, and “mild” is NOT how I’d describe it. It’s super sour and sweet (and creamy if you get ones with sour cream, which I usually do) One of my favorite foods, but now I’m worried that I’ve been eating something else lol.
incidentally had some in my fridge for reference
That’s something completely different. If it’s super sour it’s probably something like a rolmops. Also referred to as sour herring. It’s very different from the fresh raw, slightly pickled herring.
Aah, it’s pickled! That’s why it looks raw-ish. Nice! Then I’m sure this dish has a lot of complex flavours.
Absolutely. It is complex and pleasant. Best time to have it is in late June when they celebrate the opening of the new batch at Scheveningen (Den Haag).
We have pickled herring in Germany as well. You can buy it as grocery stores. It’s labelled “nordische Art” (“northern style”), and totally not the same as the real thing from the Netherlands - much more salty, less complex and not in the same league at all. So if ever you go to Germany, don’t confuse the two.
This is what I tell people: it is not that salty and I taste a bit of sweetness with it (that sort of mild sweetness, hope you know what I mean).
If I travel to Germany in the future, I would love to try Mett. That’s one dish people here sometimes turn their heads at, however it sounds very nice from the descriptions.
I think more people should consider the whole “when in Rome, live as the Romans do” idea when traveling, food is a great way to appreciate a country or area.
Mett is quite popular where I live (Berlin). It’s basically just ground pork seasoned with a little salt. Absolutely nothing special tastewise, but when you grow up with it, it becomes sort of a comfort food. We put it on freshly baked sliced in half “Brötchen”, add pepper and onions and sometimes pickles as well, depending on personal preference. Me and my pals sometimes jokingly call it “Nothack”, literally “emergency minced meat”, implying you always need some of it within easy reach.