By Ines Keane
Raw fish, a little onion, a quick tilt of the head. The tradition is short. The rules behind it are longer.
The name
Wikipedia describes lightly brined raw herring, called Hollandse nieuwe in the Netherlands. It says the herring is caught between the end of May and the beginning of July.
The 16 per cent
DutchNews reports that Hollandse nieuwe must contain at least 16 per cent fat by body weight, and the travel blog gives the same minimum. Wikipedia says only that herrings contain oils of over 15 per cent at the time of catch.
Gutting
DutchNews says the fish are gutted and salted while the pancreas, which holds the ripening enzymes, stays in. Wikipedia says the Dutch developed gibbing, the removal of the innards with the pancreas left in, in the Middle Ages.
How it is eaten
Wikipedia says the Dutch most often eat it plain or with diced raw onion.
Where the fish comes from
A herring called Hollandse nieuwe names a method and a standard. We found no source on what the rules require about where the fish is caught, so ask the seller.
What to ask
Does the seller say the fish meets the 16 per cent standard? Was it caught this season, or frozen from an earlier one? Where was it caught? Is it gutted the traditional way, with the pancreas in? Our sources do not say how a buyer can check any of these answers, so a seller who cannot answer them plainly has told you something too. We are not naming a fishmonger, a stall or a brand, and we are not quoting prices.
Roam first. Shop later.
If you cure or prepare fish or specialty foods in the Netherlands, the process for getting listed is at /sell-with-sephari/