Food

It’s said that Amsterdam was founded on herring and beer. The beer industry may now have become industrial brands like Heineken and Amstel, yet the humble herring is still an important part of Amsterdam life. It’s a fish that really must be sampled on a short city break in Amsterdam.

It’s a fish with a fascinating folklore. The first ton of each year’s catch – the herring season officially starts on 31st May – belongs to the Dutch Queen, although hopefully she shares the feast with her subjects. For those in Amsterdam eating the young fish, known as ‘maatjesharing’, you should hold it by its tail and lower it into your mouth, a little in the fashion of a sword swallower!

The name of the new season’s catch comes from the Dutch ‘maagdekensharing’, or virgin herring. The ‘maatjes’ are the young fish that have yet to spawn. They are gutted straight after being caught although part of the pancreas is retained in the body and contains the enzyme that gives the fish its distinctive flavour. They are then frozen in salt brine inside oak barrels. Each part of the process adds another dimension to the unique taste which has a hint of spice.

The season for maatje is until the end of June when the fish spawn. The boats have sailed traditionally from the port of Scheveningen, near The Hague, and most fish were caught off the coast of Holland. The port claims to be Europe’s largest herring harbour and at one time could boast of 2,000 boats. Indeed, it’s said that over 20% of the Dutch population was employed in the herring industry in the 1500s. Today, much of the fishing has shifted to Danish waters and is by Danish boats. Yet the selling of herring is still largely a Dutch trade. The herring shoals may have shifted but tradition, it appears, dies hard.