Pickled herring

Lore & Background

Pickled herrings have been a staple in Northern Europe since medieval times, being a way to store and transport fish, especially necessary in meatless periods like Lent. The herrings would be prepared, then packed in barrels for storage or transportation. In 1801, Dutch fishermen among the prisoners of war at Norman Cross Prison in England were reportedly involved in teaching herring curing techniques, though the exact details of their transfer to Scotland remain unclear and are not well-established in mainstream historical canon.

In the Nordic countries, once the pickling process is finished and depending on which of the dozens of herring flavourings (mustard, onion, garlic, lingonberries etc.) are selected, it is eaten with dark rye bread, crisp bread, sour cream, or potatoes. This dish is common at Christmas, Easter, and Midsummer, where it is frequently accompanied by spirits like akvavit. Soused herring (maatjesharing or just maatjes in Dutch) is

Reader's Guide

Pickled herring holds significant cultural and historical importance across Europe and beyond. It remains a popular food or ingredient in many parts of Europe including the Nordic countries, Great Britain, the Baltic, Eastern and Central Europe, and the Netherlands. It is also popular in parts of Canada such as British Columbia, Newfoundland, and the Maritimes, and is associated with Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine, becoming a staple at kiddushes and social gatherings. Pickled herring is one of the twelve dishes traditionally served at Christmas Eve in Russia, Poland, Lithuania, and Ukraine, and is eaten at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve to symbolize a prosperous New Year in Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, and parts of Scandinavia. In Egypt, pickled herring with tahini is a popular dish eaten during the spring holiday of Sham Ennessim. Nutritionally, pickled herring is an excellent natural source of vitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acids, as well as selenium and vitamin B12, though it is rich in tyramine and should be avoided by those taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors.

Did You Know?

• Pickled herring is one of the twelve dishes traditionally served at Christmas Eve in Russia, Poland, Lithuania, and Ukraine.
• In Egypt, pickled herring with tahini is a popular dish eaten during the spring holiday of Sham Ennessim.
• Rollmops are pickled herring fillets rolled around a piece of pickled gherkin or an onion, thought to have developed in 19th century Berlin.
• Pickled herring is rich in tyramine and should be avoided by people being treated with an antidepressant monoamine oxidase inhibitor.

The Curing Craft and Its Many Faces

The preparation of pickled herring follows a distinctive two-stage method. In the first phase, whole fish are heavily salted to draw out excess moisture. Once that dehydration step is complete, the salt is rinsed away and the herring is submerged in a brine of vinegar, additional salt, and sugar, where it absorbs a complex tang. Aromatics such as crushed peppercorns, bay leaves, and sliced raw onions are typically layered into the jar, though cooks in various traditions reach for sherry, dill, or even newer non-traditional additions that have appeared in recent years. The end product takes many regional forms: the mild, delicate maatjesharing of the Netherlands, ripened for a couple of days in oak barrels; the rollmops of nineteenth-century Berlin, a fillet wound tightly around a pickled gherkin or onion slice; the split, cold-smoked kippers of the British Isles; and the heavily salted, two-to-three-week smoked red herring. In Germany the same preparation is commonly sold as Bismarck herring, while in Nova Scotia a brined herring with onions is known locally as Solomon Gundy.

A Table Staple Across Faiths and Festivals

Pickled herring occupies a remarkable position at the intersection of religious observance, seasonal celebration, and everyday sustenance. In Ashkenazi Jewish tradition, brined herring is a cornerstone of the kiddush table and of social gatherings; the vorschmack salad, known in English simply as chopped herring and in Yiddish as schmaltz herring, is perhaps the most recognizable preparation, while in Israel the dish carries the Hebrew name dag maluach, meaning salted fish. In Russia, Poland, Lithuania, and Ukraine, the fish is one of the twelve dishes traditionally laid out on the Christmas Eve supper table. At the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, people in Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, and parts of Scandinavia bite into a piece of pickled herring as a talisman for a prosperous year ahead. In Egypt, a herring-and-tahini preparation is a beloved springtime dish served during the holiday of Sham Ennessim. In the Nordic countries the fish appears at Christmas, Easter, and Midsummer, often paired with dark rye bread, sour cream, and a glass of akvavit. In the British Isles, like jellied eel, pickled herring has long been associated with working-class kitchens.

From Medieval Barrels to a Global Pantry

The story of pickled herring stretches back to the medieval kitchens of Northern Europe, where preserving fish in salt and vinegar was a practical necessity, particularly during the long meatless stretches of Lent. Prepared herrings were packed into barrels for storage and transport, a technique that sustained coastal and inland communities alike. A notable chapter in that history unfolded in 1801, when Dutch fishermen held as prisoners of war at the Norman Cross Prison in England were dispatched to Scotland to instruct local herring fishermen in the Dutch method of curing, an exchange that helped shape British and Scottish fish-processing traditions. Today the dish's reach extends well beyond its Northern European origins. It remains a popular food and ingredient across the Nordic countries, Great Britain, the Baltic states, Eastern and Central Europe, and the Netherlands. In Canada, communities in British Columbia, Newfoundland, and the Maritimes keep the tradition alive. Even in Hokkaidō, Japan, families once preserved large quantities of pickled herring to see them through the winter months, demonstrating how the basic principle of curing resonates across very different culinary cultures.

Nutritional Powerhouse and a Cautionary Note

Beyond its cultural weight, pickled herring carries a genuinely impressive nutritional profile. Like its fresh counterpart, the cured fish is an outstanding natural source of vitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acids, nutrients that many modern diets lack. A single hundred-gram serving can deliver roughly 680 international units of vitamin D, which represents about 170 percent of the daily value, alongside approximately 84 percent of the recommended selenium intake and 71 percent of the daily value for vitamin B12. These figures make the dish a quietly powerful ally for bone health, immune function, and neurological well-being. However, one important dietary caution accompanies the benefits. Pickled herring is rich in tyramine, a compound that can trigger dangerous interactions for individuals taking monoamine oxidase inhibitor antidepressants. For those patients, physicians typically advise avoiding tyramine-rich foods, and pickled herring falls squarely on the restricted list. For everyone else, the fish remains a nutrient-dense, historically rich addition to the table.

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