The Hollandse Nieuwe is back, but what do we actually know about it?

Dutch herring, right?

Well no. There is little ‘Dutch’ about the fish. Hollandse Nieuwe is indeed caught in the North Sea, but by Scandinavian fishermen and processed in Norwegian or Danish fish factories.

But what about Flag Day?

Sorry: all marketing fake. Or better: ‘tradition’.

Why is the herring called Hollandse Nieuwe?

‘New’ because it is young herring that has not yet spawned, but has already eaten nice fat. That high fat content – ​​this year as much as 22 percent – ​​ensures the tenderness and creaminess. After September 1, the fish may no longer be called Nieuwe, but ‘buddy herring’.

And ‘Dutch’?

In Scandinavia and Scotland they eat the herring pickled or fried. We Dutch (and a handful of Germans and Belgians) are the only ones who eat herring this way: ‘chewed’, lightly pickled and briefly frozen. The latter is necessary to kill any ‘herring worm’, a disease-causing parasite. Jaws are also a Dutch invention. The gills and entrails of the raw herring are removed, but the pancreas remains. This is because it produces certain enzymes that ensure that the herring ‘ripens’.

But why in Scandinavia?

In the Netherlands we no longer have the facilities to process herring on such a large scale: about 180 million tons of fish are involved. In June, Dutch fish traders will take over the Norwegian and Danish herring factories for about six weeks to produce Hollandse Nieuwe. The rest of the year, these factories process herring for the Scandinavian market. Incidentally, we mainly owe the Hollandse Nieuwe to all the women from Poland, Thailand, the Philippines or Vietnam, for example, who now work in the Scandinavian factories.

Is herring sustainable?

There is more than enough swimming: all herring are MSC certified for sustainable fishing. But due to the high fuel costs, part of the Nieuwe this year will be turned into fishmeal for animal feed, for example – not so sustainable. Then the boats can transport larger quantities of fish at the same time, which is cheaper.

Is herring healthy?

Very healthy. The fish is high in protein and full of healthy omega-3 fatty acids!