9th edition, No.3, November 2008

Dutch matje herring delicious all year round!

Dutch fishermen catch enough herring between mid-May and the end of June to last the whole year. Fishing for herring is done during this time because then the herrings have a sufficiently high fat content to be processed into Dutch matje herring. After the catch, the herring is cleaned, brine salted and deep-frozen immediately. The brine ensures that the herring continues maturing during the time it is frozen.

Although Dutch matje herring is traditionally eaten in the summer, it is delicious all year round. In order to make consumers aware of this, the Dutch Fish Marketing Board has organised a number of informative activities in the Netherlands and abroad.

Master chefs create dishes with top-class product

In October, master chefs Erik van Loo (Parkheuvel Restaurant, Rotterdam) and Mohammed Al Harouchi (Solo Restaurant, Gorinchem) used Dutch matje herring in their culinary creations. Erik van Loo sprang a surprise on the public with his ‘Sweet and sour herring roulade with sherry spumante’, while Mohammed Al Harouchi described his creation as ‘Sherry cream with basil oil and a sorbet of nettles and herring’.
“A lot of people only eat herring at the start of the season, during the summer months,” Van Loo commented. “But the quality of Dutch matje herring is just as good in the autumn. In fact, its flavour is even softer and creamier because it’s been maturing for longer.”

Matjes on Ice

The Dutch Fish Marketing Board is organising the ‘Matjes on Ice’ tour for the second time in Germany. A competition for schoolchildren will be held to see who can take the best photo of the traditional Dutch way of eating a herring. The prize is a day’s skiing on the piste in Neuss, including an après-ski with, of course, Dutch matje herring. This Dutch delicacy will also be served on the ice rink during the Christmas fair in Duisburg, and visitors will be invited to try their luck at the traditional eisstockschiessen (a form of curling). Those wishing to participate will be asked to make a small contribution to charity as an entry fee.
The ‘Matjes on Ice’ tour will finish in January 2009 with a fashion contest centring on the theme of Dutch matje herring during the Grüne Woche in Berlin.