In the Netherlands we love “haring happen”, but how do you eat that? There are two common eating methods.

The most favourite is holding the herring by the tail, pushing a little into the shredded raw onion and then raising your arm in the air. Throw your head back and let that herring slide into your mouth. Take a bite and enjoy.

The second, slightly more brave way is to have the herring cut into pieces by the fishmonger. You can just ask. Then you prick a piece with a wooden skewer (with Dutch flag 😉 in a piece and enjoy.

So much for our etiquette on how to eat a herring.

Eating herring is a deep-rooted cultural tradition in the Netherlands. On this weekly market in Zevenbergen, in the region Moerdijk in Noord-Brabant you will surrely find one or two fish carts, or on a everage day appearing in almost every city center. Here you can buy freshly prepared herring and eat it directly on the street.

The herring is delivered to the fish cart, especially in the herring season, the herring is of the best quality. Nice and fat and super fresh. Every year, on the third Saturday of June, “Vlaggetjesdag” takes place in Scheveningen, an important fishing village in the Netherlands. This event marks the start of the herring season and celebrates the arrival of the new catch.