Smoking eel in Holland is more than a process, it’s a tradition.
In fishing towns like Volendam, Urk, Spakenburg, Harderwijk and Enkhuizen, eel smoking has been part of daily life for generations. The slow fire, the hanging fish, the unmistakable smell, this is Dutch heritage in action.

You can eat is at restaurants such as Smit Bokkum and for wholesale there is smokehouse Schilder Vis. Long-standing family smokers along the former Zuiderzee coastline have helped make gerookte paling an icon of Dutch food culture.The Netherlands remains one of the world’s most devoted eel-eating countries, enjoyed at markets, harbours and kitchen tables alike.