Continuing on from our food tour in Amsterdam with Hungry Birds we visited Vishuisje Herengracht in Central Amsterdam to try a dish the Dutch people have a love affair with.
Here we are with Esther our guide from Hungry Birds. She’s explaining to the kids about Herring.
Herring, a small, oily, stinky fish found in the North Alantic and North Pacific oceans is known to have been traded by the Dutch at least 1,000 years ago. Why the Dutch love it? No idea, but we figure its a pride thing going back to the days when it was eaten in one full bite, instead of the neatly cut version you see here. Since it is considered a “national dish” (12,000,000 kilos are eaten every year), we were tempted to give it a try.
Dutch Herring is usually served with diced onions and pickles. But some locals prefer it without anything. 🙂
Of course he has to lick it first!
Here I go!
A typical serving of herring on the street will be served with onions and pickles (which I prefer). Lou Lou preferred to try it as is with no condiments AND…. loved it. In fact she ate the entire plate except for the pieces that Jaf, myself and Ousa had. Utter shock was our reaction.
It’s really good Mom!
Dad opted for some fried local fish instead.
Although I don’t think this is a “kid-friendly food item”, I did spot a few Dutch parents and their children savoring their herring dish nearby. The kids seemed to love it.
Lou Lou loved it so much she ate it again a few days later….
More herring a few days later…
As Lou Lou would say, “Hungry for Herring”!
Comments