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.
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.
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.
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….
As Lou Lou would say, “Hungry for Herring”!
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