In Nova Scotia: They Call It Solomon Gundy But We All Know Its Pickled Herring
Herring: Primed and pickled for the big time
Solomon Gundy on crackers. (Photo Credit: Sadie Beaton)
With the local food movement at full-throttle and artisan ‘foodies’
pickling everything in sight, and with fish finally being recognized as
part of our food system, Solomon Gundy may be well poised to garner some long-overdue appreciation on Nova Scotia plates.
It is sustainable, delicious and has an obscure, cool name. But what the heck is it?
Well, this much we know: Solomon Gundy is a slightly sweet
preparation of pickled herring and onions, once a signature snack along
Nova Scotia’s southern shore. Of course, the good people of Lunenburg
County weren’t the first to pickle this little fish. Herring, one of the
most abundant and resilient fish in our oceans, has been weired,
seined, trawled and preserved since Medieval times.
Though herring may seem humble, this hardy, portable protein actually
helped shape the Western world as we know it. Pickled herring fueled
centuries of revolutions, conquests and
economic alliances, and has been glorified in a surprising number of
poems and
paintings. It has also has swum its way into the cuisines of a great many cultures.
Many Germans still cure their hangovers by curling pickled herring ‘
rollmops’ around pickles. The Dutch tend to
dangle the fish
straight into their mouths, while Russians, Ukrainians and Poles chop
them up with beets and mayonnaise. Scandinavians prefer their herring
pickles on crusty old rye bread, washed down with gulps of Akvavit.
Meanwhile, New Yorkers line up at old-fashioned Jewish
appetizing stores for the schmaltziest (fattest) morsels.
Pickled herring made its way to Central America as part of the
nefarious slave trade that moved forced labour, rum, fish and sugar
around the Atlantic Ocean, helping build the once-vibrant economy along
Nova Scotia’s South Shore. But the exact story of how pickled herring
ended up as a South Shore delicacy remains shrouded in mystery, as does
the curious name.
The Oxford English Dictionary, that old standby, says Solomon Gundy
is “a dish composed of chopped meat, anchovies, eggs, onions with oil
and condiments.” The phrase is said to have “obscure origins’, possibly
related to the Italian ‘salmagundi’, and/or French ‘salmigondis’ which
is
defined, unhelpfully, as “a thing of various tastes and textures.”
Solomon
Gundy appears in many seventeenth and eighteenth century recipe books,
purportedly as a meal made on pirate ships. A recipe appears as far back
as 1764 in
English Housewifery Exemplified, by Elizabeth Moxon. Nova Scotia’s most famous historian, Helen Creighton, also noted its prominence in her 1950 classic
Folklore of Lunenberg County. (Incidentally, she recommended Solomon Gundy as a cure for fever,
wrapped around your feet.)
In Jamaica, Solomon Gundy is a popular pickled herring paste laden
with fiery peppers. It is also oddly similar in name to the poetic
children’s rhyme character/comic z
ombie villain ‘Solomon Grundy’ – though this connection is maddeningly unclear, as well.
Did Swiss and German immigrants pack pickled herring in their
suitcases when the British brought them over to colonize Nova Scotia’s
South Shore in the early 1700s? Or did a batch of Solomon Gundy catch a
ride on a slave ship with the dark rum and molasses? Did Superman
himself drop it off?
Although word is spreading about this enigmatic fish pickle, Solomon
Gundy has yet to enjoy its big-time role in the local food spotlight.
Still quietly made and enjoyed in South Shore kitchens, Solomon Gundy is
usually served on crackers, with cream cheese or sour cream. Local lore
suggests a piece of ‘Gundy is also preferred to champagne and French
kisses as the best way to ring in the New Year.
Shelburne’s award-winning
Charlotte Lane Café
features Solomon Gundy as part of a local fish sampler plate –
modernized with chipotle mayo and some pickled ginger. As chef Roland
Glauser explains: “Our customers love it – tourists and locals alike. I
decided to have it on the menu because it is such a traditional food… so
tasty and showcases the ocean so well.”
Mersey Point Fish Products
has been selling Solomon Gundy since the early 1980s. Sourced from Bay
of Fundy and Newfoundland seiners, it is their best-selling pickle.
Until recently, it was mostly produced for export. But Mersey Point’s
plant director, Robert Mutsaers, has noticed that “Nova Scotians are
getting more interested in trying traditional fish products.” Presenting
at Saltscapes (Halifax’s
popular consumer expo show)
for the first time earlier this year, he watched the Solomon Gundy fly
off the sample platters. “I was very happy to see how well it went over.
I think we gained many new customers in one weekend!”
While the origins of Solomon Gundy remain shrouded in delicious
mystery, its newfound popularity is only just beginning. Some of the
best seafood is caught and processed right here in Nova Scotia and
pickled herring is a treat ready to be celebrated alongside this
province’s world-famous blueberries, apples, trap-caught shrimp and
harpooned swordfish.
Get to know Solomon Gundy before it goes mainstream. Sources include the
Historic Farmer’s Market
in Halifax or the shelves of most grocery stores in Nova Scotia. Better
yet, go fully artisanal and make it yourself with this classic recipe
from
Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens:
Solomon Gundy
1/2 dozen salt herring
2 medium onions
2 cups vinegar
2 tablespoons pickling spice
1/2 cup sugar
Remove tails and heads from herring. Clean inside and remove the
skin. Cut in pieces about 1 inch thick and fillet the pieces. Soak in
cold water about 24 hours. Squeeze the water from the herring. Place in
bottle with slices of onion, in alternate layers. In a saucepan, heat
the vinegar and add pickling spice and sugar. Let cool; then pour over
the herring in the bottles.
from Rustik Magazine:
http://rustikmagazine.com/history-pickled-herring/#.U7RoI7HKVmo
.jpg)
