THEY SAY THIS IS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HERRING?🐟👀

SOURCE: https://www.thefishsociety.co.uk/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-herring

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HERRING

When you think of herring, your mind might send you to Scandinavia and you might conjure up images of pickled fish with radishes and rye bread. It’s true that the herring is a big hit in Scandinavian countries and features in many national dishes, but that’s not all that this brilliant and versatile fish has to offer.

Herring: The Basics

There are around 200 different species of herring although it’s just three that are usually caught for food. They are Atlantic, Pacific and Araucanian herring. These specific species can be found in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

The size of a herring fish mainly depends on the species, but on average the larger ones can weigh up to 1.5 lbs. You would probably be able to spot a herring if you spotted one. They have a distinctive silver colouring that appears slightly blue on the top of their body but paler underneath, which has led to them being nicknamed the silver of the sea. The popularity of their meat has meant that the herring fishing trade is always profitable.

A Healthy Fish

By now we all know that including plenty of fish in our diets is extremely good for us, but herring is viewed as a particularly healthy option. That’s largely because it is a brilliant source of vitamin D. In fact, it has a much higher vitamin D content than almost any other kind of food. This is especially good news for us here on the British Isles as the usual grey and cloudy weather means that we don’t often get as much of the vitamin from the sun than we should. Getting enough vitamin D is incredibly important for us as it helps teeth and bones get stronger and can also reduce the risk of certain health conditions.

And that’s not all. Herring is also a good source of fatty acids, which are known to promote good heart health. They also help the brain to function properly.

Buying Herring In The UK

Even though we don’t consume a huge amount of herring, unlike our neighbors in Scandinavia, Germany and Holland, it is still plentiful around the UK. The majority of what is available to buy will be the Atlantic species, but you might be able to to find some other varieties from a specialist fishmonger. One notable point to make is that each variety of herring comes into season at different points throughout the year. Even though you might be able to find an abundance of Atlantic herring next time you visit a fishmonger, just a few months later this might change and they might have a different species on offer. At least that keeps eating herring exciting!

                                         Maatjes herrings with diced white onion

 

Herring is a very oily fish but that shouldn’t be something that puts you off it - in fact, it’s one of its many advantages! That’s because it makes it the perfect fish to pickle, smoke or salt. Of course, you will still find it delicious if you decide to eat it fresh! But for a Scandinavian-style supper, why not try pickled herring with some crusty bread? If you do decide to pickle it, it can be stored for a good few months meaning that you will still be able to enjoy it even at the few times it is not in season.

If you want to cook yours from fresh, then you should do very shortly after buying it. Fresh herring has a short lifespan so needs to be cooked as soon as possible. If you do cook from fresh, then you can grill or fry your herring.

Do you want to enjoy your herring the Scandinavian way? If so, then you might like the idea of buying a jar of rollmops. These are also easy to make at home - you just need to roll up the herring fillets and secure by piercing a cocktail stick through them. You then need to boil the rollmops in a mixture of water and vinegar. Add a bay leaf and sliced onion for extra flavour. Once cooked, put the rollmops into a jar and add the water and vinegar mixture. Once properly sealed, you can then store the herring this way for about a week before they are ready to eat. These can be eaten cold, straight out of the jar.

If you want to try smoked herring, there are a few different types of sample. You might have heard of the likes of kippers before, but have you already come across bucklings and bloaters? These are all types of smoked herring and are often served cold. Kippers make a remarkably good breakfast!

Herring roe is another firm favourite in Scandinavian countries and could be something to try if you are feeling particularly adventurous with your food!

As you can see, herring really is a very diverse type of fish. We’re sure fish lovers will really enjoy digging into its many varieties, whether pickled, smoked or fresh! Not only that, though, thanks to its numerous varieties that aren’t at threat from over fishing, this could be the fish of the future!

 

 The Cutting Edge in Herring Art --  Not Too Late To Bid !!!!!!   😉

 

 

For Lovers of Fish Heads:

It's All Good With Me-- Just Leave The Herring Out Of It !!!!!!!!!!!

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT -- GOOD NEWS ABOUT HERRING:

Advice about Eating Fish

For Women Who Are or Might Become Pregnant, Breastfeeding Mothers, and Young Children

FDA and EPA have issued advice regarding eating fish. This advice can help women who are pregnant or may become pregnant - as well as breastfeeding mothers and parents and caregivers feeding children 2 years and older - make informed choices when it comes to fish that are nutritious and safe to eat. This advice supports the recommendations of the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, developed for people 2 years and older. For advice about feeding children under 2 years of age, you can consult the American Academy of Pediatrics.

For full article:   https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/advice-about-eating-fish?fbclid=IwAR0z4OpyylB1RMsbK7DxG66UnhAjzJkIyS0E7bZAAyonSu2y-mxnb1v6JWU

The Continuing Adventures of Herry the Herring in the Age of Corona

                   by Talia G.

CARY GRANT WAS DEFINITELY NOT A HERRING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WATCH:          https://youtu.be/MfmSddLYp3g

THE ADVENTURES OF HERRY THE HERRING

by: T. Goldberg

THE GODFATHER WAS VERY INTO HERRING

ARE THEY KIDDING? I'LL HAVE MINE ONLY WITH BOURBON (OR SCOTCH IF NECESSARY)!!  😆

A SaltWire Network

The taste of Denmark: pickled herring and aquavit

You can't find anything that typifies a Scandinavian specialty more than aquavit and pickled herring.

In an earlier column, I shared my lament at not being able to find the fine selection of pickled herrings I was used to Denmark. Instead, I had to make do with Solomon Gundy. Herring is one of the most celebrated dishes in Denmark and it always accompanied with a snaps or aquavit. "The fish must swim," is one of our favourite sayings.
The history of making aquavit goes back more than 500 years. The name derives from Latin: aqua vitae (water of life). It was introduced as a medicinal to cure almost anything and there are several stories about how both kings and queens had their own special aquavit flavoured to suit their particular constitutions.

Many of the original recipes have been lost but others are still in use and one of the most popular of the old aquavits is called Gammel Dansk (Old Danish). It contains more than 35 herbs, spices and root extracts. This bitter will give you a rush of heat on a cold winter morning and will drown any bug out of your system. Although not clinical proven or accepted as truly medicinal, I know many Danish doctors who down their lunch with a quick Gammel Dansk. Just in case.

Other countries have their own versions of aquavit. In France, it is called Eau de Vie (water of life.) If you haven't tried Framboise (raspberry) or the Poire Williams (pear) varieties, I highly recommend them as a cordial after a fine meal. The French fruit-infused aquavits are not cheap, as they require a high yield of fresh fruit to produce the concentrate.
In Germany, aquavits are commonly referred to as bitters. They have their famous Jagermeister and Underberg, both interesting and very different in their taste. Jagermeister is rather sweet and Underberg is very bitter and does taste like the cough syrups of our childhood.
When I first moved to Cape Breton, it was possible to find one or two brands of Danish aquavit but they disappeared from the shelves at Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation. Don't be fooled by those products with names like peppermint or peach snaps, they have nothing in common with authentic aquavit unless they come from France.
In Russia, vodka is the "water of life." Although it is not strictly an aquavit, the purity of vodka is also the best spirit to use when you create your own aquavit. There are no limits to what you can use to flavour your snaps to your particular taste. However, do not use moonshine for aquavit. Not only is it difficult and dangerous to control the alcohol content, it is a waste of time because it will destroy all the flavours of what you have used to infuse the snaps.

For fruit dessert snaps, take a handful of raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries and drop them into a bottle of vodka. Let sit for a month or two and then strain the berries from the vodka to produce a light cordial. My preference is for nutty and herbal snaps, especially walnut snaps.
Some folks prefer their snaps chilled, which thickens the drink. Others blend snaps with leftover cheese. Put the cheese pieces in a porcelain jar; barely cover with snaps and let sit for several weeks, stirring occasionally. Puree the cheese with a blender stick to create a tasty spread.
In Denmark, each holiday is celebrated with its own snaps. I've included a recipe for a traditional Christmas snaps below. Depending on your menu, pair the proper aquavit with the proper course. For example, dill snaps goes well with all seafood, juniper with smoked meat or venison, and cumin-infused aquavit with cheese.
SkDl!

Lars Willum is the host and producer of the cable series Be My Guest and a culinary chef at Allegro Grill & Deli in Sydney, Nova Scotia. He also operates a catering business, Cape Breton Gourmet, specializing in menus for small to medium-sized functions. E-mail Lars at larswillum@ns.sympatico.ca.

For all following pickled herring recipes, use Solomon Gundy that can be
purchased locally. Make sure to drain the marinade and remove onions.

Sherry marinated herring: Use 1 jar of pickled herring, mix with fine cut red onions, sherry tomatoes, and capers. Pour a 1/4 cup good sherry over, drizzle with black ground pepper and let marinate in the fridge for a day or two.

Garlic-chive-dill sour cream herring: Mix 1 jar of herring with 1 cup sour cream, 2 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 tbsp fine-cut garlic, chives, and dill. Let sit 1 hour before serving. Eat within 2 days!

Curry herring: Mix one jar of herring with two tablespoons mayonnaise, 2 tbsp fine cut salad and spring onions, 1 tbsp hot curry paste and 4 chopped, hard-boiled eggs and 1 fine cut, peeled, and cored apple.

Christmas Aquavit
Add the following ingredients to one bottle of vodka: 2 star anise seedpods, 1 split vanilla bean, 1 cinnamon stick and the zest from one orange. Let sit in the vodka for 3 weeks, then filter the vodka and pour into a nice Christmas bottle.

Dill Aquavit
Take a bundle of fresh dill, wash, dry, and add to a bottle of vodka. You can leave the dill in the bottle, it looks attractive, and your guests will know what they drink. Especially good with pickled herring.

Source: https://www.capebretonpost.com/opinion/the-taste-of-denmark-pickled-herring-and-aquavit-20245/

MY GRANDSON: JUST A LITTLE EXCITED ABOUT GETTING INTO THE HERRING!!!!! 😆😆😆😆

How Do You Eat Your Herring?

  

Herring and Children's Literature

CONTEMPORARY HERRING MUSIC

Check out The Mile Roses : The Herring Song
                                              http://www.themileroses.com/

Kate Bramley, Simon Haworth & Kari Macleod are three singer songwriters with eclectic and diverse roots.
Born out of a musical interest in both British folk and the transatlantic connections to new country and Americana, the trio are fast gaining a reputation across the UK folk scene.
Original songs and close three part harmonies, accompanied by guitars, fretless bass, cittern, mandolin and duelling fiddles, expect haunting ballads, swinging country, celtic roots and driving folk choruses.

While we're restricted to virtual herring tourism, here's a little herring video to watch:

Beware Herring Worms!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😱😲😳

NATURE

Worms in Raw Seafood Have Increased 280x, But It's Not Sushi We Should Worry About

CARLY CASSELLA

20 MARCH 2020

Since the 1970s, a parasitic worm that infects fish, squid, whales, dolphins and sometimes even us has increased globally by 283-fold, according to a new meta analysis.

That's no small amount, and yet because this creature is so tiny and the oceans so vast, it's somehow evaded our notice until now. Not even the researchers themselves can figure out why this parasite is "growing like gangbusters", or what it could possibly mean in the long run.

Known as the "herring worm" or Anisakis simplex, this particular parasitic nematode can hide in raw seafood; if mistakenly eaten by humans, it can cause symptoms similar to a bad case of food poisoning.

Other mammals aren't so lucky. While the fishing industry might be inconvenienced by a rising tide of Anisakis, this parasite poses a much bigger threat to cetaceans, such as whales and dolphins.

Unlike humans, these marine mammals can get stuck with Anisakis for years, and they don't have seafood processors and sushi chefs around to carefully clean out their catch.

Aquatic and fishery scientist Chelsea Wood says consumers don't need to be too worried; she herself continues to eat sushi regularly. Given that the fishing industry hasn't even noticed this increase in the parasitic worm, any risk of us ingesting it probably remains quite low. But the same can't be said for marine mammals.

"It's not often considered that parasites might be the reason that some marine mammal populations are failing to bounce back," says Wood.

"I hope this study encourages people to look at intestinal parasites as a potential cap on the population growth of endangered and threatened marine mammals."

The impact of this rising parasite on marine mammals is currently unknown, but if the numbers are right, cetaceans are facing a much greater risk of contracting Anisakis than half a century ago.

Analysing a total of 123 papers, the researchers reveal an astonishing increase in Anisakis abundance over a 53 year period from 1962 to 2015. On average, they explain, this means we have gone from finding less than one worm in every 100 hosts to more than one worm in every single host caught.

The global scale of this analysis was too great to pin down any one factor driving this growth, but Wood has a strong suspicion she knows what's going on.

"My gut is that this is about the improvements we've made in marine mammal conservation," Wood told ScienceAlert.

"The time frame of our study directly overlaps with when a bunch of really important marine mammal legislation went into effect like the Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1972 and the international whaling commission moratorium on commercial whaling which came in the 1980s."

Strangely enough, however, not all marine mammal parasites are increasing. The authors found another similar parasite, called Pseudoterranova, which infects fish, sea lions and other seals, remained relatively stable throughout the same time period.

Wood says they were expecting it to be the other way around, given how much seals and sea lions have thrived in recent years and how much whales have struggled. So maybe Anisakis is increasing because its life cycle has to pass through fewer hosts. Or perhaps it has something to do with the fitness of cetaceans versus seals.

The problem is, we have no baseline for what 'natural' looks like. The rising number of ocean worms could be a sign of the ecosystem thriving, or they could represent a growing threat to already endangered and vulnerable creatures like Hector's dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori).

The only studies available for analysis come from near history, and by this time, humans had already changed the oceans in drastic ways.

This raises the question: is the abundance of Anisakis increasing in response to human impacts, like fishing, pollution, or climate change, or is it recovering alongside an exploited marine mammal host?

Right now, we just can't say for sure. Wood thinks the most plausible explanation is that some marine mammals are doing well, leading to an increase in the parasite at the expense of more vulnerable creatures who now face an increased risk of infection. We simply need more research.

"This is the story of only two parasite species among millions that are extant, and we encourage others to use historical ecology approaches to track change across a diversity of marine parasite species," the authors write. 

"Only then will we have the data to indicate whether contemporary oceans are facing a 'rising tide' of marine disease."

In the Arctic, where Anisakis flourishes, we often lack long-term data, even for the best known parasites and their diseases. And if we don't know where they're going or where they've been, we can't predict how diseases will change with the times.

In this case, we completely missed out on the rise of Anisakis, and while it might not matter to humans this time, some day it very well could.

"There are way bigger infectious disease threats that people have to worry about, particularly for now," says Wood. The effects of Anisakis are pretty mild, she says, and while it's certainly not fun to barf, we've got bigger fish to fry.

The study was published in Global Change Biology.

Source: https://www.sciencealert.com/parasitic-worms-in-raw-seafood-have-increased-280-fold-but-it-s-not-sushi-we-should-be-worried-about

HERRING IN THE CINEMA-- CARTOON CLASSIC: 

THE HERRING MURDER CASE starring KOKO THE CLOWN (1931)

The Herring in Military History-- Now You Know

Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Herrings

Battle of the Herrings

The Battle of the Herrings, also called the Battle of Rouvray, was a military action near the town of Rouvray in France, just north of Orléans, which took place on 12 February 1429 during the siege of Orléans in the Hundred Years' War. The immediate cause of the battle was an attempt by French and Scottish forces, led by Charles of Bourbon and Sir John Stewart of Darnley, to intercept a supply convoy headed for the English army at Orléans. The English had been laying siege to the city since the previous October. This supply convoy was escorted by an English force under Sir John Fastolf and had been outfitted in Paris, whence it had departed some time earlier. The battle was decisively won by the English.

Battle of the Herrings
Part of the Hundred Years' War (1415–53 phase)
Journée des Harengs (from Les Vigiles de Charles VII by Martial d'Auvergne, written c. 1477–84, held by Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris)
Date 12 February 1429 Location Near Rouvray, France Result English victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of France  Kingdom of Scotland	Kingdom of England
Commanders and leaders
Charles de Bourbon  John S. of Darnley †	John Fastolf  Simon Morhier
Strength
around 4,000	1,600[1]
Casualties and losses
400	4 [2]

According to Régine Pernoud, the supply train consisted of "some 300 carts and wagons, carrying crossbow shafts, cannons and cannonballs but also barrels of herring". The latter were being sent since the meatless Lenten days were approaching. It was the presence of this stock of fish which would give the somewhat unusual name to the battle.

The battle

The field of battle was an almost featureless, flat plain. The French army, numbering between 3,000 and 4,000, confronted the much smaller English force who had set up defensive positions by drawing up the supply wagons into a makeshift fortification.^[3]:61 The entire defensive formation was then further protected by the placement of sharpened spikes all around to prevent the French cavalry from charging, a tactic which had been employed, with great success, at the Battle of Agincourt. The French attack began with a bombardment using gunpowder artillery, a relatively new weapon for the time and one whose proper usage was not well understood although it was damaging to the wagons and caused English casualties.^[3]:61–62

The 400-strong Scottish infantry, contrary to the orders of the Count of Clermont (Pernoud states that "Clermont sent message after message forbidding any attack") went on the attack against the English formation. This, according to deVries, forced the premature cessation of the artillery bombardment out of fear of striking their own forces. The Scots were not well protected by armour and great damage was visited upon them by the English archers and crossbowmen who were shooting from behind the protection of their wagon fort.^[3]:62

French cavalry went in support of the Scottish infantry but were stopped by the archers and stakes. At this point, the English, seeing that the remaining French infantry forces were slow to join the Scots in the attack (Pernoud quotes the Journal du siege d'Orléans to the effect that the remaining French forces "came on in a cowardly fashion, and did not join up with the constable and the other foot soldiers"), decided themselves to go on a counterattack. They struck the rear and flanks of the disorganized French/Scottish forces and put them to flight.^[3]:62

The convoy reformed and continued on to supply the besieging English soldiers. The morale effect of the battle affected both sides.

There are two places called Rouvray in the region in question. In his biography of Sir John Fastolf, Stephen Cooper gives reasons why the battle probably took place near Rouvray-Sainte-Croix, rather than Rouvray-Saint-Denis. Pernoud states that the combined French/Scottish forces lost about 400 men, including Stewart, the leader of the Scots. Among the wounded was Jean de Dunois, known also as the Bastard of Orléans, who barely escaped with his life and who would later play a crucial role, along with Joan of Arc, in the lifting of the siege of Orléans and the French Loire campaign which followed.

Aftermath and significance

While it is generally felt today that the Battle of the Herrings was lost by the French because of the failure to continue the artillery bombardment to its full effect, such was not the view at the time, at least in the besieged city of Orléans. Within the city walls, as can be seen from the passage in the Journal du siege, the Count of Clermont was generally blamed for the disaster, being considered a coward and held in disdain. Soon thereafter, Clermont, together with the wounded Count Dunois, left Orléans together with about 2000 soldiers.^[3]:62 Morale within the city and among its leaders was at a low point, so much so that consideration was given to surrendering the city.

The Battle of the Herrings was the most significant military action during the siege of Orléans from its inception in October 1428 until the appearance on the scene, in May of the following year, of Joan of Arc. Even so, it was, to all appearances, a rather minor engagement and, were it not for the context in which it occurred, would most likely have been relegated to the merest of footnotes in military history or even forgotten altogether.

But not only was it part of one of the most famous siege actions in history, the story also gained currency that it played a pivotal role in convincing Robert de Baudricourt in Vaucouleurs, to accede to Joan's demand for support and safe conduct to Chinon. For it was on the very day (12 February 1429) of the battle that Joan met with de Baudricourt for the final time. According to the story, recounted in several places (for example, in Sackville-West), Joan gave out the information that "the Dauphin's arms had that day suffered a great reverse near Orléans". When, several days later, news of the military setback near Rouvray did in fact reach Vaucouleurs, de Baudricourt, according to the story, relented and agreed to sponsor her journey to the Dauphin in Chinon. Joan finally left Vaucouleurs for Chinon on 23 February 1429.

In popular culture

Polish fantasy writer, Andrzej Sapkowski described the battle in his novel, Lux perpetua. The novel is part of the Hussite Trilogy, which takes place in 15th century Silesia, during the Hussite Wars. The short description of the battle is not connected with the main plot. Sir John Fastolf is shown as a comical figure who wins the battle thanks to rumours he may have heard about the Bohemian heretics and their commander, Jan Žižka (whose name he pronounces as "Sheeshka"). Fastolf, feeling hopeless in the face of the enemy, forms his wagons into a wagenburg and surprisingly wins.

The Battle of the Herrings also appears as a vignette in Robert Nye's novel, Falstaff, told through the eyes of the English commander himself.