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.

Glad to know this hip writer thinks its good to be eating herring 😆

JEWISH BASICS

The Brief Jewish History of Herring (And Why You Should Be Eating It)

The most underrated Jewish fish.

BY FRANCES KATZ | FEBRUARY 19, 2020

Source: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/the-nosher/the-brief-jewish-history-of-herring-and-why-you-should-be-eating-it/

Pity the poor pickled herring. The small preserved fish sold in jars in the refrigerated section of most delis gets no respect. I am an unabashed fan. I love its sweet and salty taste, alone or in a herring salad. I know I’m not the only one. 

But I also know herring is a secret delight that some fans won’t even talk about in public. In many households, herring lovers are forced to sneak bites straight out of the jar by the light of the refrigerator when no one else is home. “My husband says it makes him gag,” confessed a herring lover who asked to remain anonymous. 

Pickled herring never really got the passionate declarations of love Ashkenazi Jews reserve for bagels, lox, deli sandwiches, or even chopped liver. Its pale gray color and watery (but delicious!) brine also does it no favors when it comes to attracting first-time diners. But once you get hooked, there’s no going back. 

Herring’s bad reputation among North American Jews is nothing new. In 1928, the Canadian Jewish Review bemoaned the younger generation’s disinterest in traditional observance and knew just where to place the blame. Noting that a Jewish girl’s club featured ice cream and ham sandwiches (thus breaking the laws of kashrut), editor F. F. Cooper wrote: “As to the ham sandwiches, well they are the logical downfall of a generation that knows not herring.” Cooper encouraged families to feed their children traditional Jewish dishes that “keep the stomach Jewish when the mind has wandered away.” 

The history of herring and Jews goes back hundreds of years. Herring first came to Jewish markets as early as the 15th century, when the Dutch salted fresh fish to preserve it for export to cities across Europe. Food historians say the Renaissance diet of Austrian Jews was made up of milk, butter, black bread, eggs, cheese, soup, vegetables, sauerkraut, rice, and herring.

The first Jewish fishmongers received the fish in barrels. They eventually became prominent herring traders, importing and transporting the fish to Germany, Poland, and Russia, then selling it in shops and from pushcarts. In the early 1900s, my uncle was one of those peddlers selling herring and other fish to Jewish families in Central Massachusetts. 

Hawking pickled fish from a pushcart was also how one of the most famous herring purveyors came to be: Russ and Daughters have been selling herring, lox, and other Jewish dairy delights on New York’s Lower East Side for over 100 years. In 2013, owner Mark Russ Federman told the Haaretz that the original herring customer was first-generation Yiddish speaking immigrants. Now, a century later, it’s a younger, more diverse clientele that includes hip foodies from all over the world. 

While, herring in wine or cream sauce are the traditional favorites, these days, new purveyors like The Rebbe’s Choice offer more contemporary flavors like jalapeño and honey-mustard Sriracha. 

Purists maintain that the best way to eat herring is straight out of the jar with a thick slice of rye bread and butter. But this is far from the only traditional way to enjoy the fish. Chopped herring salad, once a mainstay of Shabbat dinners and Jewish celebrations, is difficult, if not impossible to find, but not hard at all to make at home. Herring is combined with chopped eggs, Granny Smith apples, challah, and a little sugar. This recipe is closest to what most consider a traditional herring salad. (Note: it’s perfectly fine to substitute a jar of herring for the herring filets.)

Jews from the former Soviet Union have their own herring dish delightfully called Herring Under a Fur Coat, nicknamed shuba, which means fur coat in Russian. It’s a festive dish, served at celebrations such as New Year’s Eve and Jewish holidays, made up of layers of herring, shredded potatoes, beets, carrots, and eggs in between layers of mayonnaise. 

Herring today isn’t stuck in the past, or on kiddush tables alone. Chefs and cookbook authors are creating new ways to enjoy herring that resonate with modern tastes. If the idea of creamed herring in a jar makes you nervous, why not whip up your own version with sour cream, Dijon mustard, and horseradish. New York Times food writer Melissa Clark updated herring for modern palates with her recipe for Pickled Herring and Apple Crostini with Dilled Ricotta — a deconstructed version of herring salad that’s perfect for entertaining friends. Clark and cookbook author Alison Roman both suggest serving herring as an hors d’oeuvre atop crunchy potato chips for a fresh variation on salt and vinegar flavored chips.

Here's A Little Herring Torah

תלמוד בבלי ברכות מ

אָמַר רַב חִיָּיא בַּר אָשֵׁי אָמַר רַב: הָרָגִיל בְּדָגִים קְטַנִּים — אֵינוֹ בָּא לִידֵי חוֹלִי מֵעַיִם. וְלָא עוֹד, אֶלָּא שֶׁדָּגִים קְטַנִּים מַפְרִין וּמַרְבִּין וּמַבְרִין כׇּל גּוּפוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם.

 Berachot PerekVI Daf 40 Amud a  

Another health recommendation: Rabbi Hiyya bar Ashi said that Rav said

One who is accustomed to eat small fish will not come to suffer from intestinal illness

Moreover, eating small fish causes one’s entire body to flourish, to grow and

to be healthy 

Thanks to Rabbi Yosef Ginsberg