Fish Cart · Raw Herring

Haring (Hollandse Nieuwe)

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There's no fork or plate involved — the classic way to eat it is to hold it by the tail and lower it into your mouth from above.

Hollandse Nieuwe is raw, lightly brined young herring, sold whole or chopped from fish carts and stalls, usually with a scatter of raw onion. The traditional way to eat it whole is to hold it by the tail and lower it into your mouth, no fork required.

Why it's made this way: The brining process — removing the gills but leaving the enzyme-rich pancreas intact — is what gives the herring its soft texture and mild cure, a preservation method built around catching and selling the fish while it's at its freshest.