It's Cured, Not Raw
Dutch herring is often called "raw" but it isn't. By Dutch food law every herring sold for human consumption must be frozen at −45°C for at least 24 hours before sale - this kills the Anisakis parasite. The fish is then thawed and lightly salt-cured in barrels for a few days. Result: it's mild, faintly sweet, soft enough to fall apart in your fingers, and has none of the brininess of pickled herring you might know from Scandinavian cuisine.
So the more accurate description is "salt-cured young Atlantic herring." The Dutch name maatjesharing means "virgin herring" - caught before it has spawned, when its fat content peaks at 16-26%. That fat is the entire point.
The Season Matters
Hollandse Nieuwe (mid-June to mid-July)
"New Dutch" is the first catch of the year, traditionally landed by mid-June off the Danish and Norwegian coasts. The first barrel is auctioned at Vlaggetjesdag (Flag Day) in Scheveningen and the price often passes €100,000 for charity. After that, the season opens nationwide and harbor stalls fly orange flags. This is when herring is at its richest and softest.
The rest of the year
Frozen Hollandse Nieuwe stocks from June are released through the autumn and winter, then older catches are used. Quality drops gradually but stays good through about February. From March until the new season the fish is leaner and saltier. If you visit outside June-September, ask the stall when their batch was caught.
How to Eat It - The Three Methods
The Hague way (whole, by the tail)
The fish is filleted but the tail is left on as a handle. Lift it by the tail, tilt your head back, and lower the fish into your mouth from above. Bite upward in two or three goes. Don't eat the tail.
The Amsterdam/Volendam way (chopped)
The fillet is sliced into bite-sized pieces and served on a small paper tray with a flag toothpick. Topped with chopped raw onion and pickle. Eat with the toothpick or fingers. This is the version most visitors order and it is in no way inferior - just less photogenic.
Broodje haring (in a bun)
The whole fillet inside a soft white roll with onions and pickle. Best option if you want to walk and eat without staining your shirt. Costs €1-2 more than the plain fish.
Step by Step at the Stall
- Pick a busy stall. On the Volendam Dijk look for the green-and-white haringkraam stalls with ice visible and a queue of Dutch-speaking customers. Turnover is everything with cured fish.
- Order in plain English. "One herring with onions and pickle, please" works at every stall. If you want it whole say "graag in zijn geheel" (please as a whole fish); if chopped, say nothing - that's the default in Volendam.
- Pay first. €3-5 per fish in 2026, depending on stall and season. Most stalls take card.
- Stand to the side. Don't block the counter. There are usually small standing tables nearby.
- Eat it within a minute. It warms up fast and the texture is best cold.
What It Should Taste Like
Good Hollandse Nieuwe is silky and almost buttery, with a clean fish flavor and a faint sweetness from the curing. The salt should be present but not aggressive. There should be no fishy smell - if the stall smells of fish, the turnover is too low.
If your herring tastes strongly of salt, is rubbery, or has a metallic edge, it's either old stock or has been improperly thawed. You haven't done anything wrong; pick a different stall next time.
Common Mistakes
- Refusing the onions. The raw onion isn't garnish - the sharpness is what cuts the fat. Try one bite with onion before deciding.
- Drinking red wine with it. The pairing is jenever (Dutch gin), a cold pilsner, or just water. Red wine with oily fish is a fight.
- Buying it pre-packed. Vacuum-sealed herring at souvenir shops is fine for the freezer back home but is not the experience.
- Confusing it with kibbeling. Kibbeling is hot deep-fried white fish - completely different dish. Both are sold at the same stalls.
Where to Buy in Volendam
The Haven (harbor) has four to six herring stalls in summer, fewer in winter. Names rotate but the layout doesn't change much. Two long-running fish shops also sell takeaway:
- Smit-Bokkum (Slobbeland 17) - operating since 1856, also sells smoked eel
- Visserij Volendam outlets along the Dijk - reliable, wide selection
For a sit-down version with a beer, Hemingway's and Restaurant Spaander both offer herring tasting boards (3-4 fish with extras for around €15).