Herring areforage fish in the wild, mostly belonging to the familyClupeidae. They are an importantfood for humans.Herring often move in largeschools aroundfishing banks and near the coast. The most abundant and commercially important species belong to the genusClupea, found particularly in shallow, temperate waters of theNorth Pacific andNorth Atlantic Oceans, including theBaltic Sea, as well as off the west coast of South America. Three species ofClupea are recognized; the main taxon, theAtlantic herring, accounts for over half the world's commercial capture of herrings.

Herrings played a pivotal role in the history of marinefisheries in Europe,^[1] and early in the twentieth century, their study was fundamental to the evolution offisheries science.^[2][3] Theseoily fish^[4] also have a long history as an importantfood fish, and are oftensalted,smoked, orpickled.

Atlantic herring, raw

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	661 kJ (158 kcal)
Carbohydrates	0.0 g
Sugars	0.00
Dietary fiber	0.0 g
Fat	9.04 g
Protein	17.96 g
Vitamins and minerals Vitamins Quantity %DV† Thiamine (B1) 8% 0.092 mg Riboflavin (B2) 18% 0.233 mg Niacin (B3) 20% 3.217 mg Pantothenic acid (B5) 13% 0.645 mg Vitamin B6 18% 0.302 mg Folate (B9) 3% 10 μg Vitamin B12 570% 13.67 μg Vitamin C 1% 0.7 mg Vitamin D 21% 167 IU Vitamin E 7% 1.07 mg Minerals Quantity %DV† Calcium 4% 57 mg Iron 6% 1.10 mg Magnesium 8% 32 mg Manganese 2% 0.035 mg Phosphorus 19% 236 mg Potassium 11% 327 mg Sodium 4% 90 mg Zinc 9% 0.99 mg
Other constituents	Quantity
Water	72 g
Link to USDA Database entry
†Percentages estimated usingUS recommendations for adults,[5] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from theNational Academies.[6]

Raw Atlantic herring is 72% water, 18%protein, 9%fat, and contains nocarbohydrates. In a 100 gram reference amount, raw herring provides 158calories, and is a highly rich source (20% or more of theDaily Value, DV) ofvitamin B₁₂ (570% DV). It also has rich content ofniacin,vitamin B₆,vitamin D, andphosphorus (21-34% DV). Raw herring contains moderate amounts of otherB vitamins andzinc, and is an excellent food source ofomega-3 fatty acids.^[7]

Pacific and Atlantic herring are susceptible to contamination from environmentalpollution, such as byPCBs,PBDEs,mercury, andlisteria.^[8][9][10] There is a (rare) risk of harmful bacteria from eating raw herring eggs.^[11]

Herring has been astaple food source since at least 3000 B.C. There are numerous ways the fish is served and many regional recipes: eaten raw, fermented,pickled, or cured by other techniques.^{[citation needed]}

A typical Dutch delicacy isHollandse Nieuwe (Dutch New), which is raw herring from the catches around the end of spring and the beginning of summer. This is typically eaten with raw onion. Hollandse nieuwe is only available in spring when the first seasonal catch of herring is brought in. This is celebrated in festivals such as theVlaardingen Herring Festival and Vlaggetjesdag inScheveningen. The new herring are frozen and enzyme-preserved for the remainder of the year. The herring is said to be eaten "raw" because it has not been cooked, although it has been subjected to a degree of curing. The first barrel of Hollandse Nieuwe is traditionally sold at auction for charity. Very young herring are calledwhitebait and are eaten whole as a delicacy.^{[citation needed]}

InNorway, salting herring is a significant business. Herring was traditionally salted in woodenbarrels and constituted a significant food resource. Salted herring is the basis for a number of herring dishes, asspekesild.^{[citation needed]}

In Sweden, Baltic herring ("Strömming") is fermented to makesurströmming.^{[citation needed]}

Pickled herrings are part of German (Bismarckhering), Nordic, British, Canadian, Dutch, Polish, Baltic and Jewish^[12] cuisine. Most herring cures use a two-step process. Initially, the herrings are cured with salt to extract water. The second stage involves removing the salt and adding flavorings, typically a vinegar, salt, and sugar solution to which ingredients like peppercorn, bay leaves and raw onions are added. Other flavors can be added, such as sherry, mustard and dill. The tradition is strong in Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Poland, Iceland and Germany.^{[citation needed]}

In the Philippines, dried herring is popularly eaten during breakfast, along with garlic rice and eggs.^{[citation needed]}

Akipper is a split, gutted and cold-smoked herring, abloater is a whole non-gutted cold smoked herring, and abuckling is a whole herring, gutted apart fromroe ormilt and then hot-smoked. All are staples ofBritish cuisine. According toGeorge Orwell inThe Road to Wigan Pier, EmperorCharles V erected a statue to the inventor of bloaters.^[13]

Smoked herring is a traditional meal onBornholm. This is also the case in Sweden, where one can get hard-fried/smokedströmming, known assotare, in places likeSkansen, Stockholm.^{[citation needed]}

In Scotland, herrings are traditionally filleted, coated in seasonedpin-head oatmeal, and fried in a pan with butter or oil. This dish is usually served with "crushed", buttered, and boiled potatoes.^{[citation needed]}

In Sweden,herring soup is a traditional dish.^{[citation needed]}

InSoutheastAlaska,western hemlock boughs are cut and placed in the ocean before the herring arrive to spawn. Thefertilized herring eggs stick to the boughs, and are easily collected. After being boiled briefly the eggs are removed from the bough. Herring eggs collected in this way are eaten plain or in herring eggsalad. This method of collection is part ofTlingit tradition.^[14]

Name	Image	Origin	Description
Avruga caviar		Spain	Avruga is marketed by the Spanish company Pescaviar as acaviar substitute. It is made from herring (40%), salt,corn starch, lemon juice,citric acid,xanthan gum,sodium benzoate,squid ink and water. Unlike caviar, it does not containfish roe.[15]
Bloater		England	Popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries, bloaters are now rare. They can be contrasted withkippers. Kippers are salted and cold-smoked overnight while bloaters are salted less and not smoked for so long. Kippers are split and gutted before smoking while bloaters are smoked whole without gutting. Kippers are associated with Scotland while bloaters are associated with England. Bloaters have their own characteristic slightly gamey flavor and are called "bloaters" because they swell or bloat during preparation.[16][17][18][19][20]
Brathering		Germany	A dish of friedmarinatedherring. A common recipe starts with fresh herrings with the head and gut removed that arebreaded or turned inflour, fried and then pickled in amarinade of vinegar. The pickled herrings are then boiled briefly in water containingonion,salt, spices likepepper,bay leaves,mustard seeds, and a littlesugar. The herring are served cold with bread and fried or jacket potatoes.[21]
Buckling		European	A hot-smokedherring similar to akipper orbloater. The guts are removed but theroe ormilt remain. Buckling is hot-smoked whole, as opposed to kippers which are split and gutted, and thencold smoked. Bucklings can be eaten hot or cold.[22][23]
Dressed herring		Russia	A layered salad of diced salted herring covered with alternating layers of grated boiled vegetables (potato, carrot and beet root) and chopped onions. Optionally includes a layer of fresh grated apple. The final layer is beet root covered with mayonnaise, which gives the salad a rich purple color. Often decorated with grated boiled eggs. Popular in Russia and other countries of theformer USSR, where it is traditional at New Year and Christmas celebrations. Also known asherring under a fur coat or justfur coat.[24][25][26][27]
Eling		Suriname	Eling is smoked and salted herring (sometimes dried and salted), and is used in a variety of dishes in Suriname.[28]
Fischbrötchen (lit. fish sandwich)		Germany	A sandwich or roll made with fish and onions, sometimes also made withremoulade and pickles. Most commonly made withbismarck herring orsoused herring, and eaten in Northern Germany, due to the region's proximity to the North Sea and Baltic Sea.
Gibbing		Netherlands
Gwamegi		Korea
Herring noodle		Japan	CalledNishin-soba (にしん蕎麦)
Herringroe		Japan	CalledKazunoko (数の子). Usually, it is served as a part ofOsechi inthe Japanese new year.
Herring soup		Sweden
Herring spawn		Japan	CalledKomochi-Kombu (子持昆布). Usually, it is served as a part ofsushi orchinmi.
Herring spawn		Japan	Calledmatsumae-duke(松前漬け)
Herring with mushrooms		Lithuania	Traditional Christmas Eve dish. Lithuanians have more than 100 different variations on how to prepare herring.
Kibinago		Japan
Kipper		United Kingdom	A whole herring that has been split from tail to head, gutted, salted or pickled, andcold-smoked.
Pickled herring		Northern Europe
Rollmops		Germany Netherlands	Rollmops are pickled herring fillets, rolled into a cylindrical shape, often around a savoury filling. The filling usually consists of onion and sliced pickled gherkin. Rollmops are often skewered with a cocktail skewer. They are usually bought ready-to-eat, in jars or tubs. The brine additionally consists of water, white vinegar, and salt; it may also contain sugar or other sweetening agents, onion rings, peppercorns and mustard seeds.
Schmaltz herring		Ashkenazi Jews (Eastern Europe)
Śledzie		Poland	Pickled herring with chopped onions, eggs peeled and chopped (hard-cooked), apple - lemon juice, sour cream, garlic, salt and pepper, added to herring and mixed well, Sprinkled with dill or parsley. Served with rye bread. It is also traditionally one of the twelve dishes served at Christmas Eve (Wigilia).
Solomon Gundy		Jamaica
Soused herring		Netherlands	'Soused herring' is lightly brined raw herring, also known as "Hollandse nieuwe" in the Netherlands. It is often eaten with small cubes of raw onion.
Spekesild		Norway	A traditional Norwegian dish with salted and filleted herring, often along with boiled potatoes, raw onions, pickledbeets, butter andflatbrød. Spekesild is also the basis for several variants that are placed on top of bread slices in boneless slices, such aspickled herring (sursild), spicy herring (kryddersild), mustard herring (sennepsild) and tomato herring (tomatsild).
Surströmming		Sweden
Vorschmack		Ashkenazi Jews (Eastern Europe)	Chopped herring salad

• 
  Bloaters on yellow paper,van Gogh, 1889
• 
  Smoked herring
• 
  Traditional Finnish herring stew

• List of smoked foods
• Skåne Market
• Sardines as food
• Anchovies as food

WikibooksCookbook has a recipe/module on

• Herring as food

• Nutrition Facts for Herring
• In praise of the humble herringThe Independent, 1 September 2005.
• En route: Scandinavia; Herring, the Fish That RoaredNew York Times, 30 October 2002.

• Fish as food
• Herring dishes
• Seafood
• Commercial fish
• Oily fish
• Smoked fish
• Types of food

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