Pickled herring is a preserved fish popular in Scandinavian, Jewish, and Eastern European cuisine. Herring fish are common all over the world and are divided into two main species. Pickled herring is rich in vitamins and protein, but can also be high in sodium. It can be eaten on its own or mixed into other dishes, such as the Swedish casserole sillgratin or the German and Polish appetizer rollmops.
Pickled herring is a type of preserved fish popular in Scandinavian, Jewish and Eastern European cuisine. People prepare this dish by soaking fish for at least a day in vinegar along with sugar, onions, and other flavors. The fish can be eaten on its own or mixed into other dishes.
Herring fish are common all over the world. They live in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and are divided into two main species, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring, which are then divided into over 200 subspecies. All herring species have the same general appearance. They are silver fish with a fin on the back. Herrings are usually small in size, although some subspecies can grow up to one meter (3.28 ft) long.
The fish travel in large schools and are caught each spring as they arrive along the coasts of America and Europe. In some cases, the school size can be so large that the fish exhaust themselves from breathing in the water and die. Because herring travels in large schools and eats relatively low on the food chain, they are considered an environmentally sound fish to eat.
After the fish are caught, they can be eaten fresh or pickled. Herrings were traditionally pickled to preserve them during the long, cold winters common in Scandinavia and other parts of Europe. The nutritional value of pickled herring provides enough vitamins needed to keep a person healthy when fresh foods are not available.
Pickled herring is rich in several vitamins, including vitamin A, B12 and B3. It’s also a good source of protein and omega 3 fatty acids. The pickling liquid can often add a high amount of sodium, so people who need to keep an eye on their sodium intake may want to be wary of this dish.
People eat pickled herring on its own, spread it on toast, or combine it with other ingredients in a casserole or salad. A common pickled herring dish in Sweden is called sillgratin, a casserole made of herring and potatoes. In Germany and Poland, rollmops are a popular way to eat fish. To make a rollmop, a person wraps a pickled herring fillet around onions, carrots, and pickles and secures it with a wooden skewer or toothpick. Rollmops are eaten as an appetizer, alone or with slices of bread.
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