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

[elleng]

Last edited Mon Feb 20, 2023, 10:31 PM - Edit history (1)

'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.”'>>>

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

((Happily, my mother always assured it was in the fridge when I was home.))

NOW gotta return to grocery store!!!

edit:

[NBachers]

1. I've been about 12% intrigued to try it & see what it's about; you've jacked it up to around 21% now

[elleng]

2. Good! It's good stuff!

(especially if you like fish and pickled stuff. And remember the option: cream sauce!

[multigraincracker]

3. In my preteens I feel in love

with creamed herring. Years later I switched to pickled for health reasons. Also very fond of sardines now.
Try to eat lots of pickled foods now.

Last week I went to lesson on Jewish foods with lots of samples. First time I’ve had matzo ball soup. I loved all of it. It was at the UU Fellowship.

[elleng]

5. GOOD!

My good UU friend just suggested changing their name: JewNitarians!!! (His family's origin is India/Pakistan/Muslim!)

[multigraincracker]

6. One of the things they say, that really like.

We can’t answer your questions, but we can question your answers.

[elleng]

7. GOOD one!

[rsdsharp]

4. When I was in high school, I worked in the meat department of a small grocery store.

My brother was the meat manager. Every September we would start stocking oysters and pickled herring. The herring came in wooden casks. The day the first one came in every year, my brother and I would gorge ourselves. The other guy who worked in the department would gag, but we were in heaven.

The oysters were a different matter.

[BigmanPigman]

8. My grandfather made this a part of my family's New Year's Eve

festivities. I don't know where this tradition came from. We aren't Jewish but we have German roots. Is this a German "tradition" too?

The Italian side of my family had fish on Xmas Eve and there was a dish with breadcrumbs, too many in my opinion...so dry thatI I have remembered it was for the 50 years since I last ate it. I don't know if the chosen fish was cod but my uncle would always shout out "baccala" in a thick, fake Italian accent. It became a family joke, like "spumoni".

[DBoon]

9. I was introduced to pickled herring while on a trip to Germany

Nothing like pickled herring on a slice of volkornbrot

[Mosby]

10. Not a fan.

Smoked whitefish on the other hand....

[elleng]

11. Smoked whitefish is WONDERFUL!!!

[PostTruth]

12. Thanks

Iit's delicious. Just lower the salt, the sodium.