Where to Eat Dutch Haring (Herring) in Amsterdam? Frens Haringhandel, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Every country has its favorite dishes. This is also the case with our Dutch brothers and sisters. Turkish experts will say, “Come on, do the Dutch even have a cuisine?” but we did some research and found out what they have! (Sorry, you didn’t know, experts.) For example, “Dutch Haring – Pickled Herring,” which is both a simple and affordable street food and the national dish of the Dutch, is one of the most prominent among them.
Frens Haringhandel is one of the most delicious places in Amsterdam. In this hut, which looks like an improved version of a prefabricated hut right in the center, you stand in line, look at the naked fish from the aisle, and tell the lady/gentleman in front of you what you want to eat. She prepares your order within two or three minutes and hands it to you with a smile. Now that you have ordered, don’t get excited; there is no place to sit. You can stand or sit and eat if you find a spot on the benches a little further away.
Now, here’s the thing: if you have traveled a lot and are tired, let’s direct you to a pickled herring sandwich; it has a soft and pleasant bread. It is more filling. Or, if you are not very hungry, eat herring served on a paper plate! Or make a combination… The choice is yours.
Sir, let’s clear the doubts right away. No, fish doesn’t smell like fish. Your mouth and nose don’t get greasy like a cat after eating fish. Somehow, our Dutch brothers smelled the fish… Technology! What do they say? You take your knowledge wherever you are and come back. While we’re on the subject, let me tell you that this fish is not like our canned sardines or mackerel. It’s a genuine Dutch herring deboned and pickled in low-salt water… It’s different. That’s why you should eat it. We stayed for three days! Every day, we had one of these fish for every meal.
“And what do they give you as a side dish? Are we going to eat fish like this?” we hear you say. No, sir, of course not! Would a Turk deserve that? You will eat your pickled herring with sweet turmeric, pickled cucumber, and diced onions. Thus, the superior taste buds in your mouth, which are only Turkish, will be elevated with pickles and onions, and you will feel your herring in your mouth down to its DNA.
Another recommendation for you in Frens Haringhandel is to have Kibbeling, a classic of Dutch cuisine. Kibbeling is the name the Dutch give to diced and fried fish. Again, it is a crucial snack here, a critical Amsterdam street flavor, and a delicacy that stunned the experts. In Frens, Kibbeling has a version of fried cod fish, which is delicious with its sauce. If you want to make a combination, add this to your combinations.
As we end our article, I want to mention something significant about “Dutch Haring.” Just as every man has his way of eating yogurt, the Dutch also have their way of eating herring. They have made this a tradition. Since we hadn’t eaten pickled herring like this on the last day, we felt incomplete, almost as if we had never eaten fish. If you want to eat herring like a real Dutchman, you can put your herring in your mouth like in the photo. It probably has to slide down your esophagus in one go; otherwise, it can kill you through your windpipe…
That’s what we call a food experience. Now we’re talking, Amsterdam! Hello… Nice to meet you.
Frens Haringhandel
Address: Koningsplein, 1017 BR Amsterdam, Netherlands
Phone: +31203627923