Pruc Vlaardingse runs one of the last pure haringhandels in Amsterdam. In the past, there were many dozens, according to the six-or-so remaining owners of these traditional canal-side stands in the popular Dutch city. Serving herring on a paper plate or a bun, with optional chopped onions and pickles, they are dwindling in number, restricted by inheritance rules, supplanted by modern sugar-based snacks, and hot dog and hamburger stands.
All except Pruc's have diversified to serve chunks of fried cod (kibbeling), fried mussels, pickled herring, eel, and other delights from the sea.
A visit to a haringhandel is an essential part of the Netherlands experience, for a traditional Dutch snack on the street.
A Little Herring History
These stands serve traditional Dutch raw herring, Hollandse Nieuwe, one of many herring preparations found around the world. These are made from young, immature, nine-inch long, fatty Atlantic Herring, often caught on Norwegian ships, that has been soused, that is, cured in brine. This maatjesharing, or just maatjes in Dutch, is cured for a few days in oak barrels. The pancreas from the innards of the fish is left in, the rest cleaned out, because the pancreatic enzymes support the curing and make this herring especially mild and soft. A fragile fish, they are easily skinned, cleaned, boned and the heads taken off, leaving a tail holding together the two filets.
This process is called gibbing, and was invented by a fellow named Willem Beukelszoon, a 14th-century Zeeland Fisherman in the early 1380s. He created an entire industry based around the very popular export of barrels of preserved, salt-cured herring that the Dutch monopolized: previous versions of preserved fish at the time were comparatively high in salt (like lox,) or smoked. They built ships to move the herring, the ships brought wealth, wealth and ships brought colonization and the Dutch Empire. He became famous enough that Queen Mary of Hungary sat on his tomb and ate a herring.
The Dutch still celebrate 'New Herring' on Flag Day, Vlaggetjesdag, each spring. Herrings are caught mostly in June and now mostly by the Danish and Norwegians in the North Sea before the breeding season starts, when their oil content peaks above 15%, and before their roe and milt develop; the roe from later in the season is sold and eaten with relish as well, but not in this form. There are five families along the coast in fishing villages that are the source of most of this treat for vishandels and haringhandels across the Netherlands.
How Herring is Served
Hollandse Nieuwe is presented two ways: the first comes on what is to Americans soft a hot-dog bun, which the Dutch simply call boodje, bread, often sprinkled with diced raw onions, and when in Amsterdam, sweet pickles.
The second comes on a small herring-shaped paper plate, nowadays usually cut into pieces: in the past, one grasped the tail, that joined the two filets of cleaned haring, dredged it in the chopped onions, and lowered it into your upturned mouth; this is still done at festivals in June, when the haring reaches optimal content.
Almost all of the five or six the Haringhandels in Amsterdam that remain have added traditional mainstays such as kibbeling (nuggets of fried cod or salmon), roast eel, fried mussels, fried shrimp, and a variety of fish in the form of salads like tuna and whole or salad of smoked mackerel, tiny little shrimp, salmon in other various forms, and more recently some carry modern options like salmon sashimi and wraps.
A bit about Pruc Vlaardingse
Pruc runs Vlaardingse Haringhandel from a stall on the Western end of the Albert Cuypmarket in De Pijp "The Pipe,") a bit south of central Amsterdam's ring of canals, past the Heineken factory. He grew up in this neighborhood, in the NW corner of De Pijp, and has seldom left it, and never been out of the Netherlands.
A middle child of fourteen, he is the third generation in his family to run the stand, which they opened in 1916. Right behind him is one of the many Vishandels, brick-and-mortar stores selling fish, kibbling and other items - Pruc only sells haring in a bun or on a plate, with pickles or onions of you want them. A herring on a bun goes for €3.50, and doesn't leave you full: it is just enough to take the edge off before your pre-lunch or pre-dinner stroll.
Every day except Sunday, Pruc gets up at 6 AM, goes five blocks to his storage spot, and drives his 4 meter by 3 meter wooden stand and a barrel of herring, jars of pickles, onions and bags of paper plates and buns to the market, where he chops the onions, cuts the pickles into quarters lengthwise, and cleans the morning's herring, while he listens to American pop music... which is a thing here.
He is probably the last of his family to run the stand; as he is in a market, and not one of the shacks over a canal or on the street, he doesn't have the same inheritance restrictions that the other's face, but he finds it hard to make a living, although his herring is considered the best by many. Haringhandel owners have various stories about ownership, inheritance and licensing, noting that the local city hall only allows them to pass on their stands to family members; or that they are the last generation that will own the stand as a haringhandel, or they change the subject.
Where can I get one?
Most towns and cities in the Netherlands have haringhandels, and haring en broodje can be purchased at most vishandels. The only place in the US that I know of where you can get haring en broodje is that queen of smoked fish and herring, Russ & Daughters in New York City, and they have it available seasonally, starting in late June. It is one of the mildest herring preparations they serve.
1. Stubbe's Haring: Google Map: Stubbe's
2. Jonk Volendammer Haringhandel Google Maps - Jonk
Haringhandel Jonk was established in 1987. In 2002, when the new metro line was built, the stall moved to their current location at the Spui, and has gone through some upgrades - it is the most modern looking of the Central Amsterdam Haringhandels. Their website says: "The owner Jan Jonk and his son Jack thought it was time for a more modern herring stall. "We are very happy about the new stall. It meets the latest conditions. We are ready for the future." You can see the next generation proudly serving their New Herring in buns and on plates, as well as some other fried seafood and salads.
3. Haringhandel Frens: Google Map: Haringhandel Frens
4. Haring & Zo Google Map: Haring & Zo
There are other haringhandels to be found to the south and north of Centraal, along major streets, if you walk south along Ferdinand Bollstraat, or in Amsterdam Noord at the end of Meeruwenlaan where it turns into Waddenweg. The ones to the south are shy of publicity and the internet...
