Herring with Onions

Hollandse NieuwenlMaatjesharingnl

Also: Nieuwe Haring, Maatjes, Dutch New Herring, Hollandse Maatjes

A whole young Atlantic herring, lightly salt-cured at sea using its own pancreatic enzymes (maatjes cure), served raw and cold with finely diced raw white onion and pickled gherkins.

Identity criteria

1The herring must be caught before the gonads develop — specifically young fish (jongvolwassen) with a fat content of at least 16%, harvested from the North Sea before August 1st
2Cured using the maatjes method: lightly salted with the pyloric caecum (pancreas-adjacent enzyme sac) left in, enabling an enzymatic self-cure that produces the signature mild, creamy texture
3The fish is gutted and giblets removed except the enzyme sac; it is NOT cooked, smoked, or heavily brined — it remains essentially raw
4Served cold, typically held by the tail and eaten in one or two bites, or chopped and served on a white bun (broodje haring)
5Raw finely diced white onion is non-negotiable — it provides the sharp aromatic counterpoint to the fatty, mild fish
6Pickled gherkins provide the acid balance; the dish is the triad of fish, onion, and pickle eaten together

Components

Base

Young Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus), maatjes-cured whole filletessentialMust be season-caught, high-fat (≥16%), enzyme-self-cured — no substitution preserves identity

White soft bread roll (for broodje haring variant)optionalOptional vessel; traditional street presentation omits bread

Aromatics

Raw white onion, finely dicedessentialCooked or caramelized onion breaks the dish entirely

Fat

Herring's own intramuscular fatessentialThe 16%+ fat content is what defines 'nieuwe' and gives the dish its creamy, mild character

Acid

Pickled gherkins (augurken)essentialProvides the acid balance against the fat; sweet pickles are a common degradation

Seasoning

Salt (curing salt applied at sea)essentialLight cure only — heavy brining destroys the texture and is not maatjes

Technique

Maatjes curing: Unlike standard salt herring, maatjes curing leaves the enzyme-rich pyloric caecum in place; the fish partially digests itself over days, producing the characteristic creamy, non-fishy, mildly saline flesh — omitting this step or using post-spawn herring produces a completely different product
Cold-chain preservation post-cure: The fish is never heated; maintaining near-freezing temperature from catch through service is what makes raw consumption safe and preserves the delicate enzyme-developed texture
Filleting with skin-on: The fillet is deboned but the skin is left on and the fish is served as two joined fillets (split butterfly); removing the skin before service is considered a quality degradation

Form & serving

Served: Cold, whole butterfly fillet held by the tail and tilted into the mouth (traditional), or chopped into bite pieces on a white bun with onion and gherkins on top
Temperature: Cold (2–5°C / 36–41°F)
Portion: 1–2 whole fillets per serving (one fish = two joined fillets)
Pairs with: Jenever (Dutch gin) · Cold pilsner · Aquavit · Broodje (soft white roll) · Strong mustard (regional variant)

Character

Flavour

mildsalinecreamyoceanicpungent (onion)bright-acid (pickle)umami

Texture

Silky, slightly yielding, almost buttery flesh from enzymatic self-cure; raw but not gelatinous; gherkin provides crunch contrast; onion provides crisp sharpness

Eaten

Dutch street food, sold from haringkar (herring carts) at markets and harbors; eaten standing, either lifted by the tail or on a bun; a seasonal ritual anchored to the late-May/June North Sea herring fleet return; also served in seafood restaurants and traditional Dutch cafés (eetcafés) as a starter or snack

When

late-spring · early-summer

Variations & related

Regional variations

Broodje Haring · Netherlands
Chopped maatjes fillet served in a soft white bun piled with raw onion and sliced gherkins; the dominant urban/market format
Zure Haring · Netherlands
Herring cured in a vinegar-onion brine rather than maatjes salt cure; a distinct product with sharper acidity, not interchangeable
Rollmops · Germany / Netherlands
Herring rolled around a pickle and cured in vinegar; related but categorically different (vinegar-pickled, not enzyme-cured, served differently)
Bismarck Herring · Germany
Filleted herring in vinegar-and-onion marinade; German sibling, acid-dominant vs. the mild fatty Dutch profile

Related dishes

sibling Rollmops
Vinegar-cured rolled herring variant popular across Germany and the Netherlands; same base fish, different cure, different form
sibling Bismarck Herring
German vinegar-marinated herring; same raw fish base, acid-dominant profile versus maatjes' fat-dominant mildness
sibling Gravlax
Salt-and-sugar cure applied to salmon; shares the enzyme-assisted cold-cure philosophy but different fish, flavor, and serving tradition
pairs-with Jenever
Traditional Dutch pairing; the botanical, slightly oily spirit mirrors and cleanses the fatty herring
descendant Broodje Haring
Urbanized sandwich form of the same fish; the most common contemporary serving format in Dutch cities

Substitutions

Maatjes (young high-fat herring) → Regular salted herring or pickled herringinadmissible
Destroys the dish — the mild, creamy enzymatic character is replaced by sharp brine or vinegar; the result is a different preparation entirely
Raw white onion → Caramelized or cooked onioninadmissible
Removes the essential sharp aromatic contrast; the dish becomes flat and sweet
Raw white onion → Raw shallotadmissible
Acceptable mild variation; shallot is slightly less pungent but structurally equivalent
Pickled gherkins → Sweet pickles or relishinadmissible
Sweet pickles flatten the acid counterpoint and push the dish into an incorrect flavor register
Pickled gherkins → Cornichonsadmissible
Safe — cornichons deliver equivalent acidity and crunch in a smaller form
Fresh maatjes → Canned or jarred herring in oilinadmissible
Oil-packed herring lacks the enzymatic cure character; texture and flavor are categorically different

Common mistakes

Using out-of-season or post-spawn herring with fat content below 16% — the fish will be lean and sharp rather than creamy and mild
Substituting vinegar-pickled or canned herring for maatjes-cured, producing an acidic product with none of the enzymatic richness
Using sweet pickles or pickle relish instead of sour gherkins, which collapses the acid-fat balance
Serving at room temperature — the fish must be near-fridge cold; warmth amplifies fishiness and breaks the texture
Omitting raw onion or pre-cooking it, removing the essential pungent aromatic counterpoint
Over-curing or sourcing heavily brined product labeled 'herring' that is not maatjes-specific; the word 'maatjes' on sourcing is the critical qualifier
Presenting as a cooked dish or adding heat at any stage — the dish is entirely raw and must remain so

Provenance

Hollandse Nieuwe is a Dutch tradition dating to at least the 14th century, closely tied to the North Sea herring fishery that underpinned Dutch commercial prosperity. The maatjes curing technique — lightly salting with the pyloric caecum retained — is attributed to fishing practice refined over generations at sea, with Willem Beukelszoon of Zeeland historically (and somewhat apocryphally) credited with formalizing the gutting-and-curing method around 1380–1395. The annual 'nieuwe haring' season opening, marked by Vlaggetjesdag (Flag Day) in Scheveningen, remains a national food event.

Claimed by: Netherlands

References

1.Dutch Commodity Board for Fish (Productschap Vis) definition of Hollandse Nieuwe
2.EU Protected Geographical Indication criteria for Hollandse Nieuwe Haring
3.Harold McGee — On Food and Cooking (herring curing chemistry)
4.Alan Davidson — North Atlantic Seafood
5.Oxford Companion to Food — herring entry

Confidence: high