I am a big fan of this particular typical Dutch food. My favorite snack every time I visit the Netherlands. Some Dutch people call me more Dutch than the Dutch for this reason.
Haring
or ‘Hollandse Nieuwe’ (Dutch new herring) is probably the most famous
Dutch food. If you like fish you should at least try it once. The raw
herring is served together with chopped raw onions and gherkins. Also
the way of eating is a real Dutch tradition. In the Netherlands new
herring is eaten by lifting up the herring by its tail into the air and
then take a bite upwards. Of course you can also enjoy this Dutch
delight by eating it in little pieces or on a sandwich called ‘broodje
haring’.
Herring can only be called ‘Hollandse Nieuwe’ if the fish
is caught between May and July. Also the preparation is quite special
and must be done according to the Dutch tradition. The herring is
cleaned, the head is removed and it is conserved in a special way (with
salt). You can buy herring all around Amsterdam in shops and at street
stands.