Herring Stall

Many visitors to Amsterdam are startled to learn that the Dutch prefer their herring to be as fresh as can be i.e. raw!

Dotted all over Amsterdam, you can find these herring stalls or haringkraam easily as they are normally situated on canal bridges to take advantage of the passing traffic. They are also often decorated in the orange, white and blue colours of the national flag.

The signature meal is herring. You'll even see advertisements of a traditional Dutch girl holding the herring by the tail above her head and lowering it into her mouth - how beautiful! Whilst some do still eat their herring this way, many prefer to eat it in pieces off a plate instead.

A popular snack is broodje haring which is a raw herring inside a bun or with bread, often with diced onion.

But its not only herring that one can buy from a haringkraam. There is also all manner of other seafood such as cockles, salmon, eel and more.

My personal favourite is kibbeling which is kabeljauw (cod) that is fried in a spicy batter. Usually, this will be heated in the microwave for you and I recommend you accept the offer of sauce as well. The sauce reminds me of tartar sauce although I have no idea what it really is - the combination of the two is simply wonderful and a great snack for on the go.

Make sure you try some of the wonderful fresh seafood from the North Sea at a haringkraam next time you visit Amsterdam!