It’s that time of the year again; after a two-year hiatus as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the Dutch tradition of auctioning off the year’s first batch of herring for charity has returned. This year, the keg of Hollandse Nieuwe sold for a record-breaking price of 113.500 euros.
Every June, the Netherlands celebrates Flag Day, or Vlaggetjesdag, when the first vat of Hollandse Nieuwe - the tastiest and most renowned version of this traditional Dutch food - is sold. The ceremony was held in Scheveningen on Tuesday, officially kicking off the herring season.
The keg was bought by the association of Dutch fish specialists for a whopping 113.500 euros - considerably more than the 2019 batch which raised an already admirable 95.500 euros for charity. This year’s proceeds are to be donated to the Dutch Ambulance Wish Foundation.
The season has only just begun, but experts have already voiced their praise for this year’s catch. At Tuesday’s auction, the jury said 2022 was a year for "beautiful, full-fat herring", - and with a fat percentage of 22 percent instead of the average 19 percent, that is most certainly the case!
This means that this year’s fish will be tastier and creamier than normal. “The fatter the herring, the stronger the fish taste,” food scientist Guido Camps explains.