Herring dishes
Of course, herring can be cooked like any other fish on a pan or in an oven, but we Latvians have our ways to prepare it.
One of the most popular ways is to pickle it. One of the most traditional ways to pickle herring is with onions and vinegar. Nowadays, we also pickle it with mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, or lemon.
Other dishes that include herrings are salads and soups. The most popular dish we make is "herring under a fur coat", it is a layered salad that is made from boiled vegetables, eggs, and of course, pickled herring.
Another way we include pickled herring into our dishes is by eating it with potatoes and cottage cheese.
Regional variations
The herring is well known all over Europe, but every country has its way of making them.
Surströmming is a tradicional Swedish cousine that useualy comes in a can. It is toped with potatoes and finely sliced red onions. The smell is so strong that the swedes eat it mostly outdoors and open it some distance from the dining table.
Soused herring comes from Germany and is raw in a vinegar pickle. It is preserved in a preserving liquid that makes it more slimy and it is eaten by sliding it down your throat.
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