Top to bottom: Brined herring, herring in vinegar

There are plenty of fish in the sea—and over a hundred varieties belong to the herring family. These fish travel in huge schools through the frigid salt waters of the North Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The common adult herring, usually weighing between 1⁄4 and 1 lb. and reaching lengths of 1 ft., has a blue-green upper body and silvery sides with easily removable scales.

Due to its abundance in the chilly waters of the world, herring has been a food source since prehistoric times when the fish was first eaten by the Scandinavians. As early as the 7th century, the Scots built a herring factory to cure mass quantities of the fish for later consumption. By the 14th century, a process called gibbing was perfected to remove the gills and part of the gullet from the herring, eliminating any bitter taste.

Of the more than 100 species of fish classified in the herring family, here are a few to look for:

American Shad is the largest herring variety, averaging 3-5 lb. The shad is often prized for its roe, which is harvested in fresh water as the fish migrate from salt water to spawn.

Bismarck herring is a skinless fillet, cured in vinegar, sugar, salt, and onions. It is so named because the German Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, loved herring and enjoyed it marinated in salt and vinegar. Rollmops refer to a Bismarck rolled around small pickles or onions and preserved in spiced vinegar.

Pickled herring is fish marinated in vinegar and spices, then bottled in sour cream or a wine sauce. Pickled also refers to dry-salted herring cured in brine.

Kippers are a tiny herring variety that is cold-smoked after being split, then pickled. Bloaters are larger than kippers but are processed with the same method. They’re milder in taste due to lighter salting and a shorter smoking time.

Schmaltz are large, fatty fillets, preserved in brine.

Matjes are reddish herring, delicate and young. They are skinned and filleted before curing in a spiced sugar-vinegar brine. Matjes are described as juicy and salty.

Menhaden are excessively oily herring that are not fit for human consumption. They are mulched into fishmeal to the tune of a billion pounds per year.

Herring is a versatile fish that works well for salads, carpaccio, canapés, smörrebrod—a Danish open-faced sandwich—and even sushi and curry. The fish’s high fat content makes it an ideal choice for the grill, the sauté pan, and the oven. The dark flesh has a strong flavor and a soft texture, although when cured the fish acquires an appealing firmness.

Herring and its roe can be purchased fresh in the spring and summer, or frozen year-round with any combination of value-added processing techniques. Recent advancements in processing equipment enable producers to fillet these small fish at a quicker pace. One new machine, developed in Sweden, can fillet, behead, and gut small fish at a rate of 300 fish per minute.

Some argue that herring is the fish with the largest number of product forms and the most time devoted to developing methods of preservation, including salting, smoking, pickling, and canning. You can buy just about any version of herring (cured, creamed, pickled), in any size (from 1 lb. to 100 lb.).

A little fishy
Sardines, the tiny treats often salted and canned in oil or various sauces, are actually a young version of small, soft-boned, salt-water fish such as herring, sprat, and pilchard. Sardines are available whole, filleted, boned, or skinned. Fresh sardines can also be purchased, but only for a limited time during the summer months. Although young, sardines are fatty and should be prepared like herring. The bite-sized fish are perfect for pastas, salads, and pizzas, or simply grilled with a squeeze of lemon.