Matjes Hausfrauenart: The young milders are here!
"Silver of the Seas": The young herring are caught shortly before sexual maturity and processed into matjes
"Silver of the seas", so connoisseurs lovingly call the Matjes. It's frozen all year round - so why are we celebrating the beginning of the matjes season right now?
The word Matjes is derived from the Dutch "Maatjesharing", which means "girl herring" or "virgin herring". The pegs are caught just before they reach sexual maturity - and that's now: late May, early June.
Then the fish has not made any milk and roe, but has already chewed on a lot of fat. The fat is what makes it so tender and tasty: at least 12 percent fat is in the matjes. It is still healthy - it contains valuable omega-3 fatty acids.
Matjes ripens in barrels with salt. The Dutch Matjes, also called Hollandse Nieuwe (Dutch New), is less salty than the German and must be frozen to protect against nematodes. This is a blessing for us; because that's how Matjes is all year round - the cold sleep preserves it.
But even if it was frozen: Matjes from the fish counter is easily perishable and should be consumed on the day of purchase if possible. If it is fresh, it smells buttery of sea and algae and has a marzipan-bright color.
And how does the Matjes become a Matje's housewife? In our cooking school we show, step by step, what to do.
