Let’s take a quick dive back in time, to the Middle Ages. Back then, herring wasn’t just any fish — it was a true engine of the Dutch economy. Thanks to a brilliant invention by fisherman Willem Beukelszoon, herring could suddenly be preserved for much longer. He did this by gibbing the fish immediately after it was caught: removing the intestines while leaving the pancreas intact to allow fermentation. It may sound like fishy technical abracadabra, but it sparked a revolution in food transport and flavor.

And that had major consequences. Entire fishing villages lived off herring, traders sailed out with shiploads full of silver shine, and the fish brought in so much money that people said: “Amsterdam is built on herring.” No joke — that fish was worth its weight in gold.

To this day, we honor this piece of culinary heritage during Vlaggetjesdag in Scheveningen. Think decorated boats, traditional clothing, crowds of people eating herring as if it were a national sport, and the first barrel being auctioned off for tens of thousands of euros!
The most expensive barrel of herring ever auctioned was the first barrel of Hollandse Nieuwe in 2023. During the traditional auction in Scheveningen, it sold for a record-breaking €159,500.

At Atlantic you can buy a Haring for just 150 TL, indulged in centuries of history, you’ve earned it.