Brathering

Brathering (/ˈbrɑːtˌheɪrɪŋ/ listenⓘ; German: [ˈbʁaːtˌheːʁɪŋ] ⓘ; English: "fried herring") is a simple and traditional German dish of marinated fried herring.

It is typical of the cuisine in northern Germany and the northern parts of the Netherlands, either for lunch or as a snack at fast food stands or take-out restaurants.

[1] Usually, the green (i.e., fresh) herring with the heads and guts removed are either breaded or simply turned in flour, then fried, and finally pickled in a marinade of white vinegar and briefly boiled water, onion, salt, spices like pepper, bay leaves, mustard seeds, and a little sugar.

The thin bones of the green herring are partially dissolved in the marinade, so that they hardly interfere with eating.

[3] Sometimes, Brathering is also offered as part of fish sandwiches (Fischbrötchen).