Despite sustainability and nutrition advice from Chefs, seafood experts, and nutritionists, smoked herring is too often hard to find in the US, tucked away in the hidden corner of the supermarket. Not so in other countries where herring is immortalized—especially Europe—where herring culture reveres the sacred fish for its taste, versatility, and heart-healthy Omega 3s.
We source our herring from the pure, remote waters of Western Alaska where the fishery is managed sustainably and provides economic support for residents of the remote village of Togiak, Alaska (pop. 857.)
Tasting notes: Smoked herring delivers robust, savory flavor with a rich dose of umami and smoke. Herring is a smaller fish, and after smoking over Alder chips, the skin turns slightly crisp, and the flesh transforms into a rich mahogany brown. The result is a tin of tempting bite-sized morsels that look beautiful right out of the tin or in a pasta dish.
Serve it up: While early American food culture once celebrated the herring, with dishes like the Skully Jo Fish Bake originating from seafood ports such as Gloucester, we recommend any throwback recipes drawing flavor inspiration from herring-worshipping countries. In the UK, smoked herring (or kippers) are often enjoyed for breakfast. In Scandinavian countries, smoked herring is commonly served alongside a simple dill sauce. Smoked herring is delicious when paired with potatoes, as is the custom in northern Europe.
For a modern approach, take some advice from James Beard Foundation Award-winning chef Renee Erickson and serve smoked herring with room-temperature butter, shallots, lemon juice, and cayenne.
Pair with a nice lager or pale ale at the start of the day, à la Ernest Hemingway.
Source: Bristol Bay, Alaska
Harvested: Purse-Seine, Gillnet
170g (6 oz) tin
Pictured with paprika, butter, and toasted baguette.
Hream McDan (verified owner) –
Beautiful can of smoked fish, unlike any other that I’ve had. Somewhat similar flavor profile to kipper snacks but 3 or 4 levels elevated above that. Smoke levels were perfect, no overly fishy smell, and I appreciated the slight, slight sweetness in the sauce. I enjoyed them at room temp right out of the can but would probably warm them up slightly next time.
Important to note, this can is 2x the size of a normal tin of sardines – it’s a LOT of fish – so while spending $12 on it may seem like an expensive splurge, it’s actually equivalent to paying $6/tin. Absolutely a rebuy.
Jeff (verified owner) –
This tin is a texture and flavor masterpiece, while also presenting a feast for the eyes.
Opening this tin presents an array of large filet pieces mixed in with smaller bits, showing a spectrum of light brown, rich caramel, and mahogany colored flesh with shimmery bits of skin peeking through here and there. While taking in the beauty of the fish, the aroma hits with a strong but rounded smoky, fishy, and earthy note.
Straight from the tin this smoked herring is an absolute treat. The pieces range in texture from semi-firm to somewhat soft, and the flavor is complex, starting with a bit of sweetness, then smoky, on to fishy, then rounding out with some earthiness.
After sampling a few pieces straight from the tin, I piled the pieces onto a bowl of warm short-grained rice. Moving past a few bites of fish and rice, I tried adding some acidity in the form of some pickled red onions, and they were almost no match for the complexity of the fish. Finally I added in some kimchi and the added texture and spice were just perfect.
I’ve had some great tins of smoked herring, plenty of which I eat in a regular rotation and will continue to do so. This tin is something different – it almost seemed like a special occasion when I finished it. There’s enough fish to share in this tin, though I didn’t, so maybe grab two tins so that you can share with someone special.
Justin Charity (verified owner) –
I grew up eating smoked herring with fried eggs, and that’s how I had my first taste of this tin. it’s very tender and well balanced and worth splurging; better yet, stockpiling.
twa101 (verified owner) –
This was one that I had been looking forward to trying. There was a bit of funk released when I opened this one. Lots of large, dark nuggets of flesh that glistened as if they were packed in oil, which its not. There were a few bones, but nothing that couldn’t be picked out. This was unlike any canned kipper that I have ever eaten. Very boldly flavored, heavy on the smoke and salt and a lot of natural richness. Perhaps too rich? It reminded me of the Fangst smoked sprats, a bit much to eat an entire tin by yourself, especially since it is six ounces. I think that this is more of a seasoning tin, like heavily smoked bacon ends. Something to be sprinkled on top of several salads or to top a large bowl of fried fice to share with friends.
nrbolt (verified owner) –
I bought this on a whim and I have to say it was fantastic. I love smoky, salty things and this was right up my alley. I ate it with some basmati rice with a bit of butter, and it was fantastic. It’s not a subtle can of herring, it lets you know what’s up pretty quickly, and it’s probably not a can you will be able to eat alone in one meal, but I greatly enjoyed it.
My only disappointment is I opened this can after I had made my yearly batch of garlic scape soup and have been toying with the idea to add a smokey meat element to it. Next year I will be adding some of Wildfish Canery’s Smoked Herring to it and turning it into an amazing fish stew.
4.5 out of 5 for me!
Meg White (verified owner) –
OMG this was so good. Had it in a warm grain salad, and it elevated the simple dinner (it was also good cold, as leftovers). The flavor was definitely smokey and savory, but not overly salty or liquid-smoke tasting. Will buy again!
emosberger (verified owner) –
This is perhaps the best tin of herring that I’ve ever had the pleasure of having! Opening the can I was presented with a distinctive smoked fish aroma. Chunks of dark-colored herring fillets were intermixed with smaller pieces. The flavor is delicious but rather intense – had several pieces straight from the tin, then decided to place some other fillets on top of a cream chess bagel. This combination was perfect.
As mentioned, this tin is larger than it appears and you’ll be hard-pressed to finish it in one sitting. Nice quality/price ratio and I believe I’ll be trying this brand again.