Is that tempura in your belly or are you just happy sashimi?

How many of you like Sushi?

That’s awesome!  Oh wait...I do not.  I nearly gagged the one time I ate it.  I guess me and raw fish don’t mix.  I can barely do California rolls and those aren’t even real meat.  However some avacado and cucumber…that's more like it.

Back on track…seeing as I dislike it…a lot…it took every ounce of will, strength, and acting abilities available not to gag this past week.  Because…it’s sushi season here in Holland!  And by sushi…I mean…

Yep…that’s raw herring…with onions.  This week the first shipment of herring arrived.  There is an auction for the first bucket where the money goes to charity – over 50,000 Euros!!  Wow!  All that money for a tub of disgusting, un-descaled, still have the tails on them…fish.  But it’s for a good cause.

Now lets take an even closer look shall we?  How to eat a herring.  Well, chopsticks are out of the question and apparently so is a fork and knife, which leaves the correct form of eating to dangling high above your mouth and lowering it in slowly as you take a bite and onions fly everywhere.  I kid you not…

*shudder*

Alright some people don’t eat it this way.  By some, I mean those who are not old enough to have wide enough mouths.  Like Fien.  She eats it with a fork.  But still like an expert.  So much so in fact, that tourists take pictures of her…no really.  I should dress her in wooden shoes next time.  Oh, except I don’t take her – that’s all Rogier.  I refuse to buy her a herring.  When she asks for one, I (like an awesome nanny) offer ice cream instead.

To be fair, herring season doesn’t last that long.  I mean…you can eat herring all year round if you so desired (just stay away from me,) but the numerous amounts of stalls and vendors are only here for a short while.  At least I only have to deal with the smell of fish for a little longer.  It’ll help me work on my gag reflex.

Word of the day: haring - herring