Pickled herring

Pickled herring is a traditional way of preserving herring as food by pickling or curing. Most cured herring use a two-step curing. The herring is first cured with salt to extract water, then the salt is removed and the herring is placed in vinegar, salt, and sugar solution, often with peppercorn, bay leaf, raw onions, and so on and so forth. Additional flavorings include sherry, and dill, while other non-traditional ingredients have also begun being included in recent years. Pickled herring remains a popular food or ingredient to dishes in many parts of Europe including the Nordic countries, Great Britain, the Baltic, Eastern and Central Europe, as well as the Netherlands. It is also popular in parts of Canada such as British Columbia, Newfoundland, and the Maritimes. It is also associated with Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine, becoming a staple at kiddushes and social gatherings. Pickled herring is one of the Twelve-dish Christmas Eve supper twelve dishes traditionally served at Christmas Eve in Russia, Poland, Lithuania, and Ukraine. Pickled herring is also eaten at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve to symbolize a prosperous New Year in Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, and parts of Scandinavia. Pickled herring with tahini is a popular dish in Egypt usually eaten in the spring holiday of Sham Ennessim.