Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/10/11

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Subject: [Leica] Vastly OT: Kippered Herring - Whitby Kippers
From: marcsmall at comcast.net (Marc James Small)
Date: Wed Oct 11 12:05:06 2006
References: <452CE1BA.8080308@gmx.de> <000e01c6ed31$aa458120$6601a8c0@asus930>

At 08:34 AM 10/11/2006, G Hopkinson wrote:
>Great link for the fish place, but the prices, 
>yikes. Feel free to post those beef recipes!


I agree, Hoppy.  I paid $US 8.99 for two large 
kippers, about 1 pound (500gm) or slightly more 
-- that's about $AUS 12.00 or ?4.84.  But, then, 
I pay $US 9.99 a pound for lobsters (alive or 
steamed) at the local Commissary -- that's about 
$AUS 13.42 or ?5.38 (and these are no bloody 
prawns, mind you -- they are the real, two-clawed 
things).  That Whitby firm also does not appear 
to mail its product outside of the UK and 
Northern Europe.  (I was interested to note that 
the only oysters they offer are Pacific 
oysters.  Pacific oysters are larger and a bit 
less tasty than are Atlantic or Chesapeake Bay 
oysters.  There are now efforts to establish 
Atlantic oyster farms along the California coast 
-- I have had some of these Pacific-raised 
Atlantic oysters on the half shell, and they are 
closer in taste to Blue Point than to Chesapeake 
Bay oysters in taste.  Quite good.)

Kippered Herring or Kippers actually began as 
kippered salmon and herring was only subjected to 
the process towards the end of the 19th 
century.  The process is proprietary -- it 
involves splitting and gutting the fish and then 
salting it and cold-smoking it.  (Fish 
cold-smoked without being salted are known as 
"bloaters" as they are slightly thicker than are 
kippers.  The use of the term "kippers" is 
restricted to a few British and Canadian firms -- 
the kippers I had were from Newfoundland but they 
are honestly indistinguishable from the UK 
product -- I have had them both.  "Smoked" fish, 
on the other hand, are usuallly hot-smoked and 
have a stronger and more pungent flavor.  (Smoked 
Baltic Sprats are becoming available over here, 
and those are quite delectable.)

I didn't have a chance to take any pictures, I 
fear, before the kippers had been decanted into 
my digestive system.  Maybe next time!

Marc


msmall@aya.yale.edu
Cha robh b?s fir gun ghr?s fir!



Replies: Reply from gregj.lorenzo at shaw.ca (GREG LORENZO) ([Leica] Vastly OT: Kippered Herring - Whitby Kippers)
In reply to: Message from douglas.sharp at gmx.de (Douglas Sharp) ([Leica] Vastly OT: Kippered Herring - Whitby Kippers)
Message from hoppyman at bigpond.net.au (G Hopkinson) ([Leica] Vastly OT: Kippered Herring - Whitby Kippers)