The lack of Spring is taking its toll. We’ll have to wait another two weeks for our fresh maatjes:

The first barrel of fresh herring will be auctioned two weeks later than usual. The reason is the bad weather. Plankton, which is the main food source of herring, has been growing very slowly due to the lack of sunlight. (Source: Trouw.nl)

Actually, it’s not as dramatic as it sounds. “Fresh herring” is a bit of a oxymoron because all herring is frozen. If they weren’t you’d have to worry about this uninvited guest. So go on and order some onions with it.