Where can I buy dried, smoked herring?

How about Zabar’s?

What do you do with them?

I have a feeling the penguin would know.

Whole Foods might have some where you live (I’ve seen them have it in California), never have seen it in Trader Joe’s unfortunately.

If you can find an Asian grocery store, you’ll possibly be in luck. Here in Alabama I found a little Korean market that has a variety of dried smoked fish (just like back in California, hooray!) which I was very grateful for when I got a craving for dried squid.

IKEA Swedish food market?

Scandinavia?

I would try a Jewish area of town. I assume there is an orthodox community in or near St Louis, a doctor I saw there was observant. His practice was on the western side of the city, I don’t know where he lived though.

Whole Foods would be worth trying also.

Or, try googling international markets.

@dappled_leaves She knows but she refuses to divulge her sources.

Kohn’s Kosher Deli. “Whitefish” is often herring, but call ahead to double check first because it could also be cod, pollock, hake, haddock, or whiting depending on the time of year and on who does their deliveries.

Dried and salted Cod is usually called Bacalao and can be found in Italian groceries, and St. Louis has a strong Italian population and a Little Italy. Bacaloa is a popular food for the holiday season, so you might see it in markets even if they don’t usually carry it. Latin Americans also eat it during Christmas Time. My Mexican inlaws make it every year. A Mexican or Hispanic market could be another option for it, if the Bacaloa will suffice.

Zabar’s made me think of Babar, @Pachy. lol

Eat them, @gailcalled. It’s like fish jerky, with hair.

Whole foods I can do. I’ll check for Korean markets in St. Louis, @Winter_Pariah. There’s no way I could pass up dried squid. Can you eat it as-is?

I don’t know of an IKEA’s, @ZEPHYRA.

I didn’t even know it was a Jewish tradition, @JLeslie. I live in the same area where I was raised, and the first supermarket here carried smoked herring on foam trays in the meat department. We tried it, then begged for more every time we went there. My cousin just asked me if I could find her some.

Thanks, @wildpotato. I’ll have to check that out! I choose “Smoked sable plate” because I have no idea what it is.

@ibstubro I don’t know if it is a “Jewish” thing or just a thing in the parts of Europe Jews are from. Like the boyfriend of a guy I worked with was German and he said he would go to the Jewish Deli to get food similar to home in Germany.

@ibstubro you most certainly can

I found this source online of frozen dried herring fillets; unfortunately the minimum order is 8 metric tons @ $10,000 – $12.300 per ton.

http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/dried-herring.html

Here’s the dried and smoked herring with a minimum order of only 2 metric tons but you have to special order and custom request the current price.

http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/dried-herring.html

Sable is another kind of white fish. It’s got a mild taste and a lovely, buttery texture.

@JLeslie

Bacalao has a totally different flavor profile from smoked herring. I know that I, personally, would not be satisfied with Bacalao if I had a craving for smoked herring.

I mean, yes, it’s dried, but that’s about where the similarity ends :)

@ibstubro

It took a little hunting through my previous bookmarks but, just in case you’d prefer ordering in amounts smaller than metric tons, you can try the following:

www.lakesuperiorfish.com

OR

www.springfieldsmokedfish.com

www.dirksfish.com

I’m assuming Chicago is a bit of a trek for you but if you’re ever in the area…

:D

@Buttonstc:If it’s both dried and smoked, shouldn’t it have a shelf-life of a hundred years? After all, a metric ton is only 2204.62262 lbs. and at the reasonable consuming rate of 22.62262 lbs. per year…

@gailcalled

:D

@ibstubro

If you’re only looking for places you can drive to in St. Louis , the absolute best IMHO would be a good old fashioned Jewish Deli.

I see three listed.

Pumpernickle’s

Kohns

Koppermans
.
Check out the local reviews from Yelp and take your pick.

That’s the one thing I absolutely miss the most after moving here from Philly.

The nearest decent one is well over an hour’s drive. Grumble grumble grumble.

Philly had several that I miss dearly.

@Buttonstc I was just adding to what @wildpotato wrote. My last line in my answer about where to buy bacalao says, “if bacalao will suffice.” I realized it wasn’t a perfect substitute.

Sable sounds wonderful, @wildpotato!

Great information, @Buttonstc! I prefer to buy by sight, but the mail order is a great back-up. I’ll definitely look up a Jewish deli. There’s probably even one in Columbia, Missouri, which is about the same distance, but easily navigated. That’s where I’ve been enjoying Arabic food. I get to Chicago, but never into the city itself, only the distant burbs.