Hollandse nieuwe unveiled    

By The Holland Times Tuesday 08 June 2010, 12:06

The first barrel of this year’s Hollandse nieuwe herring will be auctioned today in Scheveningen. The proceeds will go to the Foundation Kinderpostzegels.
Last year the first barrel of herring in garnered 66,000 euros from the auction. Three years ago, the first barrel delivered a record sum of 75,000 euros. The auction is a sort of pre-inspection for the fish.
Herring is filleted and bucketed then subjected to a taste test by a special panel of three experts. According to them, this year’s fish is not as “awesome” as last year.
The first barrel of Hollandse nieuwe is still brought to shore by Dutch ships, but most of the fish come from Norway. This year marks the 65th anniversary of the symbolic auction of the first barrel..
The proceeds support the Foundation Kinderpostzegels’s projects for children in the Netherlands and abroad. These projects aim to teach children about healthy eating and the importance of adequate exercise.