Layover Snack: Broodje Haring

I'm heading to Mumbai on vacation next week, via Amsterdam. While there will be no shortage of lunch reports (expect headlines like "Things That Make You Sick In India" and "Why Oh Why Did I Eat That Pani Puri On the Beach?"), as soon as I saw where my layover would be I got very excited. Not because coffee shops open at 7 in the morning (I land at 8), but because you can't get a broodje haring here. And because coffee shops open at 7, I have five hours to kill and it only takes half an hour and €5 to get to the city center from the airport. I have indeed done this before.

Broodjes are sandwiches in a fluffy sub-like roll. They're portable, not drippy or messy (yet still so good) and perfect for walking around a Danish city. Haring, or herring, is a fish I'm usually not too huge a fan of. This may be due to traumatic memories of Jewish elders layering it on bagels like it was some kind of extremely tasty smoked fish. But that's because it was pickled or smothered in decidedly gross cream sauce. The Dutch have more respect than that.

They serve it raw, topped with chopped raw onions. It's reminiscent of sashimi — very fresh, just a little briny, with a meaty consistency and zero unpleasant fishiness. The bones provide a little extra texture and crunch. The soft white bun is made with that awesome European wheat that tastes so much better than ours (agree, disagree?) and for about €4, you'll have plenty of change left over for anything else I'm planning on buying while I'm there. While you're there, I mean.

Enjoy next week's re-runs of What To Eat For Lunch, featuring that time I got high off green juice, praise of the 3-martini lunch and several reasons why cheese is awesome.