Holland Herring Festival Delayed Until June 18 @ Grand Central Oyster Bar

    NEW YORK, NY, June 10, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Lovers of nieuwe maatjes herring imported from the Netherlands will have to wait another week for the delicacy. The Grand Central Oyster Bar's annual Holland Herring Festival has been delayed a week, and will begin on Thursday, June 18.

The first-tasting ceremony, now in its 35th year, will begin at 12:00 noon. This year's arrival of the Dutch Herring at New York City's Oyster Bar was originally scheduled for June 10. Three reasons cited for the delay were very low fat content in the herring; the absence of adequate sunlight to produce the plankton that the herring feed on; and stormy North Sea waters, where the herring are fetched, according to executive chef Sandy Ingber.‎

"The herring season seems to get later and later each year," said a disappointed Ingber, known for bringing the 'first catch' to the landmark seafood restaurant. "The fat content has to be great enough before the herring can be of the top quality expected by connoisseurs."

"We were also informed that a big storm on the North Sea has made it difficult for the fishermen to find the herring," added Ingber, "so the Dutch Herring Processors Association made the decision to postpone the start of the season."

This is only the third time in the 35-year history of the Festival that the herring shipment from the Netherlands to New York has been delayed. The postponements have been in recent years, 2006 and 2013 were the others.

Sunny weather is in the forecast for the coming days in the Netherlands, expecting to bring sunshine to herring aficionados.

The Oyster Bar has for three decades been the traditional destination in America for the first Holland Herring of the season. The most-looked-forward-to time of the year for herring lovers, the delicacy arrives air-expressed to the Oyster Bar from Scheveningen, The Netherlands, on the North Sea where the herring fleet makes its home. The Oyster Bar always receives the very first herring shipped to the USA, and the cream of the catch, as well. Beginning on June 18th, and for approximately two weeks thereafter, the Oyster Bar looks forward to featuring the succulent, toothsome delicacy known as nieuwe maatjes herring. Herring fanciers will enjoy the season for less than a month. The herring filets are served with hard-boiled egg, sweet onion and chives. Herring filets are priced at $7.00, and the herring salad at $7.95 per order. Central Oyster Bar at 212-490-6650, or visit http://www.oysterbarny.com/.

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