Rollmops () are

pickled herring Pickled herring is a traditional way of preserving herring as food by pickling or Curing (food preservation), curing. Most cured herring uses a two-step curing (food preservation), curing process: it is first cured with salt to extract water; th ...

fillets, rolled into a

cylindrical A cylinder () has traditionally been a Solid geometry, three-dimensional solid, one of the most basic of curvilinear geometric shapes. In elementary geometry, it is considered a Prism (geometry), prism with a circle as its base. A cylinder may ...

shape, often around a savoury filling.

Presentation

The filling usually consists of onion and sliced pickled

gherkin A pickled cucumber – commonly known as a pickle in the United States, Canada and Australia and a gherkin ( ) in Britain, Ireland, South Africa, and New Zealand – is a usually small or miniature cucumber that has been pickled in a brine, ...

. Rollmops are often skewered with a cocktail skewer. Rollmops are usually bought ready-to-eat, in jars or tubs. The

brine Brine (or briny water) is a high-concentration solution of salt (typically sodium chloride or calcium chloride) in water. In diverse contexts, ''brine'' may refer to the salt solutions ranging from about 3.5% (a typical concentration of seawat ...

additionally consists of water, white vinegar, and salt; it may also contain sugar or other sweetening agents, onion rings, peppercorns and mustard seeds. Rollmops can be eaten cold, without unrolling, or on bread. After the jar has been opened, they will usually keep for two to three weeks if kept cool or refrigerated. Rollmops are sometimes served with

Labskaus Labskaus () is a culinary speciality from northern Germany and in particular from the cities of Bremen (city), Bremen, Hamburg, and Lübeck. The main ingredients are salted meat or corned beef, potatoes, and onion. Some recipes put beetroot, pick ...

Etymology

The name "rollmops" is German in origin, derived from the words ''rollen'' (to roll) and ''Mops'' meaning

pug The Pug is a breed of dog with the physically distinctive features of a wrinkly, short-muzzled face, and curled tail. An ancient breed, with roots dating back to 400 B.C., they have a fine, glossy coat that comes in a variety of colors, most ...

or ''fat young boy''. The form ''Rollmops'' () is singular, and the plural is ''Rollmöpse'' (). In English, the term "rollmops" is often treated as the plural of the singular "rollmop". There is also a theory that the term "roll-'em-ups" became "rollmops." The form "rollmop herrings" is also attested.

Origins

Pickled herring Pickled herring is a traditional way of preserving herring as food by pickling or Curing (food preservation), curing. Most cured herring uses a two-step curing (food preservation), curing process: it is first cured with salt to extract water; th ...

has been a staple in Northern Europe since

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

times, being a way to store and transport fish, especially necessary in meatless periods like

Lent Lent (, 'Fortieth') is the solemn Christianity, Christian religious moveable feast#Lent, observance in the liturgical year in preparation for Easter. It echoes the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring Temptation of Christ, t ...

. The herring would be prepared, then packed in barrels for storage or transportation. Rollmops grew popular throughout Germany during the Biedermeier period of the early 19th century and were known as a particular specialty of Berlin, like the similar pickled herring dish ''Bismarckhering''. A crucial factor in their popularity was the development of the long-range railway network, which allowed the transport of herring from the

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

and

Baltic Baltic may refer to: Peoples and languages *Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian *Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originatin ...

seas to the interior. The fish was pickled to preserve it and transported in wooden barrels. In pubs in Old Berlin, it was common to have high-rising glass display cases known as ''Hungerturm'' (meaning "hunger tower") on the bar to present ready-to-eat dishes like lard bread, salt eggs, meatballs, '' mettwurst'', and of course rollmops. Nowadays rollmops are commonly served as part of the German ''Katerfrühstück'' (hangover breakfast) which is believed to restore some electrolytes.

Distribution

Rollmops are eaten in Europe and South America, as well as in areas of the United States and Canada. It is also a sought-after delicacy in South Africa, particularly in Cape Town and the greater Western Cape Province. In Czechia and Slovakia rollmops (''zavináč'') are so well known that they gave rise to the name for the @ sign.

References

{{Scottish cuisine Czech cuisine German cuisine North German cuisine Lithuanian cuisine Polish cuisine Scottish cuisine Slovak cuisine Herring dishes Lenten foods

Presentation

Etymology

Origins

Distribution

See also

References