What Is Smoked Herring? The Trinidadian Breakfast Dish Explained
Smoked herring is a Trinidadian breakfast dish of flaked smoked fish sauteed with onion, tomato and chadon beni, eaten with bake. Here is what it is.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Smoked herring is a much loved Trinidadian breakfast dish of smoked fish that is cleaned, softened, flaked and then sauteed with onion, tomato, garlic, chadon beni and hot pepper. Because the fish is smoked and often salted, it is first soaked or boiled to mellow the salt and smoke before it is cooked down with fresh seasonings into a smoky, savoury mix. It is classically scooped up with fry bake, coconut bake or sada roti, making a hearty start to the day. In the UK the smoked herring and the seasonings to make it are sold by Caribbean food shops, which you can find near you on African Stores.
What to remember
- Smoked herring is a Trinidadian breakfast dish of flaked smoked fish sauteed with fresh seasonings.
- The fish is smoked and often salted, so it is soaked or boiled first to reduce the salt and smoke.
- It is cooked with onion, tomato, garlic, chadon beni and hot pepper.
- It is served with fry bake, coconut bake or sada roti.
- It is similar in spirit to buljol, which uses saltfish instead of smoked herring.
Waking up to the smell of smoked herring frying with onion and hot pepper is one of the most familiar mornings a Trinidadian can know. It is the smoky, salty aroma of a proper weekend breakfast, of bake fresh from the pan and the whole household drifting towards the kitchen. For Trinis in Britain, cooking a pot of smoked herring is a way of pulling that ordinary comfort back within reach.
There is real heritage in the dish, in the Caribbean habit of turning a humble preserved fish into something full of flavour, and in the fresh seasonings, chadon beni above all, that make it unmistakably Trini. To make smoked herring far from home is to keep that breakfast tradition alive, and to hand someone their first piece of bake loaded with it is to share it. That savoury, smoky taste of home is the quiet gift of smoked herring.
What Smoked Herring Actually Is
Smoked herring is both an ingredient and a dish. The ingredient is herring that has been smoked, and often salted, to preserve it, which gives it a firm texture and a strong, smoky, salty flavour. In Trinidad and Tobago it is the base for a classic breakfast dish of the same name, in which that preserved fish is transformed into a soft, savoury mix eaten with bake. It sits comfortably among the well loved dishes of Trinidadian food, a cuisine that blends African, Indian, Creole, Chinese and other influences.
Because the fish arrives smoked and salty, the first job is always to tame it. The herring is cleaned and then boiled or soaked to soften the flesh and draw out some of the salt and smoke, so the finished dish is smoky and savoury rather than overpowering. Once mellowed, the fish is flaked from the bone and is ready to be sauteed with fresh seasonings. The result is a warm, richly flavoured breakfast that turns a simple preserved fish into something people genuinely look forward to.
How Smoked Herring Is Made and Served
Making smoked herring starts with preparing the fish. It is cleaned, then boiled or soaked, sometimes with a change or two of water, until it softens and the salt and smoke are reduced to a pleasant level. The softened fish is flaked, and any stray bones are removed. Meanwhile the fresh seasonings are readied: onion, tomato, garlic, chadon beni, the herb Trinis prize above all others, and hot pepper to taste. The flaked fish is then sauteed with these in a little oil until everything comes together into a soft, fragrant, savoury mixture.
Smoked herring is above all a breakfast dish, and it is at its best scooped up with bread. The classic partner is fry bake, the light fried dough that Trinis love in the morning, and coconut bake or sada roti are equally welcome. Piled onto warm bake, the smoky fish and fresh seasonings make a filling, satisfying start to the day. It is the kind of breakfast that suits a relaxed weekend morning, cooked in one pan and shared around the table.
Smoked Herring and Buljol
Anyone who knows Trini breakfasts will notice how close smoked herring is in spirit to buljol. Both are salty, preserved fish dishes softened and then dressed with fresh seasonings, and both are eaten with bake. The difference lies in the fish: buljol is made with saltfish, salted cod, while this dish is made with smoked herring, which brings its own distinctive smokiness. If you enjoy one, the other is well worth trying, and many Trini households keep both in their breakfast repertoire. Together they show how Caribbean cooks turn preserved fish, once a practical way to keep protein, into breakfasts that are treasured in their own right.
Where to Buy Smoked Herring in the UK
Smoked herring is a homemade dish, and the fish and seasonings to make it are easy to gather in Britain from Caribbean food shops. You will want smoked herring, sometimes sold salted, along with onion, tomato, garlic, chadon beni and hot pepper, and bake to serve it with; shops serving Caribbean customers carry the smoked herring and the chadon beni that give the dish its authentic Trini flavour. Remember that the fish is smoky and salty, so soak or boil it first to reduce the salt to your taste. You can find Caribbean food stores near you to see what is nearby.
Frequently asked questions
What is smoked herring?
Smoked herring is a Trinidadian breakfast dish of smoked, often salted, fish that is cleaned, softened, flaked and then sauteed with onion, tomato, garlic, chadon beni and hot pepper. The fish is boiled or soaked first to reduce the salt and smoke, then cooked with fresh seasonings into a smoky, savoury mix eaten with bake.
What does smoked herring taste like?
Smoked herring is smoky and savoury, with a salty depth from the preserved fish balanced by fresh onion, tomato and the citrusy herb chadon beni. Soaking or boiling the fish first mellows the salt and smoke, so the finished dish is full flavoured rather than harsh. Hot pepper is added to taste, so it can be mild or fiery.
How is smoked herring made?
The herring is cleaned and then boiled or soaked to soften it and reduce the salt and smoke, sometimes with a change of water. It is flaked from the bone, then sauteed with onion, tomato, garlic, chadon beni and hot pepper until it forms a soft, fragrant mixture. It is served warm, scooped up with fry bake, coconut bake or sada roti.
What is the difference between smoked herring and buljol?
Both are Trini breakfast dishes of preserved fish softened and dressed with fresh seasonings, and both are eaten with bake. The difference is the fish: smoked herring uses smoked, often salted, herring, while buljol uses saltfish, which is salted cod. Smoked herring brings a distinctive smokiness that buljol does not have.
Where can I buy smoked herring in the UK?
Smoked herring is made at home, so Caribbean food shops are the place to buy the fish and the seasonings: smoked herring, onion, tomato, garlic, chadon beni and hot pepper, plus bake to serve. Remember the fish is smoky and salty, so soak or boil it first. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks them.