Maatjes – also known as young herring – you either like the taste of them or you don’t. But those who love them prefer to eat them every day. Fortunately, this is possible at Noordzee-Mer du Nord, as we clean our maatjes by hand. But why is there specific mention of a “maatjes” season when you can eat them all year round?

Maatjes – which are essentially young herring – are only fished during one period a year (in June). During this period, the full quantity for the whole year is caught. After this, the maatjes are briefly salted and then frozen. The latter is done to kill a specific bacterium found in the young herring. To eat them, they are first thawed, then cleaned by hand!

June – July

The real season of the maatjes runs from (late) June to (late) July. The official kick-off of the season is given in the Netherlands, the moment the maatjes are deemed “fat enough”. In the months of June and July, you can therefore eat the “new maatjes”.

The maatjes you are served throughout the rest of the year are young herrings that are fished in the same period as the “new maatjes”. They remain frozen until they are cleaned.

The name ‘Maatjes’

Originally, the designation of the young herring was not “maatje” but “virgin”. After all, the young herring are not fully mature and have not yet reproduced. But since “virgin” does not sound very appetising, “maatje” or “mate” in English was eventually chosen.

Maatjesfestival

Will you also be at the next edition of our Maatjes Festival? It will take place on St Catherine’s Square on Sunday 22 June 2025, from 2pm to 6pm.

The season of the New Maatjes officially started on Wednesday 18 June 2025!