Sild No. 1 – Smoked Herring

Sild No. 1, smoked herring from the Norwegian Sea

Sild No. 1 by Fangst is smoked herring from the Norwegian Sea, refined over beechwood and seasoned with a herb salt of white pepper and wild garlic, in rapeseed oil. Sild is the Norwegian word for herring. A slice of coastline and a hint of forest, ready from the golden tin.

Smoked herring comes to you in Sild No. 1 from the Danish producer Fangst: smoky, salty, full-bodied. The herring, Latin name Clupea harengus, originates from the Norwegian Sea and has long been known as the "silver of the sea." Cleaned by hand, refined over light beechwood smoke, and seasoned with a herb salt, it rests in cold-pressed rapeseed oil from the island of Bornholm. One of the great classics of the North awaits you in this 110 g tin.

Mildly smoked, between coast and forest

Smoked herring here tastes softer and more refined than a coarse Bismarck or matjes; the beechwood smoke remains delicate, and the wild garlic adds a green, forest note.

Upon opening, warm smoke rises, followed by white pepper, sea salt, and a hint of wild garlic. On bread, it is succulent, savory, and tender with oil; the herring is naturally rich, which supports the smoke and rounds out the flavor. The wild garlic makes it special—a green, forest-inspired touch rarely found with herring. No vinegar, no sharp marinade, just fish, smoke, and herbs. This is how herring tastes when it is taken seriously.

Herring was long considered a food for the poor, even though an entire food culture is rooted in it. With 70 percent fish in the tin, Fangst treats it like a delicacy, not a mass-produced commodity.

On rye bread with onion and egg

Hearty rye bread with butter is the perfect base for the smoked herring, topped with thin onion rings and a hard-boiled egg.

This is Nordic tapas—simply open and share. A warm jacket potato with sour cream pairs just as well with Sild, as does Danish smørrebrød with beetroot and cress. If you are looking for more smoke from the North, try the smoked sprats or the smoked salmon. For many, an ice-cold aquavit or a pilsner is part of the experience.

As a quick lunch, the herring goes well with warm pasta, lemon, and parsley, or eaten straight from the tin with a fork when you are in a hurry. This is how you bring the North to your plate, even at lunchtime.

Silver of the sea since the Middle Ages

Herring has shaped Nordic cuisine since the Middle Ages; it sustained Hanseatic cities and entire coastal regions.

Atlantic herring travel through the Norwegian Sea in massive schools of millions, diving to depths of up to 200 m. This is exactly where Fangst sources them—wild-caught—and gently smokes them over beechwood. In 2018, Martin, Rasmus, and Mikkel founded the company in Copenhagen to restore the honor of such fish. The three wanted to bring herring out of the shadow of rollmops jars and show just how refined it can be.

The herb salt comes from a small importer on the island of Funen. An honest product with a long history.

Two smørrebrød, cold beer, good bread

Once opened, the smoked herring will keep refrigerated for about 2 days. A 110 g tin is enough for two smørrebrød or a leisurely evening snack. On days when you crave the taste of the sea and the forest at the same time, pair it with a cold beer. You only need to open the tin, add some good bread, and you are ready. Flaked into a potato salad with dill, the smoke spreads throughout the entire dish. Silver of the sea, freshly interpreted.