THE HERRING-KING FESTIVAL IN ETAPLES - Nov. 13th and 14th 2010

They must be pretty strange these thousands of people who feast around braziers, in the middle of November, on the quaysides of Etaples harbour. Well, the weather’s not as cold here as in the south approaching winter. And November is the time herring choose to throw themselves en masse on our shores and in the nets of our deep-sea fishermen. It’s like manna, feast time!

It was herring that saved Nord-Pas de Calais from the great famines that struck Europe up to the 19th century. So, we honour it here, like everywhere else in the world…by devouring it.

But in our own way, grilled or smoked, accompanied by potatoes in their skins, lightly buttered bread and very sweet black coffee or warm cinnamon-flavoured wine. A celebration dish, an al fresco meal with friends, by the fires that illuminate the night to the sound of sea shanties.