Rigby’s Encyclopaedia of the Herring

aka The Herripedia

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The ENCYCLOPAEDIA

A work in progress with no end in sight

A one-stop shop for beautiful information about the King of Fishes, each entry accessible alphabetically and by theme – history, science, culture, fishing and food.

Suggestions and corrections always welcome.

The PODCAST

Travels through the herriverse

Explore the world of strange wonders that’s revealed at the interfaces between mankind and the herring. Six, monthly episodes take you where few other podcasts venture.

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A-Z Entries

QUOTAS

A brief history of overfishing, recent attempts at controlling it, together with thoughts on stock conservation and capitalism

RACIAL THEORY

The development of thinking around herring population difference and some uncomfortable parallels with racial theories of mankind

RED HERRING

Not just a euphemism for a false trail, but a kind of smoked herring that has probably served as a euphemism for a false trail since at least the C16th

RED HERRING JOKE, THE

The story of the red herring gag shared between Shakespeare, Jonson & Nashe in at least six great literary works

RING NET: WILL MACLEAN

An interview with Scottish artist Will Maclean on his documentary exhibition, The Ring Net, which he developed between 1973 and 1978

RING NETTING

On the rise and demise of ring net fishing for herring, which originated in the waters of Loch Fyne and played a role in the sad development of overfishing

ROLLMOPS & BISMARCKS

On the popular German vinegar-based cures, together with an origin story for one of them and a basic recipe for the marinade

SALT

An 8,000 year history of salt and salt pickling, paying particular attention to the preservation of herrings by the German Hanse, the Dutch and the British.

SARDINES

The sardine in cans, on the slab and in popular culture; the limits of self-identification for herrings and non-European pilchards

SCANIA FISHERY

The story of the first great empire-shaping herring fishery together with historical and scientific speculations on its rise and its fall

SCHMALTZ HERRING

An attempted exploration of exactly what this is, despite disagreement among its advocates and loose definition amongst suppliers

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