Bornholm Smoked Herring

Bornholm's smokehouses are easy to spot from the road: low white buildings with a row of tall white chimneys, still burning alder to hot-smoke herring landed in the Baltic. The classic plate is Sol over Gudhjem, sun over Gudhjem, a whole smoked herring laid on dark rye bread with a raw egg yolk in the middle, chopped radish, chives and salt, eaten with your hands. Most smokehouses now serve food alongside the smoking and run from spring into autumn. The tradition goes back to the nineteenth century, when the island's fishery was its living rather than a summer attraction.

What you actually see

• Sol over Gudhjem - smoked herring on rye with a raw egg yolk on top.
• The white chimneys - the rows of tall smokehouse stacks along the coast.
• The alder smoke - the wood that gives the fish its colour and flavour.
• The smokehouse yards - the open terraces where the fish is served.

When to go

May to September, when the smokehouses are open and working; many close entirely in winter. Lunch is the natural time. July is crowded across Bornholm and queues at the counters get long. Wind direction matters more than you would expect, since the smoke drifts straight across the outdoor terraces.

Honest expectations

Smoked herring is bony, oily and strongly flavoured, and the raw egg yolk finishes off some visitors before they start. Prices at the tourist-facing smokehouses are high for a fish on bread. The smell gets into clothes and hair. Getting to Bornholm requires a ferry or a flight and a night on the island at minimum.

Nearby

Gudhjem harbour and the coastal path are alongside; the round churches are a short ride inland.