Why Are Smoked Herrings Called Kippers?

14 February 2017, 16:26 | Updated: 14 February 2017, 17:16

herring

Why are Smoked Herring called Kipper when all other smoked fish are just called Smoked [insert fish name]?

Mystery Hour Question

Why are Smoked Herring called Kipper when all other smoked fish are just called Smoked [insert fish name]?

Answer

Name: Ian, Westcut

Qualification: Fishmonger for 35 years

Answer: The male salmon during spawning season is called a Kipper. The first way Salmon was cooked was split down the middle and flattened out like a butterfly and hung out to be smoked. So that was a kipper in the smoke. A kipper now is cooked in the exact same way.  Arbloth Smokey is a haddock, so that name changes as well. There is also a bloater which is a cold smoked hearing.