In the current issue of Gourmet Magazine‘s weekly newsletter, Editor In Chief Ruth Reichl writes lovingly of herring’s special meaning in her family, and she talks specifically about the New Catch Holland Herring.

Reichl’s anecdote about her parents is tender and touching, and her description of the taste of these prized herring is perfect too:

“My father claimed that my mother seduced him with herring-and then never served it again. He loved that fish, and he waited eagerly each year for the New Catch Holland Herring to arrive. If you think about the delicate flavor of sashimi compared with cooked fish, you get some idea of the New Catch’s subtlety. The taste is both sweet and briny, and the texture has a remarkably tender, almost buttery quality. The season will be over in a couple of weeks, but you can order New Catch now from Russ & Daughters. If Dad were still around, I know exactly what I’d be getting him for Father’s Day.”

-Jen Snow