Polish herring and vodka consumption fall together
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
13.03.2014 08:30
A record low in Polish herring consumption has been attributed in part to the declining fashion for drinking vodka.
Photo: wikipedia
The consumption of herring in Poland reached its lowest level in twenty years in 2013, falling to 1.94 kg per person.
Herring accompanied by shots of vodka has been a staple of the Polish gastronomic repertoire since time immemorial.
The fish is typically served cold in oil or sour cream, but herring is increasingly getting relegated to one-off days such as Shrove Tuesday.
“We're drinking more and more wine and beer, and herring does not suit these drinks as a starter,” commented Krzysztof Hryszko from the Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics.
During the 1990s, after the fall of communism, few wines were readily available at affordable prices in Poland, with the cheapest Hungarian and Bulgarian exports predominating.
Until 2000, annual herring consumption in Poland was over 3kg per person, and over the last 13 years it has dropped by over as third.
Besides the decline in the popularity of vodka, falling herring sales have also been attributed to the wider variety of fish that is now available to Polish consumers. (nh)
Source: Puls Biznesu