Schillerlocke: Useful Information And Kitchen Tips

A delicacy that is being eaten less and less these days. For good reason. But what is the Schillerlocke? What fish does it come from? What does it have to do with one of Germany’s most famous poets and why is it considered problematic? Read everything you need to know here.

Worth knowing about Schillerlocken

The origin of the Schillerlocke is the abdominal flap of the spiny dogfish. When it is smoked, it twists in such a way that the delicacy is reminiscent of Friedrich Schiller’s famous nape curl, including the curvature at one end. In order to achieve the corresponding result, a Schillerlocke must be smoked. At the same time, their production and consumption are considered problematic. Because the Schillerlocke comes from a fish that is listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. In other words: the dogfish is threatened by overfishing, which is why (not only) environmental organizations are calling for the Schillerlocke to be abandoned. In the meantime, however, there are Schillerlocken substitutes. For example, a similar look can be achieved by smoking tilapia fillets. At the same time, there are locks of dogfish from stocks in countries that pay close attention to catch quotas and thus want to counteract the danger of the dogfish becoming extinct – although the benefit has not been proven.

Shopping and kitchen tips for Schillerlocken

Since the Schillerlocke is made from the flesh of an endangered fish species, it is best to always ask about its origin when shopping. This way you can find out whether the fish was caught according to controlled quotas. But even that is no guarantee against overfishing. In principle, the Schillerlocke is finding its way into different recipes less and less anyway due to the threat of dogfish. It was traditionally eaten in a fish roll, for example, although you can try our baked fish roll as an alternative. Instead of smoked shark, smoked salmon is a good choice.

Tip: If you like eating fish and would like to find out more, you will also find interesting facts about canned fish here.