fish

Fish

The small town of IJmuiden really breathes fish. With its own fish auction, fishing fleet and numerous fish trading companies, IJmuiden is rightfully one of the leading fishing ports in the Netherlands.

The story of the fishing industry in IJmuiden began more than a century ago when the North Sea Canal was opened. Thanks to so many years of experience, IJmuiden’s fish companies know how to produce an authentic and high-quality regional product like no other. Almost all disciplines from catching to processing can be found in the port. When it comes to fish, IJmuiden has a fascinating story to tell, in which a real regional product, the best and freshest “North Sea fish” plays the leading role.

Fishery IJmuiden

The story of the best North Sea fish from IJmuiden is still not known to the general public. Various fishing companies have united in the Noordzeevis uit IJmuiden Foundation with the aim of bringing the a much larger audience to IJmuiden to experience and above all, taste the best fish!

One of the newest attractions in IJmuiden (completed in the last quarter of 2020) is the “Viskade” or “Fish Quay“. This beautifully landscaped square is within walking distance of both the Felison Terminal (13 minutes) and the Felison Cruise Terminal (30 minutes). The quay offers a marvelous view of the always busy fishing port and the surrounding restaurants and cafeterias offer a wide choice of the best the sea has to offer. You can sit down at one of the restaurants for a scrumptious lunch or great dinner but you can also do as the locals do, order something and eat outside at the waterfront. Insider tip: what you really should taste is IJmuiden’s delicacy “kibbeling” (see below).

Be aware of the ever-present, cheeky seagulls as they will certainly do their best to take something away from you as soon as they see something edible!


Kibbeling 
is a tasty and typical Dutch snack consisting of battered chunks of fish, commonly served with a mayonnaise-based garlic sauce or tartar sauce.

The story goes that just after World War II, people from all over the region (and especially from Amsterdam) came to IJmuiden to eat something tasty because in those days there were very few opportunities to do something nice.

Because of the full but not really "fishy" taste and the fact that there are no fishbones in it, "kibbeling" quickly became extremely popular for both young and old. To this day many people from "outside" come to IJmuiden to enjoy the freshest fish, especially the famous kibbeling.

The best (and therefore most expensive) kibbeling is made from pieces of cod. The cheaper (but also tasty) variant is made from Alaska pollock.