Herring . . . a fish, of course, but also a food staple for
many cultures all over the world. But
this excellent source of protein and nutrients spoils quickly and must be
preserved in some manner almost as soon as they are caught.
Before freezing was available, the only practical way to
preserve the fish was cure them by means of salting and smoking. Preserved in this manner the herring can keep
for months but have to be softened and desalinated (by means of soaking) to
make them edible once again.
Although the flesh of the fish is white, when the fish is heavily
cured (up to 10 days) it turns a deep crimson color . . . and gets pretty
stinky, as well. From this we get red
herring . . . the food product and the
idiom . . . something that distracts
attention from the real issues. But how
does the fish relate to this expression?
A popular English journalist of the early 1800’s wrote a fictional
story about how as a boy he had used a red herring as a decoy to deflect hounds
chasing after a hare. He further used
this story as a metaphor to criticize other members of the press who printed misinformation
without the benefit of verifying the facts leading to domestic complacency in
the face of external threats . . . namely; falsely reporting that Napoleon had
been defeated and therefore was no longer a threat to the nation.
He wrote “It was a mere transitory effect of the political
red-herring; for the scent became as cold as a stone.”
He repeated this story enough that the symbolic implication of
‘red herring’ became well-established.
The unfortunate result is that people also began to believe that laying
a false trail of stinky fish was a normal practice amongst huntsmen.
Homemade Strawberry Lemonade
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup of Water
1 Pint Fresh
Strawberries
1 Cup Fresh Lemon
Juice (About 8 Lemons)
5 Cups Cold Water
Make a simple
syrup by combining the sugar with 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Place over
medium heat and heat until the sugar in completely dissolved; swirl the pan
occasionally. Let cool.
Once the simple
syrup has cooled, puree strawberries in a blender with ½ cup water.
In a large
pitcher, combine strawberry puree, simple syrup and lemon juice.
Add 5 cups of cold
water. The amount of water you use will depend on your taste, so add as little
or as much as you want to achieve your perfect sweet/tart balance.
Serve over ice.
Men still have to be governed by deception
