A herring is a small, silver-colored fish that lives in huge groups called schools in the cold waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Herring have been one of the most important fish in human history. For centuries, fishing villages along European coasts depended on herring catches to survive the winter, preserving the fish by salting, smoking, or pickling them.

These fish swim together in schools that can contain millions of individuals, creating a shimmering wall of silver that confuses predators. When threatened, the entire school turns and moves as one, like a massive underwater cloud.

In cooking, herring appears in many forms: smoked kippers for breakfast in Britain, pickled herring in Scandinavia, or matjes herring in the Netherlands. The strong, distinctive flavor isn't for everyone, but herring provides excellent nutrition and has fed countless generations.

The phrase red herring means something that distracts from the real issue. It comes from the practice of using smoked herring (which turns reddish-brown) to train hunting dogs or throw them off the scent. In mystery stories, a red herring is a false clue that leads detectives in the wrong direction. If someone brings up an irrelevant topic during an argument, you might say they're introducing a red herring to avoid the actual question.