A flounder with character: Meet the meaty original from West Jutland

Let’s talk about the amazing fjord flounder!

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This fish is something special—totally its own thing. In fact, the fjord flounder from Ringkøbing Fjord and the sea flounder from the West Coast are as different as dab and plaice.

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Why is that? Well, it's all down to the unique way Ringkøbing Fjord was formed. Originally, it was a bay, but over thousands of years, drifting sand nearly sealed off its opening. By the late 1800s, it was almost cut off completely, which would have been a disaster for the animal life in the fjord—and for the fishers too. That’s why they decided to dig a canal to safeguard the outflow once and for all. Now, only a trickle of saltwater gets in, and the fjord flounder has been left to develop its own little genetic branch—a true niche fish and a textbook case of Darwin’s theory of evolution.

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If you ever catch a flounder from the North Sea outside the dunes, and a fjord flounder from inside the dunes, you’ll see the difference. Fjord flounders are a lot more meaty than their sea cousins. They're shorter and a deep, dark green, with almost black or dark grey fins. Their skin is nearly smooth, with just a thin strip of rough scales along the backbone. The West Coast flounders, by comparison, are long, much leaner, and their skin is pale and rough—true sea survivors, used to fighting other flatfish for food.

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But the biggest difference of all is in the taste. Sure, a sea flounder tastes great, but a fjord flounder from Ringkøbing Fjord? Out of this world. There’s so much fantastic food for them in the shallow water, and the fjord is largely spared from oxygen depletion, so the bottom teems with life.

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Locals call them flynder—or “Æ flynde”, if you want to sound like a true West Jutlander!

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Unlike other flounders, the fjord flounder is already in season and good and plump in May—ready to jump straight onto your menu.

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I have to say—I just love flounders!