Row-Ryb on ul. Bursztynowa cold-smokes long-matured salmon using the so-called rare-smoke method in brick ovens. In season, fresh-smoked fish is also sold at stalls by the harbour.
You can buy smoked fish in Rowy at Row-Ryb, ul. Bursztynowa 4. It is the only permanent smokehouse in the village and it is open all year round. They cold smoke in brick ovens using what they call the thin smoke method, and their signature item is a long-matured salmon sold as Polish Pure Salmon. In summer you can also buy fresh fish - flounder, mackerel and sometimes eel - straight from the fishermen in the port, when the cutters come in with the catch.
Where to buy smoked fish in Rowy
Row-Ryb is the only permanent smokehouse in Rowy. The shop is at ul. Bursztynowa 4 and open all year, out of season as well. In season, stalls by the port sell freshly smoked fish too.
How the thin smoke method works
Row-Ryb cold smokes in brick ovens, using what they call the thin smoke method. The technique limits bitterness and deposits of benzopyrene, the compound that forms with traditional, dense smoke. In practice you get a fish with a milder, less smoky flavour.
Polish Pure Salmon, the long-matured smoked salmon
This is Row-Ryb's signature item. The salmon matures for longer than in the standard cold smoking process, which gives it a firm texture and a pronounced but not smoky flavour. If you buy one thing for dinner in Rowy, make it this.
Fresh fish straight from the fishermen in the port
In summer you can buy fresh fish - flounder, mackerel, sometimes eel - straight from the fishermen in the port, about a 10-minute walk from our places. It is always a lottery, though, because it depends on the weather and on whether the cutters went out to sea that day. If you want to be sure of coming back with fish, start at the shop on Bursztynowa and look in at the port while you are at it.
Where to eat smoked fish in Rowy
A few places in Rowy, among them Rybka na Słono and Chata Rybaka, smoke for their own kitchens and serve their fish on site. It is a handy option if you would rather eat the fish straight out of the oven than pack it into the fridge back at the cottage.
Opening hours and the season
The Row-Ryb shop is open all year. The port and the stalls are seasonal, depending on the weather and on whether the cutters went out to sea that day. Out of season, from late autumn through to spring, the shop on Bursztynowa is the address you can count on.
