Synopses

They are revered among fish lovers as a delicacy; but despite their prominence they remain incognito. The world renowned "Kieler Sprotten" are victims of an historical misunderstanding. For, their homeland is not Kiel, the capital city of of Schleswig-Holstein. Instead, they hail from the Baltic Sea village of Eckernförde. It was there that the smoking techniques were developed to transform the otherwise uninteresting fish into the yellow-golden specialty known today. Mere decades ago, 40 firms ensured that the small coastal village was always encased in smoke. Today Bernd Kruse is the only remaining full-time "Raüchermeister" (- master-smoker) in Eckernförde. The film follows Master Kruse through his daily life; and he takes every chance to correct the historic mistake.