14th Century
Willem Beukelszoon discovered a method of preserving herring that involved gutting the fish but leaving part of the stomach and internal organs — “pyloric caecae” — intact. These organs would continue to emit an enzyme called trypsin, enabling the fish to be preserved in brine for up to two years. This method was superb in that vessels could pickle the herring at sea, enabling sailors to endure longer trading voyages. It was so pivotal a discovery that the Dutch came to dominate the salt herring trade for centuries, giving the Christians something to eat on Fridays and fast days. Even today, pickled herring eaten in a single gulp from head to tail is a celebrated dish in that nation.
How fortunate it is that someone figured out how to put salt on a fish in a boat.
This important event is celebrated in a church window. (Republic of Amsterdam Radio.)
Steam Spiegel 
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