Surströmming (say “soor-stroh-ming”) is tinned fish from Sweden. It is fermented (put in a salty brine for two months) before the tins are sealed up and sold. The process of fermenting the fish creates a strong rotten egg smell.

Do people eat surströmming fish?

When opened, surströmming releases a strong and sometimes overwhelming odour, so it is usually eaten outside. Surströmming are normally eaten at the end of August, but I’ve met Swedes who like to bury a can outside in snow and eat some at Christmas!

What is the surströmming fish?

Surströmming is made from Baltic sea herring, which is fermented in a weak brine for at least six months. It’s lightly salted in the can to prevent it from rotting. Those brave enough to try often eat small pieces in a flatbread wrap along with waxy potatoes, sour cream, red onion, chives and dill.

What does surströmming fish taste like?

What does surströmming taste like? Well, the Swedes are right – it really doesn’t taste as bad as it smells. Unsurprisingly, it has a fishy flavour, but with the sharp tang of a good blue cheese. It’s certainly is an acquired taste, but most Swedes love it – and you may well come to enjoy it as well.

Can surströmming make you sick?

Can surströmming make you sick? Thanks to the association with rotted fish, many people wonder “is surströmming safe to eat?” or whether the food will make them sick. First of all, surströmming is completely safe, as the fish is fermented, not rotten.

What is surströmming used for?

Surströmming is commonly served with snaps, light beers like pilsner or lager, svagdricka (a type of small beer), water, or cold milk. What to drink with surströmming is disputed among connoisseurs. Surströmming is usually served as the focus of a traditional festivity called a surströmmingsskiva.

Should surströmming be refrigerated?

Surströmming should always be refrigerated even when unopened – and must only be opened outdoors.

What does surströmming taste like Reddit?

It is salty, sharp and fishy. One needs to remember that surströmming is to be eaten as you would eat many smelly cheeses – in small amounts, with plenty of accessories.

Can you eat surströmming?

How to eat surströmming like a local: As the tin is pressurised, open the surströmming in a basin of water. Wash it, gut it, and wrap it in buttered tunnbröd, a type of sweetened flat bread, with slices of almond potatoes and diced onion. Accompany with beer, snaps and lots of friends.

What is the world’s smelliest food?

Surströmming is an infamous Swedish delicacy made of fermented Baltic sea herring. In spring, the spawning fish are caught between Sweden and Finland, then the heads are removed and the bodies are stored in a series of salted water solutions.

What does lutefisk taste like?

Generally speaking, people say lutefisk tastes mildly fishy, with a soapy aftertaste and a hint of ammonia on the palate, though there seems to be a lot of variation of its description based on whether people are fans of the stuff or not.

Can you bring surströmming on a plane?

A tin of surströmming undoubtedly makes for a novel souvenir, but before you start filling your suitcases with the stuff be warned; several airlines, including BA, have banned it on the grounds that the pressurised tins could explode on board.