Surströmming (sour fish): what it smells like and how to eat it right

There are enough dishes and products in the world that cause disgust or mixed feelings. This also applies to surströmming. The delicacy is a rotten fish. It is eaten by Swedes and is considered a fermented fish as a gourmet meal.

Surströmming: what it is, what it tastes and smells like

Origin story

The rotten fish, which makes many people disgusted, appeared a long time ago. According to legend, the Swedish King Gustav Vegas during the war with the Germans ordered to prepare such a product that could be stored for a long time. At the same time to cook it was necessary to use as little salt as possible. The reason was that the country was in a food shortage at the time, and there was no way to use up the excess.

Any product that was cooked with a minimum amount of salt would begin to ferment and go bad. Such was the case with herring. But in wartime, people had no choice but to start eating such a dish.

Fish cooked in this way did not have a rotten taste, but was sour. It was more reminiscent of a product that had already gone sour. News of the new, unusual dish quickly spread throughout the country. Even the poor could now afford to cook such a herring. Salt was expensive at the time, and for the preparation of surströmming a minimum amount of it was required.

This method of preserving fish was a real salvation for people. After the war, the dish has not lost its popularity, and today it is offered to tourists and guests.

How to cook a delicacy

In order for the product to turn out not rotten, but exactly sour, in the process of cooking, several rules are adhered to:

1. Fishing herring Catches herring in April. For making preparations goes small fish.
2. The product is thoroughly cleaned from the innards, fins, roe.
3. The fish is placed in wooden barrels. Another container is not suitable, because the fermentation process will not proceed as it should.
4. The fish is poured with a special solution of salt. It includes sugar and a few spices. The exact recipe for the cod-liquor (brine) is not disclosed, and it is a secret.
5. After a couple of days, the herring is transferred to other barrels and poured into a weak salt solution. The souring process takes two months, during which the product becomes tender and soft, but not crumbly.

To determine whether the product is ready, a knock on the barrel. If the sound is loud and muffled, and bubbles rise to the surface, the herring is ready to be eaten. Then it is placed in tin cans and rolled up.

What does it smell like?

The smell of surströmming is similar to rotten eggs. It is very pungent and unpleasant. Many people are disgusted by the aroma alone. It is this that most often stops many thrill-seekers from trying the product.

Cans of rotten fish are banned in many shipping companies because they can explode during transport. Also, they are not served in some restaurants because of the horrible smell.

What it tastes like.

Many describe the taste of surströmming as quite good and even pleasant, both rich and subtle, spicy and salty.

The benefits and harms of rotten herring

It seems that there is no benefit at all in a rotten product, it can only cause harm. But this is not entirely true.

Are there any benefits

Surströmming, when properly consumed, can bring benefits to the body. In the stewed herring retains some of the useful substances, such as calcium and magnesium, phosphorus and iron. These trace elements have beneficial effects on the body and help strengthen bones, hair and nails.

What harm can come from

The use of rotten herring in some cases can cause irreparable harm to health. Eating herring in large quantities is strictly forbidden.

First of all, it causes digestive disorders. This is expressed in the occurrence of pain, bloating and flatulence. Also the use of low-quality product, cooked with violations of the rules of canning, leads to severe poisoning. If symptoms occur, you should immediately call an ambulance and flush the stomach.

How to eat surströmming properly

Before eating rotten fish, you need to know how to open the can properly. The whole point is that the product exudes a horrible and nauseating smell.

You need to open it outside. The fish will air out there, and the smell will not be so terrible. You can also do this by putting the jar in cold water. This will prevent the oil from splashing and spreading the nauseating aroma.

Before eating herring, it should be peeled from the skin and thoroughly rinsed under cold running water.

With what to combine

Eat surströmming can be eaten with almost any food. It goes well with black bread, potatoes. But it is strictly forbidden to eat with milk and any dairy products, fruit and tomatoes. This will lead to severe digestive distress.

Swedes eat the delicacy with beer or schnapps. Eat the product by hand or in the form of sandwiches with butter or cheese.

What mistakes are made when tasting

Many spicy lovers taste the dish incorrectly. When tasting most often make the following mistakes:

1. Improperly opening the jar. Open it the usual way, like all canned foods, you should not. The fact is that the contents of the container, when the pressure changes, will spurt out and splash all around. As a result, it will be impossible to get rid of the nauseating smell quickly. Before opening it, you need to put it in cold water and make a hole, thereby normalizing the pressure.
2. Eat directly from the can. Do not consume the product immediately from the can. Fish should be rinsed under cold water. Many people recommend wrapping it in pita bread or putting it on a piece of black bread. It can also be eaten with potatoes. This way, the smell and taste will not be so disgusting.

Surströmming is an interesting dish that many foodies like. You have to eat it right. Only in this way you can feel the real taste of the product.

Where to buy and how much it costs

You can buy this delicacy only in Sweden. The most popular company specializing in the manufacture of such canned food is Oskars. They use herring caught in the Baltic Sea. The finished product exudes a slight aroma of rot. A jar costs about 2,300 rubles.

As a result of the fact that rotten herring is a rather specific product, it is not made for wide distribution. In Russia you can buy surströmming only at online stores that specialize in goods from Sweden. It is also possible to meet a Norwegian-made product. It is not a fake, but only a counterpart, prepared according to a similar recipe. The cost of one can varies between 2,500 and 3,500 rubles.

How to cook surtremming at home

It is not always possible to buy a rotten fish cooked according to a special recipe. But it is not difficult to make it at home. For this you will need:

• 1 kg of small herring or herring;
• 250 grams of salt;
• 50 grams of sugar;
• 2 liters of water.

From the fish remove all the insides, cut off the head and fins. It will need to be put in a mash. It is a special solution that is prepared from water, salt and sugar. The fish is placed in a glass jar that has a tight lid, then pour the brine. The jar is placed in the refrigerator and left for two weeks. After 14 days, the fish should be taken out. If the meat is easily separated from the bone, then it is ready for canning. It is rolled up as a simple canning. You can taste the cooked product after a couple of months.

Similar dishes

There are several dishes in the world that are somewhat similar to surströmming. All of them are considered a delicacy.

Rakfisk

A favorite dish in Norway. It is made from red fish. It is gutted, put in wooden barrels in layers and poured over with a lot of salt.

In this way, you get sauerkraut red fish, which exudes a pungent and unpleasant smell. It tastes quite pleasant, tender and spicy. It is eaten as a spoonful, and in combination with other products.

Haukarl

Haukarl is made from the Greenlandic polar shark. It lives in very cold waters at great depths. As a result, its body is constantly exposed to extremely low temperatures. It has been found that the shark is able to survive even in sub-zero temperatures. To prevent ice crystals from forming in the tissues, the body accumulates trimethylaminoxide and urea in large quantities. The fish is considered inedible to all predators. Its meat can cause death (severe poisoning). But the Scandinavians, during the famine period after the wars, found a way to use this product as well.

The shark is gutted and all the excess is cut off. They put sand in the cavity of the carcass and then bury it on the coast. After 10-12 weeks it is dug up, separated into small pieces and dried in suspension for 4 months. After that, after removing the crust, it can be eaten. The meat has a slight smell of ammonia, but is very tasty and tender.

Smelly omul

The dish has gained popularity in European countries as well, but it was invented in the North. This fish is popular with the Yakuts. It is cooked in the same way as surströmming. Only omul is used. Salt is added in small quantities, and the product is put in layers in oak barrels, pouring them over.

Then the container is left in the cellar or buried in the ground. They dig it up and open it in the spring. It also has an unpleasant pungent smell, but a delicate consistency.

Lutefisk

Cooked in about the same way as polar shark. The dish is popular in Scandinavia, Finland and Sweden. Earlier cod was used for cooking, but today sea pike is used. The smell of fish is disgusting, but the meat is quite tender and soft.

Surströmming is a Swedish delicacy that has a terrible smell. But it is very popular with fans of the exotic. You need to know how to open the can properly and eat the fish. Then the experience of eating such a dish will remain more pleasant.

Photo of the surstrumming