Rubbish, that stuff is for wossies.
"Lutefisk" is the real deal. (Basically rotten cod treated with sodium hydroxide). Once tasted, never forgotten.
Swedish cops who rushed last Saturday to a block of flats in Stockholm after concerned residents alerted emergency services of a possible gas leak, found that the tremendous whiff was actually down to fermented herring. Officers backed by two fire trucks and an "emergency gas leak team" swooped on the Södermalm building's …
Eating durian fruit has been described as being like eating the food of the gods with your head over an open sewer.
Normally I am quite happy to try local dishes, but some local dishes are local for a very simple reason: nobody else in their right mind would consider eating it. Alternatively, the locals are masochists on a diet (to quote Arthur Dent speaking to a nutrimatic machine). I think I will give this Swedish "delicacy" a pass.
Ah, that brings back memories of Malaysia, me sitting there with a nice ripe Durian ready to chow down on it - the wife running around in circles with a cloth over her face desperately trying not to throw-up.
Yumm.
Why did I eat it - same answer as why we climb mountains - machoism and because it was there !
I normally keep mine in the fridge for a couple of years or so to mature, I've got four tins there at moment. A tin should be opened in a bucket of water to stop it spitting in your eye. And outside of course; opening tins of it inside building is for tourists and amateurs. Presumably it was one such person who was responsible for the alert in question.
I thought the whole point was to keep it at room temperature so that it "matures" faster!
As for opening it under water - that's for wimps. Opening the tin outdoors (after the lid has risen the requisite 2cm) does send flies and mosquitoes seeking other less smelly locales which at least reduces some of the other risks of eating outside during the swedish summertime.
How long are we talking? Months or years?
A nicely placed in in the false ceiling of the bosses office may nice. Replaced by a 'fresh' tin every so often so it doesn't go off while I still work here.
Hell, it doesn't even need to be in his office, anywhere would have the same effect.
Cans of surströmming are banned on flights for all too-obvious reasons.
Well-prepared hákarl can clear a restaurant. This summer a friend (foolishly) wanted to try it. Despite my protestations, and those of the restaurant owner - who said 'it's terrible!' he got his half dozen cubes of shark, picked one up on a cocktail stick and started chewing, and chewing and chewing - because not only is it appalling to taste and to smell - it has the consistency of an insole. Then the horror began, one cube fell from the cocktail stick and bounced on to the floor (and my how it bounced). You know those movies where the hand grenade rolls through a room with people diving to avoid the blast until the hero throws themself on it and grabs the lever? Like that except replace 'hand grenade' with 'shark' and 'hero' with 'plucky Icelandic waitress'.
There is something even worse, the Icelandic festival of Þorláksmessa (23rd December) features picked putrefying skate topped off with hamsatólg - melted sheep fat. Many of those who chow down on hákarl, wolf down the sheep's testicles and think nothing of sucking on the eyeball in a half-sheep's head refuse to try the skate.
When Jamie Oliver did a tour of Sweden, he was also invited to a surströmmingsskiva (held outdoors, as previously noted is the right way).
IIRC, he said about the same thing as most people do, it smells horrible, but once you eat the surströmming rather than just sniff it, it is quite enjoyable.
I for one prefer my herrings pickled. Accompanied by Skåne Akvavit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickled_herring
Ah yes, now we are talking. Sursild, sennepsild, tomatsild and any number of other delicious local recipes/versions - and they don't stink! I have say though that my choice of beverage to go with them is Trondheim Jubileum Akvavit (ice cold for my personal preference), the combination with the aforementioned delicacies is "snadder" as they say up here.
Yum.
Surströmming has a slightly sweet taste. As noted, once you ignore the stench, it tastes delicious. It does take a little practice separating your olfactory from your gustatory sensations.
(Tunnbröd is Swedish flatbread and comes in crisp and soft varieties. Traditionally it is baked and eaten in the northern half of the country.)
Everyone knows Swedish pirates love surströmming.
I just tried the fish a month ago with several folks. Somebody had brought the contraband from Sweden.
Some couldn't stand the smell at all and had to stand away when the can was finally opened. You can't open it with a normal opener, they use thicker metal. Otherwise it would blow up on its own.
I did try eating it, but could not get myself to push it down the throat. As soon as I tried moving it down my tongue there was a gag reflex. Couldn't say it tasted any good either. Some tried several pieces, no fans though.
Remarkably vodka tasted like water afterwards. Good idea to disinfect your mouth.
Maybe they meant it smelt like gas in the sense of passing gas?