Worthy of the Onion, But True

[akirlu]

What foodstuff is so putrid that the neighbors phone in to report the smell as a dangerous gas leak in the building? When is just opening a canned delicacy for a party enough summon the fire department, the police, and an emergency gas leak team to your front door? When the delicacy in question is surströmming. Yes, opening a can of surströmming can make the neighbors fear for their lives. Lutfisk has nothing on this stuff, I tell you.

A tip of the hat to Larry Sanderson for calling my attention to the article.

Comments

[athenais.livejournal.com]

I don't think I'm Swedish-adjacent enough to try surströmming. Gah!

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

I am not sufficiently Swedish-adjacent to try it, and I was born there. I'm not gonna try the Icelandic rotted shark meat thing, either.

[holyoutlaw.livejournal.com]

There go my plans for a surströmming and durian party, then.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Well, such a party wouldn't be complete without Hakarl anyway.

[madwriter.livejournal.com]

Now I'm curious to see if my cats would eat it.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Good luck finding it in the US. If by some strange happenstance, you do find it, please be aware that even Swedes who do like the stuff typically only eat surströmming during summery weather, when it can be eaten out of doors, otherwise the smell can permeate curtains and upholstery and carpets. They also typically open the can of fish while holding it submerged in a bucket of water, to keep the smell contained.

[jophan.livejournal.com]

I have learned to be able to eat small quantities of the stuff without getting sick. Just very small quantities. The wife loves it, though. It is indeed not fit for human consumption (although the article is incorrect in equaling fermented with rotten).