Engelsk krönika
Type "surströmming" into YouTube and you will be met by videos of grown men (but rarely women, who are far too wise to indulge in such idiotic behavior) crying as the pungent rotting fish smell is released from those little squat tins. These videos are often set in small spaces, such as kitchens, which quite frankly is just asking for trouble.
But is the traditional Swedish dish loved by many Swedes truly deserving of such notoriety?
There is really only one way to find out and that is to try it yourself. However, my advice to newcomers is to let a Swedish friend show you the right way to go about the whole surströmming process, to save you from making the same mistakes as the aforementioned men on YouTube.
During our first summer in Vebomark, we were invited by a neighbour to have lunch, with the main course being surströmming.
The lunch was being held in honour of Oliver, a friendly Frenchman who had cycled through our village the year before and was met with the same loving kindness and heartfelt welcome that we had also received. On his return trip to Vebomark, he’d requested an introduction and lesson on how to eat this famous dish. Thank you, Oliver! I think.
The first thing to note is that you should not open a tin inside your house. Never, ever, do that.
If you can open it outside in your garden without upsetting your neighbours then do so. Once outside, try to open the tin of surströmming inside a carrier bag, or if possible, in a bucket of water.
This allows the gases and juices to escape the tin and reduces the odour that otherwise hits and burns your nostrils. Even so, the smell is so pungent you’re unlikely not to get a whiff, so steel yourself.
You can also rinse the fish too if you wish, which might make it slightly less malodorous. Now, no one is recommending that you dig into the tin, take a forkful and munch it down. That way madness (and a quick visit to the bathroom) lies. @@Rather carefully prepare the fish by skinning and deboning it – you may even need to remove some of the intestines depending on the type of tin you've bought. Sounding appetizing so far?
Then you break the fish up into small pieces, ready to be accompanied by other, much more appetizing ingredients! Buttery boiled potatoes, slices of juicy red tomatoes, a dollop or two of creme fraiche, diced onion and frills of dill, all piled on pieces of crispy flatbread are just what you need to make this dish palatable and, dare I say it, fairly tasty. @@Build a nice chunky layer of the accompanying ingredients on your flatbread, then sparingly place a few flakes of leavening on top. The trick is to use the fish as a garnish rather than whacking a full fillet on there. You'll only make that mistake once.
You are now ready for your first taste of fermented herring. Brace yourself and take a bite. Wait for the killer moment of the taste of surströmming to hit, and then let the relief -- and some shock, I'll admit -- wash over you as you realise that it doesn’t actually taste that bad.
I really quite enjoyed my first taste of surströmming. But, I have to be honest, I politely declined a second helping.
This is a column and the views are the author's own.
This column was originally published at norran.se/english, the English part of norran.se.