This week's nose-curling Stinky Foods star is sürstromming, a canned delicacy made of herring that's been fermented for several months. Surströmming is native to northern Sweden, and is one of the most malodorous edibles we've featured thus far. Read on for 10 weird facts about surströmming.
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1. Surströmming cans are banned from some airlines due to their explosive nature.
The fermented herring builds up so much pressure inside the tin cans that they expand and bulge over time, causing some airlines to deem them an explosive safety hazard.
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2. Surströmming has its own museum.
Fiskevistet opened on June 4, 2005, and is to date the only museum dedicated to surströmming. It's located in Skeppsmalen, north of the High Coast.
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3. Open surströmming outdoors, but eat it indoors.
Locals recommend opening surströmming outdoors or under a stream of water to lessen the ill effects of the built-up pressure inside the can. As the fermented herring attracts flies, however, you're better off taking the surströmming inside to eat it.
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4. Surströmming has a super-straightforward name.
The word "surströmming" literally translates to "fermented Baltic herring." No surprises there!
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5. You don't need to be in Sweden to eat surströmming.
People with daring palates can buy surströmming online to hold their own "Bizarre Foods" adventures or freak out friends at parties.
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6. It smells like sweat and rotten cheese.
In 2008, Swedish police investigated a bizarre case of surströmming being used as a grenade. Mike Richards, who contributed to The Register's coverage, described the smell as "composted gorgonzola in a Viking's jock strap."
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7. A common myth dates surströmming back to the 16th century.
As the myth goes, Swedish sailors who'd run low on salt to preserve their fish allegedly sold the rotten meat to Finnish islanders, who ended up liking it.
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8. Surströmming is commonly eaten with bread and potatoes.
Swedes eat surströmming with almond-shaped boiled potatoes and a thin, hard slice of bread. Beer, aquavit or milk are common beverage pairings. Some can stomach the dish despite its smell, but others must rinse the fish off in soda water first.
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9. Surströmming was once used as evidence in court.
In 1981, the landlord in an eviction court case opened a can of surströmming inside the courtroom to demonstrate that the tenant, who was evicted for spreading surströmming brine in the building's staircase, subjected fellow tenants to a stench far beyond that which is reasonable to tolerate. The court ruled in favor of the landlord.
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August is the "season" of sour herring.
Herring caught in the spring hits the market as surströmming at the end of August. Diehard surströmming eaters won't go for this year's catch, though; instead, they'll eat last year's surströmming, citing its maturation and tenderness.
Editor's note: Stinky Foods is a new weekly series that focuses on unusually pungent foods from around the world. Tune in next week for a new smelly delicacy.