Swedish delicacy rotten fish. Rotten dishes or smelly delicacies. What it is

The national dishes of each country have a special character, inherent only to a certain people. Often, delicacies from other countries can seem quite unattractive to us, especially if they have a pronounced rotten smell like the Swedish herring “surströmming”. As with any particular dish, those who have tried surströmming can have two opinions - some love it, others hate it.

What it is?

For the production of the famous “Swedish rotten herring”, not herring is used at all, as many might think, but Baltic large Baltic herring. Surstromming (Swedish) is made in an unusual way for fish - fermentation, which is more often used for harvesting vegetables. In the description of surströmming, you can often hear such colorful words as "rotten fish", "fish not the first freshness" or "second-rate herring". All these epithets are fundamentally wrong, since only fish of the very first grade is used for the production of this dish, which must be freshly caught and not frozen. The term "rotten" is also not suitable for describing this dish, since the processes that occur during fermentation are fundamentally different from decomposition processes.

Therefore, this dish does not pose any threat to the digestion of consumers.

The history of this dish has about five centuries, in the XVI century there were hard times for the Swedish people., famine and war. There were a lot of fish, but there was a catastrophic lack of salt for salting. Therefore, once unsalted herring turned sour, and in the absence of other products, people began to use herring "with a smell." People liked the taste of this dish much more than the smell. For a long time, pickled herring was consumed only by the poorest segments of the population. But over time, things improved in the country, and the traditional dish remained, it was also tasted by the more affluent segments of society. Since then, surströmming has become the national dish of Sweden.

The smell of surströmming is reminiscent of rotten eggs; the aroma of this dish contains a large amount of hydrogen sulfide. The taste is described by gourmets as spicy with sourness, similar to herring salted with spices. Due to its "fragrant" qualities in Sweden, a large number of hotels forbid the consumption of surströmming inside their rooms. Not so long ago, Swedish airports also banned the transportation of “rotten herring” in luggage, since fermented fish can explode during shaking suitcases, which will be a huge nuisance not only for the owner of the suitcase with fish, but also for many neighboring bags.

Surströmming production

Previously, herring was used for the production of surströmming, but already in modern times they began to use herring - it has fewer bones, it is more convenient to preserve it entirely in metal cans. Mass production of Swedish rotten herring began in the 19th century, when the demand for it increased significantly, it was at that time that the decision was made to replace herring with herring. The production of surströmming must obey strict rules:

herring is caught in the spring - in April;
the fish is decapitated and gutted, if there is caviar, it is left;
herring is placed in a strong saline solution, it stays in it for 2 days, after which it is washed and sent to another brine;
a special marinade is prepared, consisting of sugar, salt and spices, the secret of which is not given out;
in this brine, the fish sour for 2 months;
in the middle of summer, the fish is sorted into cans and sealed, but the fermentation process does not stop - it continues even after packaging, so the cans with surströmming are always swollen;
canned fermented fish should be stored in the refrigerator.

The first herring processing plant and the production of sour fish was located on the Swedish island of Ulven.

Each manufacturer of surströmming has its own individual brine recipe, and the spices used, as well as the concentration of salt and sugar, differ in it. A fresh catch of surströmming appears on sale at the end of August, but true connoisseurs of this dish love to eat fish from last year's season. They say that it is in the herring that has stood for a year that the tastes of this delicacy are especially revealed.

Use in cooking

Before you taste the Swedish delicacy, you need to decide on how to open the can, as it is under pressure due to the constantly ongoing fermentation process inside. The danger lies in the fact that the "aromatic" oil, in which the fish is preserved, leaves its smell for many months to come when it comes into contact with any surface. The first method is to lower the jar under water and open it right in the water. This way you will avoid splashing oil on your clothes and the kitchen table. The second method is to open the jar outdoors.

So the herring will have time to ventilate a little, and then you will calmly bring the jar into the room and start serving.

Before eating surströmming, it is advisable to rinse it under the tap, and remove the skin from the fish. The simplest and most classic dish with sauerkraut is a slice of black bread smeared with butter, on top of which a fish is laid out, and topped with a piece of boiled potato. Optionally, on top, you can add onions or green onions, as well as sour berries, such as lingonberries. Some people like to use surstromming just in the fresh air right out of a tin. The Swedes themselves use "rotten herring" as an appetizer for beer or schnapps.

If you are new to eating delicious sauerkraut, then I can only advise you to try surströmming in a restaurant or cafe, where you can serve this dish in real Swedish traditions, and you don’t have to bother with opening a can, inhaling hydrogen sulfide amber. In Sweden, almost every institution has dishes with “rotten” herring in its menu, because this is a real pride, a delicacy national product. The Swedes themselves use pickled fish not only for sandwiches, but also add it to various snacks and salads.

Recipe

Many lovers of the Swedish delicacy are often interested in whether it is possible to cook pickled herring at home? Although the composition of the surstromming brine is kept in the strictest confidence by the manufacturers, there are recipes for home-made "rotten" fish.

Classic recipe

Ingredients:

1 kilogram of fish (herring or herring, selected, high quality);
0.25 kg of salt (not iodized);
0.05 kg of sugar;
2 liters of water.

Salt, sugar and water are used to make brine (this is the name of the brine in which the fish is soaked). Before cooking, the fish must be decapitated and cleaned of the insides, and then rinsed well. The fish is placed in a convenient container (non-metallic) and filled with brine, after which it must be transferred to a cool place (about 15 degrees). After 2 weeks, you can check the fish for readiness - for this you just need to try to separate the meat from the bones - if it easily leaves, then the surstromming is ready. Otherwise, he will need to stand still and “ripen”. Such a fish is cooked up to 2 months, depending on the conditions in which it will be. But there is also a quick recipe for the especially impatient.

Quick Recipe

Ingredients:

1 kilogram of fish;
0.1 kilograms of salt;
50 ml of water;
0.1 liters of table vinegar;
vegetable oil;
onions, carrots - optional.

The fish is decapitated, cleaned of the insides and washed under running water. We rub the carcasses of the fish with salt and place them in a container of suitable size. Leave in this state at room temperature for 2 days. After 2 days, the fish must be removed, washed and cut into pieces. Put the pieces in a container in layers, between which you can add chopped vegetables. Add vinegar, oil and water. We withstand another 2-3 hours and get surströmming in a hurry.

How to eat Surströmming correctly, see the video below.

The Swedes assure that what smells disgusting is actually very tasty. “Gentle” and “delicate”, say those who have tried it. Summer is the season of surströmming, and we decided to tell you why this delicacy should not be so afraid.

Surströmming is one of the ten most unpleasant dishes in the world. However, this product with a difficult to pronounce name is nothing more than a simple fermented herring. Or rather, the Baltic herring. Sur here is "sour", "fermented", strömming is "Baltic herring".

Whom to believe? Gourmets who recommend trying this delicacy at all costs and awakening new taste buds, or a sense of self-preservation? It will surely remind of itself to those who inhale the contents of the jar for the first time. The pungent, pronounced smell of a rotten, long-rotten product, as it were, warns: do you really want to eat it?

Remember the famous Asian fruit durian? Surströmming could well be called "Swedish Durian". When you try to eat it ... tears well up in your eyes, a lump rolls up in your throat. As if suddenly an attack of seasickness began, and you are a passenger on a ship whose captain went fishing for Baltic herring in a severe storm. And this is not a weakness of the nervous system of a visiting tourist. In fairness, it should be noted that in Sweden itself, not every resident is a fan of the product. Therefore, sitting at a large buffet, you can often meet those who avoid canned food. Mostly it is the younger generation.

Why do they eat it?

Surströmming was "invented" in the 16th century, during the Swedish-German war, when the country was overtaken by a food crisis. Salt became scarce, and its quantity in canned food had to be reduced. The soldiers were the first to taste the fermented fish, followed by the peasants and the entire nation. Many generations have become accustomed to specific food. And now, when pickled herring is no longer needed for survival, eating it is either a tribute to tradition or a conscious choice.

Until 1998, by decree of the king, banks could not be opened until the third Thursday of August. That is, no one ate the product daily. But on the day of surströmming (every third Thursday of August), you can find it in almost every home. True connoisseurs prefer to feast on last year's catch with a more mature taste.

The secret of making

Small fish are caught in April. At the factory, internal organs and heads are removed from it, sometimes leaving eggs. To get rid of fat and blood, the product is placed in barrels with a highly concentrated salt solution of brine. This process takes several days. The fish spends the next couple of months in a weakly saline solution. She becomes very tender and soft. The final surströmming canning takes place in the summer. In the process of further fermentation, the fish acquires the smell that made it famous all over the world. Its secret is in the substances that form fish enzymes and bacteria: hydrogen sulfide, butyric, acetic and propionic acid. By the way, if you see canned food with “rounded” shapes on the shelves, they are not swollen. These are just traces of high pressure inside the jar.

Interesting Surströmming Facts
These foods will help you make friends with canned herring without losing consciousness: boiled potatoes, bread or flatbread, vegetables, butter and cheese. Many people like to wash down a fish sandwich with schnapps. In extreme cases - beer or kvass. Well, for an amateur - milk. When eating this delicacy, follow Buddhism - listen carefully to yourself and your feelings.
Banks must not be opened in the air. Canned food should be placed in a container of water and carefully perforated there (somewhere in the backyard). This will help mitigate odor, equalize pressure, and avoid splatter. After all, the fish continues to roam, even if the jar is closed.
A similar recipe for salting fish is also used in the Komi Republic. There it is called "Pechora salting", and such a dish is eaten with spoons.
The price of the product is much higher than you would expect from a jar of canned food. This is because surströmming requires special transportation conditions. For the same reason, in other countries it falls into the elite category.
The history of production has more than 500 years. Most Swedish herring enthusiasts live in the northeast of Sweden. A museum dedicated to canned food is located in Schepsmalm.
Like durian, this product is banned from many airlines.

And finally

As subtle connoisseurs of flavors say, the sharp repulsive smell of surströmming only better emphasizes its pleasant (islandish and rich) taste, contrasting with it. “Gentle” and “delicate” are not characteristics of a loved one, but epithets that are awarded to a product by its fans. The real taste of canned food is not rotten, but spicy and sour, they assure.

Swedish herring is a delicacy that will definitely not leave you indifferent. Either you like it or you absolutely don't. If you put aside all prejudices, perhaps you will be able to imbue them. You definitely won't get sick. But the aftertaste - not even in the mouth, but in the stomach - can stay with you for several days. If you get used to surströmming, then gradually. Putting several large pieces at once on bread and eating them at once, you most likely will not succeed. But if this suddenly happened, there is something to think about: perhaps there were real Vikings among your ancestors?

Perhaps, any national cuisine can boast of an unusual, even somewhat specific delicacy. And even the most sophisticated gourmets cannot always decide to try this delicacy. In some countries, these are larvae and caterpillars, in others - unusual fruits, offal or dishes. There is such a "local" delicacy in Sweden, it is called surströmming or pickled herring "with a smell".

Famine during the war

The world-famous canned fish delicacy might not have existed if not for the war that the Swedes started in the sixteenth century. Swedish ships fought for dominance of the sea with a German settlement called Lübeck. It should be noted that the fleet of Lübeck far outnumbered the number of Swedish ships. During the war, the foodstuffs necessary for the maintenance of the army were delivered at great risk and in situations of increased danger. The path was very difficult, the soldiers had fewer and fewer supplies.

Even the basis of the table of the Swedish army - herring was at that time in great short supply, not to mention salt, which was valued more than gold. In order to cash in or save money (the story is silent about this), Swedish food speculators began not to add salt to barrels of fish. Canned herring arrived at its destination already sour or even slightly rotten.

Legend has it that Swedish soldiers, exhausted by hunger and war, were at that time ready to eat any dish that smelled so disgusting. However, the sour taste and unpleasant smell even appealed to the soldiers.

The war is over, the herring remains

After the end of the war, the dish was not lost and did not disappear. The recipes used to prepare canned surströmming began to be used by the poor population of the country. Salt, as during the war, was in great short supply, but there was plenty of fish. The fermented herring was at the head of the poor table. Over time, the richer segments of the population, as they say, got to the core of surstromming. The dish has become a national delicacy. At present, all famous Swedish culinary specialists use “smelly” fish in their recipes and are very proud of their country's national culinary heritage.

It should be noted that in modern Sweden, the attitude towards canned food surströmming is rather ambiguous. Some madly love to feast on “spirited” herring, prepare various snacks and even festive salads from it. But there are those who cannot stand the terrible smell of hydrogen sulfide that this fish exudes. Despite such a confrontation, any restaurant in Sweden and even a small cafe on the outskirts has surströmming herring on its menu.

The taste is amazing and the smell...

You might even call it disgusting. According to the reviews of those who still managed to overpower themselves and try the Swedish delicacy, it turns out that the “odor” of surströmming herring is very similar to the smell that comes from very, very badly rotten chicken eggs. However, despite the repulsive aroma, many tourists dream of trying surstromming upon arrival in Sweden. What it is: love for extreme culinary delights or a tribute to fashion - is not known, but the fact remains.

The taste of the fish is very tasty. Judging by the reviews, it is very similar to ordinary canned herring, only quite salty and richly flavored with various spices. If you ever decide to try it, we advise you to do it exclusively in a restaurant. It is not allowed to buy herring "with a smell" and bring it to the hotel room. Also in Swedish airports there is a ban on the transport of this delicacy. Practically chem. weapons" or "smelly" contraband is obtained.

Herring is not a herring

Swedish surstromming. What is it really? It turns out that the name such as "spirited herring", "herring with rotten" and others are fundamentally wrong. This delicacy is prepared not from herring, but from herring. Fish for this delicacy are caught exclusively in the spring. Then they are subjected to a special fermentation in a salty-sweet brine.

The second assumption that the fish is "not the first freshness" is also incorrect. For cooking, only fresh, almost freshly caught fish is used. Experts say that only the highest quality herring is used to make surströmming. The price for this delicacy, it should be noted, is quite high, even by the standards of small Sweden.

If you buy a jar in a local store, then it will cost you about 50-70 dollars. When ordering “fragrant” herring through online suppliers, the price of surstromming will be much higher, in terms of our money. One jar of canned food can cost about 3300-3500 rubles.

Production process

How is Surströmming made? What is it from the point of view of the technological process? Firstly, as we said above, the fish is caught in a certain period and it must certainly be the first freshness. Secondly, a special “secret” brine is used for production, which consists of sugar, spices and salt. The amount of ingredients used to ferment herring is a closely guarded secret.

Fermentation takes about a month. After the fish has been cooked, it is packed into jars. Canned food already closed continues to "reach". The fermentation and fermentation process causes the jars to inflate. It's very easy to spot surstromming on store shelves. These will be jars of a rounded shape, with a slightly raised lid.

How to open a bank?

We hope you now understand what it is - surstromming. A swollen can of foul-smelling fish poses a downright threat to those who are about to set the table. How to open a jar correctly so as not to stain the rest of the dishes or your own kitchen with the “aroma” and oil inside?

There are several secrets. Some recommend opening canned food exclusively in the fresh air. But at the same time, it is not advised to serve the fish on the table in the garden or gazebo, as you run the risk of attracting flies to your table very quickly. Having opened the container in the air, hold the jar for a while so that the herring “ventilates”, and then take it into the house and prepare it for serving.

Others advise opening cans of surströmming underwater. In this case, you will not only equalize the pressure that is created in the jar during the fermentation of the fish, but also avoid getting oil on your clothes or table. Everything will remain in the water.

We note right away that neither one nor the other method completely removes the specific smell of pickled herring. Your receptors will still be attacked by the rotten aroma. You will have to come to terms with this if you have already decided to try an unusual Swedish fish delicacy.

How to eat?

Before you start tasting or preparing any snacks from Swedish "rotten" herring, it is recommended to thoroughly rinse it under running water and remove the skin. How do you eat surströmming?

The classic version is a sandwich with black bread, butter and potatoes. We butter a piece of bread, put a couple of pieces of fish on top, cover it all with a circle of boiled potatoes. You can also add a few onion feathers. At some public catering points, surströmming herring is set off by lingonberries or other berries with a sour taste.

What to drink?

It turns out that the Swedes also have a certain tradition telling how to drink a “fragrant” sandwich with surströmming. Real gourmets wash down the national delicacy with milk. But most often snacks with “rotten” Baltic herring in Swedish are served in bars and restaurants with cold, even ice-cold beer or local schnapps.

Cooking surstromming at home

If you don’t have the opportunity to try the delicacy in Sweden itself, then you can always cook it at home. But, we note right away, you will have to spend a decent amount of time - about two months. There are some recipes, for example, Buryat ones, according to which the cooking time is reduced to two days.

To cook fish in traditional brine, you will need:

A “caustic” brine is prepared from table salt, which is called brine. We fill them with fish. We put it in a dark cool place and forget it for two months. After the fish becomes sour and salted, it can be canned.

Surströmming can also be done in a weak salt solution. To do this, take:

1 kilogram of fish.
2 liters of water.
250 g salt.

The fish is placed in the prepared salt brine for two weeks. At the same time, she stands in a warm room. How to check if a dish is ready or not? We take the fish by the tail and see if the meat is separated from the bone. If the answer is yes, then the Swedish surströmming is ready for conservation, if not, we leave the fish for a few more days.

Pickled fish with vegetables

If you are looking for a quicker recipe, then we suggest cooking surströmming with vegetables. The cooking time is only three days.

You will need the following ingredients:

The fish is cleaned, the insides are removed and the fins are removed. The head remains. We rub the fish with salt and put it in a deep container. Leave for one or two days in a warm place. Then the herring is washed, dried and cut into pieces. We put it back in the container and sprinkle with pieces of vegetables. Add the amount of oil and vinegar indicated in the recipe. Stir by sprinkling a little water. After a couple of hours, surstromming will acquire the necessary taste and specific aroma.

Someone once didn't add enough salt to a barrel of herring. The result made itself felt by an unpleasant odor that spread far from the barrel. The fish is rotten
Previously, this fish would have been thrown out without hesitation. But during the war and famine, the herring was eaten anyway. And many (perhaps because of hunger) appreciated it, since it was not rotten, but most likely sour. The news quickly spread throughout northern Sweden and fermentation of herring became a very popular method of salting. Since then, the Swedes have been proud of their special culinary heritage.
This dish is still a purely Swedish phenomenon. Few of us have ever tried it, so for those who visit this country for the first time, you need to prepare to experience a shock. And twice. The first is when the jar is opened and the smell comes out (the ignorant immediately think that this jar will go to the trash). The second is when the locals start eating IT with great pleasure!!! It's such a strong smell that when a can was opened at customs in New York in the 1930s, they thought they had been gassed.
One cannot be indifferent to surströmming - one either adores it or cannot stand it. Even in Sweden, some are demanding a ban on its use in apartment buildings. Of course, the Swedes tried to get rid of such a strong smell, but such results were not commercially successful. According to connoisseurs, scentless surströmming is not surströmming.
How is surströmming prepared?
For the preparation of surströmming, herring (Baltic herring) is caught in April, before the females spawn. The head and entrails are removed. Only caviar and appendix are left, as they give a special taste and make the fish softer. Herring is placed in barrels with brine for several days to get rid of the remnants of blood and fat. Then it is transferred to other barrels, where it will spend another 2 months. And already in July it is rolled up in jars and put in the refrigerator. Each manufacturer has its own secret recipe.
How is it eaten? (Are you drooling yet?) True connoisseurs use it directly from the can, but it is important to remember that the fish continues to sour even inside the container. So expect a surprise if you open it as usual. It is better to do this on the street and lowering the jar into the water. After the jar is opened, it is advisable to rinse the surströmming with running water. There are also special “gourmets” who eat surströmming with cranberries and washed down with milk! But more often it is served on bread with butter, sprinkled with finely chopped onions, potatoes and tomatoes. And to make it easier to go down with cold beer or schnapps. And even those who initially did not appreciate this dish, having tasted it in this way, became fans of surströmming.

If you've ever been to Sweden, you've heard of the local delicacy surstromming. And if they tried it, they definitely did not remain indifferent: someone became an amateur, and someone will continue to bypass this dish. Such a disagreement is not an obstacle for those who want to try the product, and the popularity of a specific delicacy is growing. You can buy and try it in our country. In Moscow stores, surströmming herring is offered at a price of 2500 rubles. for the bank. But it is better to get acquainted with this delicacy in a restaurant for the first time.

What is surstromming

Surströmming is a canned pickled herring with a "smell". Initially, it was like this: herring was used for sourdough, but later they began to use herring. Due to its small size and fewer bones, it is more suitable for preservation in metal cans, and the taste is practically no different from ordinary herring. The product has a specific smell, which reminds several times the multiplied aroma of rotten eggs. This is a decisive criterion for those who still cannot taste the delicacy.

The history of surstromming

The history of the origin of the dish goes back to the 16th century. Then there was a war between Germany and Sweden for leadership in sea waters, the soldiers had practically nothing to eat. The main diet was fish, it was brought to the front pickled. Due to a shortage of food, suppliers began to save on salt by canning herring, and it turned sour. The soldiers had to eat it and, oddly enough, they liked the sour herring.

In the process of fermentation, substances appeared that have a beneficial effect on the body. Many people liked the sour taste. After the end of the war, the Swedish herring became popular among the poor, then more affluent citizens tried the product, and surströmming became a local delicacy. Restaurants in Sweden offer various options for dishes that include this pickled fish.

Swedish herring production

Over time, pickled herring began to be in great demand, it became necessary to organize a production that was supposed to supply Sweden with a spicy fish delicacy. On the island of Ulven, at the end of the 19th century, a workshop for the production of surströming was first opened, where they began to use Norwegian herring instead of herring.

The cooking process consists of several stages that require a considerable amount of time:

Fish are caught strictly in April.
They clean, remove the head and entrails, leave the caviar.
They are placed in a container with a special brine, in the manufacture of which salt, sugar and several secret spices are used.
Kvass about 2 months.
In early July, it is sorted and rolled into metal cans - fermentation continues and the lids swell, acquiring rounded shapes. In this form, surstromming is sold.

Taste and amber of surstromming

The taste of the product resembles salted herring, only saltier and with the addition of spices. The sourness adds a spiciness to the taste. The combination of hydrogen sulfide, fermentation product and fishy amber creates a pungent smell. Some simply cannot bear it, not daring to taste the contents of the can. Because of this “aroma”, canned food is forbidden to be transported at Swedish airports and carried into hotel rooms.

How to eat and drink pickled fish

A common use option is a black bread sandwich with fish. A piece of bread is spread with butter, a couple of pieces of fish are put on top, covered with a circle of boiled potatoes, you can also add finely chopped red onion, lingonberries. Wash down the treat with beer or schnapps; true gourmets - milk. Many Swedes use such canned food for salads with the addition of herbs, berries, and vegetables.

How to cook surströmming at home

If you do not have the opportunity to buy surströmming, but really want to try it, then you can cook it at home. The recipe is simple, but the herring is fermented for two weeks. You will need the following ingredients:

1 kg of fresh herring or herring (the head and entrails are removed, the skin is washed with water);
250 g of salt;
50 grams of sugar;
2 liters of water.

Make brine (concentrated brine). Add salt and sugar to a container with water, mix.
Put the fish in a container (wooden or glass) and fill it with prepared brine.
Store in a cool place for two weeks.
After a while, we take the fish by the tail and see if the meat is separated from the bone, if so, then the product is ready for conservation.