Swedish fish with flavor. Review of an unusual delicacy - the famous Swedish herring “with a scent”

If you have ever been to Sweden, you have heard about the local delicacy surstromming. And if you tried it, you definitely didn’t remain indifferent: someone became an amateur, and someone will avoid this dish from now on. Such disagreement is not an obstacle for those who want to try the product, and the popularity of this specific delicacy is growing. You can buy and try it in our country. In Moscow stores, surströmming herring is offered at prices starting from 2,500 rubles. per jar. But it’s better to try this delicacy for the first time in a restaurant.

What is surströmming

Surströmming is canned pickled herring “with a flavor.” Initially it was like this: herring was used for fermentation, 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 its taste is practically no different from ordinary herring. The product has a specific smell that resembles the multiplied aroma of rotten eggs. This is a decisive criterion for those who still cannot taste the delicacy.

The history of surströmming

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, which was brought to the front salted. Due to a shortage of products, suppliers began to skimp on salt by canning herring, and it went sour. The soldiers had to eat it and, oddly enough, they liked the sour herring.

During the fermentation process, substances appeared that had a beneficial effect on the body. Many people liked the sour taste. After the end of the war, Swedish herring became popular among the poor, then wealthier citizens tried the product and surströmming became a local delicacy. Restaurants in Sweden offer various versions of the dish, which include this fermented fish.

Swedish herring production

Over time, pickled herring began to be in great demand, and the need arose to organize production, which 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 opened for the first time, 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 it, remove the head and entrails, and leave the caviar.
They are placed in a container with a special brine, which is made using salt, sugar and several secret spices.
They ferment for about 2 months.
At the beginning of July, it is sorted and rolled into metal jars - fermentation continues and the lids swell, acquiring rounded shapes. Surströmming is sold in this form.

Taste and amber of surströmming

The product tastes like salted herring, only saltier and with added spices. The sourness adds piquancy to the taste. The combination of hydrogen sulfide, fermentation product and fish amber creates a pungent odor. Some simply cannot bear it, not daring to try the contents of the can. Due to this “aroma”, canned food is prohibited from being transported at Swedish airports or taken into hotel rooms.

How to eat and what to drink with pickled fish

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

How to cook surströmming at home

If you don’t have the opportunity to buy surströmming, but really want to try it, you can cook it at home. The recipe is simple, but the herring ferments 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 salt;
50 grams of sugar;
2 liters of water.

Make brine (concentrated brine). Add salt and sugar to a container of water and stir.
Place the fish in a container (wooden or glass) and fill it with prepared brine.
Place in a cool place for two weeks.
After some time, we take the fish by the tail and see if the meat separates from the bone; if so, then the product is ready for preservation.

Video

Sometimes you are amazed at what people in different countries of the world don’t eat. Four years ago I wrote an article in which I talked about some strange culinary preferences among different peoples. One of the “heroes” of my story will be included in this impromptu rating.

In anticipation, I wonder why some overseas dishes seem strange and even wild to us. Indeed, in Belarusian cuisine, many nations may find the tradition of eating whole pieces of lard strange, and the combination of lard and milk in some types of machankas will be completely wild for them. And for us all this is quite normal. So let's begin...

First place. Surströmming, Sweden

Still, no matter what, the most famous rotten fish dish is Swedish surströmming(salted herring that has been fermented). The cooking method is somewhat reminiscent of sauerkraut. The herring is placed in a barrel, where the product is fermented and oxidized. The consequence of these processes is a change in the quality of the original product, its taste, color and smell. After the herring is slightly fermented, it is closed in metal jars, where the fermentation process continues.

Such herring is considered an exquisite delicacy in Sweden; fragrant herring can be found from time to time at prestigious banquets. Swedes prefer to eat pickled herring with potatoes, tomatoes, raw onions and bread and butter. They wash this food down with beer, schnapps or (Oh my God!) milk. As you can see, not only in Belarusian cuisine there are unique dishes in which, according to unwritten aesthetic rules, there should be no milk, but there is milk.

Second place. Hakarl, Iceland

In second place is a dish little known among tourists, unlike surströmming, but very popular in the northernmost European country of Iceland. Iceland is famous for its harsh climate, volcanic activity and harsh living conditions (100 years ago for survival). This is probably why, since ancient times, Icelanders began to eat very strange things. Here is one example Haukarl- a polar shark dish.

The way to prepare this toothy fish is interesting. The fact is that polar shark meat is unsuitable for food. The shark does not have a urinary tract, and a huge amount of urea is concentrated in the meat. It is impossible to eat this unless you first cut the shark into pieces, put it in containers with holes and wait until the poisoned juices flow out of the meat spontaneously. This whole procedure lasts 6-8 weeks, and then the pieces of fish, cleared of toxins, are dried for another 2-4 months. Before consumption, the resulting crust is cut off, and Icelanders eat the rest with pleasure.

Third place. Omul with flavor, Russia

It turns out that there are suitable candidates for inclusion in the rating in the vastness of our former country. This omul with flavor, a dish popular on the shores of Lake Baikal.

I heard about the famous Siberian salted or dried omul. Omul can generally be called a symbol of Baikal, which I would really like to visit someday. But it turns out there is a special variety, the so-called omul with flavor. It is prepared like this: fresh fish is dried a little at room temperature, literally for a day or two. That’s all, after that you can cut off pieces from the omul and eat them dipped in salt and pepper.

Fourth place. Rakfisk, Norway

Norwegians, like their neighbors the Swedes, love to ferment fish, because they are also Vikings. But it’s true that they ferment not herring, but red fish (usually trout). This dish is called rakfisk. It is prepared like this: the fish is fermented in salted brine under pressure for several months. During this period, it is better not to approach the barrel, because the smell can knock you off your feet.

Despite the smell, Norwegians are very fond of rakfisk, they make sandwiches with it, and also simply eat it seasoned with onions.

Fifth place. Nuoc Mam, Vietnam

Another very famous dish is Vietnamese fish sauce. now mom. It has received worldwide recognition; today it can be bought in any country in the world, in the department of the store where rarities of south-eastern cuisine are sold. The finished product isn't scary, just a little special. But the method of preparing it can be a little scary.

This is what New Mom looks like...

The sauce is made from small fish, namely anchovies. It is sprinkled with salt and left to ferment in the sun. After fermentation is complete, the fish mixture is placed in barrels and left to infuse for several more months, and then filtered. At this stage the sauce is already ready, as I said earlier at this point it is no longer scary.

...And this is how they cook nyok mam...

However, popular rumor claims that if you walk near the place where nyok mam is produced, you will never forget this moment in your life: the smell there is so disgusting and gut-wrenching.

All Vietnamese cuisine without nom mam is not Vietnamese cuisine. If the sauce is not added to dishes, then it will definitely be used to lubricate something during meals.

Sixth place. Garum, Ancient Rome

Yes, yes... I decided to include the famous ancient Roman sauce in the rating garum, the cooking technology of which is very similar to modern southeastern nyok mam. The Romans took small fish (anchovy, tuna, mackerel), added shellfish and herbs to it (+ vinegar, olive oil, pepper and salt were used as preservatives) and sent it to rot somewhere outside the city. And just outside the city. The Romans were aesthetes and could not stand the smell of rotten fish; garum was prohibited from being produced in cities at the legislative level.

P.S.

When you visit them, be sure to try the rotten fish. Where else can you taste it...

There are different types of herring: lightly salted, dried, with honey, wine and mustard. And sometimes the herring is rotten. Oh, more precisely, pickled. But in terms of smell, it's practically the same thing. This herring is made in Scandinavia, in Sweden. We decided to figure out where else in the world they eat rotten fish and why they do it.

Introducing 6 famous dishes made from rotten fish:

Surströmming

A famous Swedish dish is salted herring that has been fermented. The process is similar to sauerkraut, the product is fermented, oxidized, and at the same time its qualities, taste, color, and smell change. The herring is lightly fermented and then sealed in cans, where the fermentation process continues.

In Sweden, fish is considered an exquisite delicacy; it is even sometimes served at banquets, and every extreme tourist considers himself obliged to try sandwiches with surströmming. Swedes eat pickled herring with potatoes, tomatoes, raw onions and bread and butter. And wash it down with beer, schnapps or milk.

Rakfisk

This delicacy is made in Norway. Here they also ferment fish, but only red fish, usually trout. It is fermented for several months, under pressure, in a saline solution. As a result, it smells... Wow! An unprepared person cannot cope with it. As in Sweden, Norwegians respect rakfisk very much, make sandwiches with it, and eat it with onions.

Omul with flavor

Omul is a symbol of Baikal. Salted or dried omul is one of the most popular dishes that came to us from Siberia. But there is another type of this fish - with a scent. It is well known on the shores of the great lake. Fresh fish is left to stew a little, just a little, just at room temperature for a day or two. And then they cut off pieces from the omul, dip them in salt and pepper and eat them.

Haukarl

Iceland is a harsh place, so the locals eat very strange things. For example, haukarl is a dish made from polar shark. This fresh fish is not suitable for consumption; its meat contains too much urea, since the shark does not have a urinary tract. But in a rotten, dried form - just right. The Greenland shark carcass is cut into pieces and placed in containers with holes so that the poisoned juices from the meat flow freely. This way the shark is prepared for 6 to 8 weeks. Then the pieces of fish are dried for 2–4 months. The crust that forms during the process is cut off. And enjoy the amazing taste.

Nyok mom

To try rotten shark or herring, you will have to go to Iceland or Scandinavia. The famous Vietnamese fish sauce nuoc mam can also be bought from us; it is sold wherever they specialize in southeastern cuisine, in oriental spice stores, for example.

This sauce is also flavorful. And it is based on the fermentation of small fish, in particular anchovies. They are sprinkled with salt and left to ferment in the sun. Tourists who are “lucky enough” to pass by the production of this sauce cannot forget this smell for the rest of their lives - it is so disgusting. After fermentation, the resulting product is put into barrels and left for several months, then filtered. The result is a sauce that is not at all terrible, although it is quite specific. Quite exotic, like all southeastern cuisine. Vietnamese cuisine is unthinkable without this sauce; it is added to most dishes, and those that are not added are smeared with this sauce.

Garum

The finished sauce was sealed in small clay vessels.

The southeastern technology for making fish sauce is very similar to the technology for making garum, the sauce of the ancient Romans. They also stewed the smallest fish (anchovy, tuna, mackerel), added shellfish and herbs to them. The sauce also included vinegar, olive oil, pepper and salt.

Irina Kamshilina

Cooking for someone is much more pleasant than cooking for yourself))

Content

What is surströmming

Surströmming is canned pickled herring “with a flavor.” Initially it was like this: herring was used for fermentation, 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 its taste is practically no different from ordinary herring. The product has a specific smell that resembles the multiplied aroma of rotten eggs. This is a decisive criterion for those who still cannot taste the delicacy.

The history of surströmming

Swedish herring production

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

Fish are caught strictly in April.
They clean it, remove the head and entrails, and leave the caviar.
They are placed in a container with a special brine, which is made using salt, sugar and several secret spices.
They ferment for about 2 months.
At the beginning of July, it is sorted and rolled into metal jars - fermentation continues and the lids swell, acquiring rounded shapes. Surströmming is sold in this form.

Taste and amber of surströmming

The product tastes like salted herring, only saltier and with added spices. The sourness adds piquancy to the taste. The combination of hydrogen sulfide, fermentation product and fish amber creates a pungent odor. Some simply cannot bear it, not daring to try the contents of the can. Due to this “aroma”, canned food is prohibited from being transported at Swedish airports or taken into hotel rooms.

How to eat and what to drink with pickled fish

How to cook surströmming at home

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

Make brine (concentrated brine). Add salt and sugar to a container of water and stir.
Place the fish in a container (wooden or glass) and fill it with prepared brine.
Place in a cool place for two weeks.
After some time, we take the fish by the tail and see if the meat separates from the bone; if so, then the product is ready for preservation.

There is a delicacy in Swedish national cuisine that stands apart from other dishes and deserves special attention. We will talk about surströmming - the famous Swedish herring “with a scent”. For a person inexperienced in Swedish cuisine, this name most likely will not cause much of a reaction, but in Sweden itself there can only be two options. Surströmming is either loved or disliked so much that they demand a ban on its consumption in apartment buildings, and some airlines have banned the inclusion of this dish on the in-flight menu. And there are several reasons for such differing attitudes. Fans are said to find the subtle, delicately spicy taste of surströmming unsurpassed.

However, not everyone dares to appreciate the taste of this Swedish fish delicacy, because if the taste of surströmming is a true pleasure, then the smell is more than a severe test. Swedish pickled herring smells so unpleasant that most foreigners never dare to try it. Due to the strong, almost unbearable smell, surströmming received quite unsightly names: “smelly herring”, and “Swedish rotten herring”, and “second-fresh herring”. All these names are completely unfair - and there are two mistakes here. Firstly, it is not herring that is used for production, but Baltic herring, and secondly, the fish for this dish is taken of the best quality. All aromatic features are associated with cooking technology.

The recipe for real surströmming has been around for over five hundred years. In the 16th century, during the hostilities waged by the Swedish king Gustav I Vasa with the German city of Lübeck, there was a shortage of salt supplies. In this regard, the herring was salted with less salt, which disrupted the normal canning process, and the product began to ferment. In times of war and famine, fermented herring began to be eaten. To everyone’s surprise, it didn’t taste like rotten meat at all, and some even liked its sour taste. The fish is not rotten, but “soured.” Rumors spread about the new dish, and since salt was expensive even in peacetime, in Northern Sweden, where it was not easy to get fresh food, “fermenting” herring became a common method of preserving it among the poor. According to tradition, established by royal decree, it was possible to open jars of pickled herring only on the third Thursday of August. This decree was canceled only in 1998, after which fans of surströmming can enjoy it all year round.

The technology for preparing Swedish herring is as follows: small Baltic herring, caught in the spring before spawning, is soaked for several days in brine (a highly concentrated saline solution). This allows fat and blood to be removed. After which, for two months, the fish is rolled into barrels with a less concentrated salt solution, in which it begins to ferment and acquires a specific softness and a corresponding unbearable smell.

After two months, around July, the fermented herring is rolled into cans, and the fermentation process continues there. By the way, cans with surströmming are easy to identify on the counter: due to the high pressure created inside them, canned food acquires a noticeable round shape. Fermented herring is produced mainly in the northern coastal regions, in the province of Norrland.

The process of consuming already ripe surströmming also has a number of distinctive features. As mentioned above, the fermentation process continues even after the herring has been packaged in jars and excess pressure is created inside them. Therefore, a can of surströmming is opened only under water to equalize the pressure.

Otherwise, anyone who dares to open pickled herring in the open air will be completely splashed with fish brine, and things will inevitably be spoiled. It is also advisable to open the jar outdoors so that the pronounced smell of carrion does not attract flies. After the jar is opened, the surströmming is washed well under running water. And only after this the famous pickled Swedish herring can be served.

The traditional way to eat Swedish herring is a kind of sandwich with pickled herring. Unleavened barley bread is spread with butter or soft goat whey cheese. A layer of herring is placed on top, and potato circles and finely chopped onions are placed on it. After which the bread is rolled up and eaten in this form with your hands. The rich taste of herring is complemented by sweet potatoes and spicy onions. You can wash down a sandwich with surströmming with vodka in Russian. True, real connoisseurs prefer milk.