Superstromming – you want to eat it?

Sursstroming is among the top ten most unpleasant dishes of the world (about others – in our article "Unpleasant appetite"). However, this product with a complex pronounced name represents nothing but a simple fermented herring. Or rather, the Baltic Salak. SUR Here – "Sour", "Sumy", Strömming – Baltic Herring.

To whom to believe? Gourmet, who are recommended by all means trying this delicacy and wake up new taste receptors, or a sense of self-preservation? It will surely remind themselves about themselves who inhales the contents of the jar for the first time. Caustic, pronounced smell of rotten, long-fledged product as it would warn: you want to eat it?

Until 1998, by the decree of King, banks could not be opened until the third Thursday of August

Remember the famous Asian fruit Durian? Sursstromming could well be called "Swedish Durian". When you try to eat it … Tears come to the eyes, to the throat rolling com. As if suddenly began the attack of marine sickness, and you -passazhire on the ship, whose captain went to the fishery for the Baltic village in a strong storm. And this is not the weakness of the nervous system of the arrival tourist. In fairness it should be noted that in the Sweden itself, not every resident is a fan of the product. Therefore, sitting at a large buffet, often you can meet those who avoid canned food. Mostly it’s a young generation.

Why do it eat?

Sursstromming "invented" in the XVI century, during the Swedish-German war, when the country is overtaking the product crisis. Salt has become a deficit, and its number in canned food has had to reduce. The soldiers were the first to try the boring fish, and after them the peasants and the whole nation. Many generations accustomed to specific food. And now, when a sauer herring is no longer needed for survival, there is her – either tribute to tradition, or a conscious choice.

Until 1998, by the decree of King, banks could not be opened until the third Thursday of August. That is, nobody ate the product daily. But on the day of the supermming (every third Thursday of August), you can find it almost in every home. Real connoisseurs prefer to fall in last year’s catch with a more mature taste.

Secret of Manufacture

Small fish catch in April. In the factory, internal organs and heads are removed from it, sometimes leaving caviar. To get rid of fat and blood, the product is placed in barrels with a highly concentrated salty solution of Tuzluk. This process lasts a few days. The following couple of months, fish is carried out in a weakly-siming solution. It becomes very gentle and soft. The final order of the superstromming in banks occurs in the summer. In the process of further fermentation, the fish acquires the smell that made it famous for the whole world. Its secret – in substances that form fish enzymes and bacteria: hydrogen sulfide, oil, acetic and propionic acid. By the way, if you see canned food on the counters with "rounded" forms – they did not swell. These are just tracks of high pressure inside the bank.

Interesting Facts about Sursstroming:

• These products will help you make friends with a canned herring without loss of consciousness: boiled potatoes, loaf or cakes, vegetables, butter and cheese. Many love to drink a fish sandwich shnaps. In the extreme case – beer or kvass. Well, on the amateur – milk. By going this delicacy, follow Buddhism – listen carefully yourself and your feelings.
• Banks can not be opened in the air. Canned food to be placed in a container with water and gently shift there (somewhere in the backyard). This will help soften the smell, equalize pressure and avoid splashes. After all, the fish continues to wander, even if the bank is closed.
• A similar recipe for salting fish is also used in the Komi Republic. There he is called "Pechora Slashing", and such a dish eating spoons.
• Product price is much higher than you expect from canned jar. All because surstromming requires special transport conditions. For the same reason, in other countries, he falls into the category of elite.
• The history of production has more than 500 years. Most fans of Swedish herring live in northeastern Sweden. And the museum dedicated to cannedism is in Shepsmalma.
• Like Durian, this product is prohibited by transportation by many airlines.

And finally

As they say thin connoisseurs of taste shades, a sharp repulsive smell of a supermming only better emphasizes his pleasant (islant and saturated) taste, contrasting with him. "Gentle" and "delicate" – this is not the characteristics of your loved one, and the epithets that the product is awarded his fans. The real taste of canned food is not swirl, but spicy-sour, they assure them.

Selenka in Swedish – Delicates, who exactly will not leave you indifferent. Either you like it or categorically no. If you drop in the direction of all prejudices, you may be able to penetrate them. You definitely do not choose. But the aftertaste is not even in the mouth, and in the stomach – it can stay with you for several days. If you get used to a superstorming, then gradually. Put a few big pieces on the bread and eat them with one time you will most likely fail. But if it suddenly happened, there is something to think about: perhaps, among your ancestors there were real vikings?

By the way, Sursstromming is not the only dish invented not from a good life and remaining in the centuries. And even acquired fame of delicacy. ON OTHER – in the article "My Planet" "Hungry Recipes".