Surstromming

Surstromming is fermented Baltic herring, tinned while still fermenting so the cans bulge, and it is famous as one of the most pungent foods in the world. A tradition of northern Sweden eaten in late summer, it is served on thin flatbread with potato, onion and sour cream, and the tin is always opened outdoors, downwind of everyone.

Highlights

• The bulging tin - the swollen can of still-fermenting herring.
• The flatbread wrap - the fish eaten on thin bread with potato, onion and sour cream.
• The outdoor opening - the ritual of opening the tin far downwind.
• The northern tradition - the late-summer surstromming premiere.

When to go

Late summer, the traditional season, at a northern gathering; it is a regional tradition of Norrland more than a nationwide one. Opening and eating it outdoors is essential.

What to expect

The smell is genuinely overpowering, so this is more a dare and a tradition than a delicacy for most visitors, and it must be handled outdoors. Fans insist the taste, wrapped properly, is far better than the smell. It is a regional northern speciality, not found on every menu.

Nearby

The High Coast and the northern Bothnian coast are its heartland; Sundsvall is a regional hub.