Smelly Swedish herring gets museum all its own

AFP/Yahoo ^ | Tue May 17, 1:14 PM ET

[martin_fierro]

Smelly Swedish herring gets museum all its own

Tue May 17, 1:14 PM ET

STOCKHOLM (AFP) - Fermented Baltic herring, a Swedish delicacy so smelly that the tins are best opened outdoors with a pinched nose, will be the focus of a new museum dedicated to the specialty.

The museum will open on June 4 in Skeppsmalen, just north of the northern town of Oernskoeldsvik, and will give visitors a historical, cultural and culinary overview of the dish, as well as an opportunity to taste it if they dare.

Fermented Baltic herring is a specialty from northern Sweden, dating back to the days when herring was preserved in brine.

The herring is caught in late spring, then placed in the salt mixture in wooden barrels for several days before being moved into the sun for several months to ferment. It is then shipped to stores in small tins.

Traditionally eaten in mid-August, surstroemming, as the herring is called in Swedish, is known for the dreadful odour that comes out of the tin when it is opened.

Only a fraction of Swedes claim to actually enjoy the dish, which is served with boiled new potatoes and accompanied by aquavit or beer.

According to Swedish news agency TT, the museum has received a total of 10 million kronor (1.37 million dollars, 1.08 million euros) from the European Union in start-up money.

[LibertarianInExile]

Well, some of us will be brim-ming over with puns, I'm sure. Others might be more fin-icky about the topic, especially with me posting that "Wet Dream" lyrics sheet.

I imagine plenty of folks will sea what they can surf up, though.

[speedy]

Well fugu, Blur!! You don't need to talk like a roughy-un. We can ex-salmon this topic and mullet over peacefully. Are we not our brother's kipper? Thank Cod that we are.

[LibertarianInExile]

"I get the same grief over kim chee."

You should probably tell your girlfriend Kim to bathe or date someone else. [rimshot]

[speedy]

Jeez, I think he got them all. Have to start a new game. Don't suppose we should use Roe v. Wade in this instance, should we?

[LibertarianInExile]

Fugu...kipper...

(holds nose, runs screaming into night)

[LibertarianInExile]

"Don't suppose we should use Roe v. Wade in this instance, should we?"

We could always discuss Scale-ia's take on it...

[speedy]

If only Hamilton Fish were still alive.

[Larry Lucido]

I'm hard of herring.

So you have a tin ear?

[LibertarianInExile]

"Don't suppose we should use Roe v. Wade in this instance, should we?"

We could always discuss Scale-ia's take on it...

[LibertarianInExile]

Hamilton Fish? Heck, we can always work with what we have, especially with Tom D-eel-ay and Charles Bass in the House.

[Charles Henrickson]

Silly sill ("herring") ping for the Swedish Ping List.

[speedy]

It's for sure we won't get any help from Maxine Waters.

[Charles Henrickson]

I've never had surströmming--I've heard the smell is beyond bad--but I have eaten and enjoyed regular old pickled herring my whole life. In fact, I've got some in the icebox even as we speak. It's very good with some knäckebröd (rye-krisp) and ost (cheese).

[Charles Henrickson]

Lutfisk: The piece of cod that passes all understanding.

Actually, I like lutfisk! Had it every Christmas Eve growing up.

[LibertarianInExile]

Well, yeah, but John Duncan would be of some use, as would Paul Gillmor.

[ADemocratNoMore]

> I get the same grief over kim chee.

In a grocery, located in an inner-ring suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, with no local Asian population, I found a Durian!.

The fruit with the taste from Heaven and the smell from Hell.

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

"Lutfisk: The piece of cod that passes all understanding. "




LOL! It would only make sense to fishers of men....

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

"Well fugu, Blur!! You don't need to talk like a roughy-un. We can ex-salmon this topic and mullet over peacefully. Are we not our brother's kipper? Thank Cod that we are."


I almost started to tuna you out, but then realized you and I are but minnows in the same school, in God's sea of hugh manatee....

[LibertarianInExile]

Then again, on the Senate side we'd have to deal with Tom Carper, too...

[schwing_wifey]

I've promised myself I MUST try some of this before we return home. My husband says fine but don't bring it in the apartment... ;D