How to Enjoy Surströmming, Sweden's Most Notorious Fish

Perhaps you've seen videos depicting the so-called "surströmming challenge." Several have gone viral and feature a person or people eating a Swedish food called surströmming, a very unique type of fermented Baltic sea herring that's sold in a tin. The challengers are often in an enclosed room and eat the fish directly from the can, both of which are mistakes. You see, surströmming is notoriously smelly. People have described it as smelling like everything from dead bodies to public toilets. It is often listed amongst the world's most challenging things to stomach (literally and figuratively), along with hákarl — a meat Anthony Bourdain tried once and refused to ever eat again – and a maggot-filled, Sardinian cheese called casu marzu. The thing is, surströmming is a traditional Swedish fish dish that's been around for hundreds of years, and many people enjoy it and appreciate it as a part of Swedish culture, despite its over-the-top funk. Part of enjoying it, though, is knowing how to eat it correctly. 

A crucial aspect of enjoying surströmming is ensuring that the fish is properly prepared, but we'll delve into that shortly. To get ahead a bit, the ideal way to savor surströmming isn't to eat it straight from the can; instead, it pairs best with traditional Swedish sides. You should serve small pieces on a type of Swedish flatbread known as tunnbröd, accompanied by chunks of boiled potatoes, crème fraîche, diced red onions, and fresh herbs like dill or chives. It's customary to wash down each bite with drinks such as beer and schnapps, as they not only enhance the flavors of t