Tuesday May 17, 06:14 PM
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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.
