ROTTEN FISH ?
Yeah, delicious fermented herring is the food of north Sweden people. Here all about it, how to buy, open and eat it, what to drink and what to do afterwards.
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1. When?
You buy it when the leaves fall off the trees, that is in the fall in late August or in September. You buy it in cans which you will find in the deep freezers in every ordinary food store. When you got home you store it in your deep freezer until 2 days before planned use. The last 48 hours it is best to store the can (not opened) in room temperature. |
2. From where?
Herring living in the Baltic sea (north part of the Baltic sea) has a very special taste different from other herring in the south part or in the Atlantic sea. It comes from the very low salt concentration in this northen part.
Herring fished in the spring when it is redy for spawning
is in top condition. It is processed to rotten or ferment, which takes several
months. The method of preservation was invented long ago, when brining food was quite expensive due to the costs of salt. When fermentation was used, on the other hand, just enough salt was required to keep the fish from rottening |
3. Open, eat, enjoy!
The day has come. Put the can on the table. Find an opener and a cloth. Put the opener in position and cover it with the cloth. Now push the opener through the tin plate and hear and smell the pressure in the can depress. First time you do this you will probably find the smell less inviting. But remember to take a deep breath and you will almost instantly not feel any inconveniancy from the smelling can. All of the people who is going to participate in the dinner must sit close to the can when opened and they should as soon as possible inhale the smell. if you are more than 20 feet away from the can you will not be able to inhale a concentration big enough. This is the trick - you must as quick as possible see to that you strike out your smelling sence. Now you are ready to start eating! |
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4. Add what?
Fermented herring you do eat cold. Just take it out from the can and place on your plate together with newly boiled potatoes and some slices of ordinarily yellow onion. The ordination is one fish - one potatoe - two slices of onion. It is also common to eat a sandwich but it must then be of hard very thin bread and whith real butter on and nothing more. |
5. Drink what?
There is only two things to drink and you must have both: beer and aquavit. You may substitute the aquavit to vodka but that is the only allowed alteration. Here you have the ordination one fish - one aquavit (6 cl) one glass of beer (33 cl). For children (and aa-people) is recommended cow milk instead. Real fermented herring lovers take milk instead of beer but they never substitute the aquavit.
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6. ... and then?
After finishing the whole can, normally 3 to 6 herrings per person, you will be very thirsty. And it is cured whith beer, lots of it. Calculate at least 33 cl per hour you intend to stay awake after the meal. You can also calculate 66 cl per hour or 99 - it will make no difference - the thirst will still be there.
7. ... and next day
Sorry, I can't help you there ... |