Probably the stinkiest food in the world! Surstromming, which translates to ‘sour fish’, is produced using Baltic Sea Herring caught in their prime, that is just before spawning during the spring, and is fermented in traditional methods, usually for a minimum of six months. It has developed a reputation as a legendary food for enthusiasts, partly due the way it smells when the can is first opened.But just how did a dish of fermented Baltic Sea herring come to be in the first place? The history of Surstromming is fascinating.Just how long Swedish people have been eating Surstromming is unclear, but there are records of the fermented Baltic sea Herring being consumed from the 16th Century, although it is very possible its history stretches back even further.Legends aside, the history of Surstromming seems to begin during a time when brine was very expensive, and the weak brine used in the fermenting process could have been a way to cut costs for preservation that led to this dish. 

At the time, storing the fish in wooden barrels would have been normal practice of course, with families making a batch of the delicacy and eating it over time. Canning only appeared in the 19th Century, and it is at that point that Surstromming became a commercial product. As a delicacy, the traditional way to eat Surstromming for Swedes has been with a thin bread known as tunnbröd, using two slices to create a sandwich. In addition to the fish, these sandwiches often contain sliced potatoes and onions. These are commonly known as "surströmmingsklämma" and remain popular in Northern Sweden where the dish originates from.There is a miss belief among many that surstromming should be eaten directly from the can, although nothing could be more wrong. 

To start with, open the can outside with a plastic bag wrapped around it, or under water in a bucket.Then the fish needs to be washed and gutted.