I have never eaten surströmming (fermented Baltic herring), or wanted to. Some regard it as a rite of passage in Sweden, but it’s a big nope for me, despite the fact that I love fish. Anything that needs to be eaten outdoors because of the smell is not for me, sadly.
- you can be evicted for opening a can indoors because of the smell
- it is banned from several airlines because of the risk of explosion
- people generally open it underwater because of the smell
The pressurized can is usually opened some distance away from the dining table and is often initially punctured while immersed in a bucket of water, or after tapping and angling it upwards at 45 degrees, to prevent escaping gas from spraying brine.
This guy did not open it under water or at an angle.
I have eaten mopani worms in South Africa though. They were not too bad. Read more and find a recipe here
