Surströmming
Since 1940, the surströmming season has been set for the third Thursday in August. But how old is this tradition, and when did we start making and eating surströmming? Here you can find out more, based on the Nordic Museum’s cultural history research and collections.
The surströmming season marks the start of the consumption of a dish towards which many people feel, to say the least, ambivalent. Surströmming is fermented herring – that is, it has been fermented, not rotten. The fermentation process gives the dish its distinctive aroma, which many people find off-putting. Surströmming is often associated with northern Sweden, but is eaten in many other places too. It is often served with flatbread, onions and perhaps schnapps.
What is surströmming?
Surströmming is herring that has been fermented – not rotten. The fermentation gives the dish its distinctive smell, which many people find challenging. Surströmming is often associated with northern Sweden but is eaten in many other parts of the country as well, often together with thin flatbread, onion and sometimes schnapps.
The fishing takes place in spring when the herring is ready to spawn. After cleaning, the fish is placed in strong brine for about two days, or until all blood has been removed. It is then fermented in barrels with a weaker brine for six to eight weeks. At the beginning of July, it is usually ready to be packed into tin cans.
Since 1940, the annual premiere of the surströmming season has taken place on the third Thursday in August. The fixed date was introduced because competition and increased demand had led to unfinished (unfermented) surströmming being sold.
From everyday food to festive tradition
Surströmming has been known in Sweden since at least the 16th century, when it was traded as a preserved food. Unlike many festive dishes, it originated as everyday food in the farming society. Fermentation was a method of preserving fish, and other fish such as roach were also fermented and known as surmört.
Over time, improved packaging – from wooden barrels and pottery vessels to modern cans – allowed surströmming to be sold further south. During the 19th century, the tradition spread across social groups and what had once been considered poor people’s food became a festive dish.
Surströmming continues to divide opinion. Some consider it a delicacy, while others find it unpleasant. In 1891, cookbook writer Charles Emil Hagdahl described it as a dish appreciated only by those initiated into its taste.
Surströmming and Swedish identity
Like crayfish, surströmming is closely connected to ideas of Swedish identity, but also to regional identity. It is particularly associated with northern Sweden, where many people claim to know the “right” way to eat the dish. Such claims of expertise are typical of traditions strongly connected to specific regions and places.
In recent years, international chefs have tried surströmming and, despite reacting to its strong smell, have also expressed appreciation for this unique delicacy.
