Surströmming - Fermented Herrings in the Traditional Can

We did not buy this to eat necessarily, just for entertainment purposes. I bought this so I could watch my (5) sons open it together. It did not disappoint! We opened this in the back yard and the smell was horrific. I had so moved my chai up wind. Once it was open they each dared one another to get a small piece of it down, as in eat some. A couple were successful, one threw up, and the rest chickened out. It was a great half hour to 45 minutes of non-stop laughing on my part. Five stars. The dog was a big fan.

The big buildup (viewing online reactions including those who really like this stuff. I'm Norwegian, used to smelly fish, had to eat lutefisk every Christmas and am a VERY adventurous eater) got the can - bulging hugely, opened it underwater had rye bread, sour cream, dill and red onions ready to use for smorgas. Opened the can and...........NOTHING BUT STINKY LIQUID AND BONES. No fish or remnants of fish just grey liquid and bones. Didn't even smell THAT bad, though there ARE a bunch of vultures now circling where I dumped the water, so there's that - BUT - SOOOO disappointed - RIP OFF!

Not bad people make it out like it’s death in a can. Smelled kinda like landfill and tasted very salty

I didn't like the taste at all, first of all the smell is terrible, but my wife fell in love with this fish, in any case it was a great experience.

Strange thing to try but it was not bad, similar to salty herring fish but the smell ....like toilet 😅 interesting experience lol

I purchased this for our next family get together; I thought it would be hilarious! It took a while to receive, and when it showed up, the can was so swollen that it looked ready to pop. Nonetheless, i have no history with this product, and I knew it was fermented, so I thought little of it. About 6-7 months later, we open it. It almost exploded, and there was absolutely no meat anywhere in the can. The sticker said it would be best if used by February 2026 - 4 months away. But there was just bones in what can only be described as a froth of rotten-smelling swill. There are a lot of fermented foods that i enjoy, but this did NOT smell of fermentation; it smelled of rotted meat. We thought this was going to be an interesting and amusing cultural experience; instead, I can say that the entire experience was ruined.

This stuff is wretched, but if you are looking for a food challenge, this is just what the doctor ordered.

Okay, I finally tried it ... and holy macaronii. The smell was very intense. I opened the can and it hit me ... it was like a fishy, cheesy, mustardy explosion that hit your face. Once you get past the initial shock of smell and eat a chunk, there's a salty and tangy flavor that's not as overpowering as one might expect. It's like a fermented, fishy version of blue cheese. Would I buy it again? Yes. Would I recommend it to everyone? Definitely not. This is for those who want to experiment and has enough courage to eat a fish which has been sitting in a can for months.