Surströmming is known around the world these days, mainly for YouTube videos of people retching when the get a whiff of it. Surströmming is canned, fermented herring from Sweden, where it is considered a delicacy. Elsewhere, it is considered the stinkiest food in the world. That may be enough to keep you from ever trying it yourself, but you have to wonder what it is about Surströmming that some Swedes love. To find out, Great Big Story went for a deep dive to explain how Surströmming was invented, how it's made, what makes it so smelly, and then what's good about it. Apparently the taste is much better than the smell, but it takes a talented eater to completely separate the two senses. Even the head of the Surströmming Association says to open the can outside.
That said, between people from all over the world wanting to try it, and environmental changes affecting the fish supply, it's now hard to get your hands on a can of Surströmming!