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'Foul-smelling' Swedish fish dish banned by anxious airlines

BBC NEWS
Airlines ban 'foul' Swedish fish
By Lars Bevanger
BBC News

Sweden's national dish is an acquired taste, to say the least.

Some say surstromming, a fermented herring, smells like rubbish left out in the sun for days.

But now the fish has been banned from several major airlines, classified along with dangerous weapons like shoe bombs and firearms.

The Baltic herring is fermented in barrels for months before being put in tin cans, where the fermentation process continues.

The decision has made many Swedes very angry indeed.

Surstromming is as Swedish as Volvo and Ikea.

Some say it is simply rotten fish, which smells like rotten fish. Others argue it is the finest of delicacies.

National symbol

But now major airlines like British Airways and Air France argue the cans are pressurised goods, and must be classified as potentially explosive.

The dish is no longer allowed on their flights, and the sale of the delicacy from Stockholm's international airport has been stopped.

That has made producers of the surstromming choke on their fermented fish, calling the airlines' decision "culturally illiterate".

It is a myth, they say, that the tinned fish can explode.

They admit, however, that a punctured tin would emit a foul smell, and that the content might spill quite forcefully, like a punctured can of beer.

But that is not enough to stop the export of a potent national symbol, the herring supporters argue.

The leader of the Swedish Surstromming Academy, an organisation promoting the dish nationally and internationally, said any airline worried about explosives and foul smells should first ban bottles of champagne and French cheese before attacking the pride of the Swedish cuisine.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/4867024.stm

Published: 2006/04/01 03:18:22 GMT

© BBC MMVI

Wouldn't it be easier to just ban Swedes?  

Swedish Surstromming Academy

That struck me as funny.

I have a Swedish friend who maintains that IKEA is a national joke and that ABBA was a national embarrassment. He might be onto something with the ABBA thing ...

The Icelanders like to munch on rotting shark meat.

Quoted: The Icelanders like to munch on rotting shark meat.

No kidding. I used to work with an Icelander who carried some of that crap around in his pocket all day so he could snack on it.

Quoted: I have a Swedish friend ...

How open-minded of you.  

Quoted: Quoted: I have a Swedish friend ... How open-minded of you.

Well, he can't help it.

Surströmming is actually really good, on a thin roll of bread, potatoes and lots of sourcream and a assorted selection of fine beverages.

I prefer this one:

www.northerner.com/html/sys-se_690hel.html

And the smell goes away eventually anyway so

Airlines (and hotels) do this in Malaysia already - because there's a really stinky fruit called Durian.  Some people LOVE it, and some people absolutely hate it - and it has an incredibly strong smell, that is something like old moudly blue cheese.  

Will they be banning lutefisk next as well? Inquiring minds want to know!

Quoted: Will they be banning lutefisk next as well? Inquiring minds want to know!

Lutfisk on the other hand should definitely be banned!

.. for the children

Quoted: Surströmming is actually really good, on a thin roll of bread, potatoes and lots of sourcream and a assorted selection of fine beverages. I prefer this one: www.northerner.com/prod_img/sys690.jpg www.northerner.com/html/sys-se_690hel.html And the smell goes away eventually anyway so

I'm confused, from your link above, I get this:

Kaptenlöjtnant. Hot taste with influence of 20 different spices, some citrus taste as well. One of Swedens most popular liqueurs. Whole Bottle 2.1 cup (500 ml). Served chilled as avec, to desserts, as drink ingredient. Alcoholic strenght 38% vol. Swedish Law does not allow us to sell alcoholic beverage to persons living in Sweden

So can this liqueur be sold in Sweden?

Quoted: Quoted: Surströmming is actually really good, on a thin roll of bread, potatoes and lots of sourcream and a assorted selection of fine beverages. I prefer this one: www.northerner.com/prod_img/sys690.jpg www.northerner.com/html/sys-se_690hel.html And the smell goes away eventually anyway so I'm confused, from your link above, I get this: Kaptenlöjtnant. Hot taste with influence of 20 different spices, some citrus taste as well. One of Swedens most popular liqueurs. Whole Bottle 2.1 cup (500 ml). Served chilled as avec, to desserts, as drink ingredient. Alcoholic strenght 38% vol. Swedish Law does not allow us to sell alcoholic beverage to persons living in Sweden So can this liqueur be sold in Sweden?

Obviously, pagansmurfen can answer this better, but in Sweden, alcohol sales are monopolized by the government.  You can only buy alcohol at government stores (and there used to be some kind of quota system - but I think that was abandoned years ago).

I think this monopoly (systembolaget) is still in place, which would explain why you couldn't buy on-line.  Or, it's just some import rule - assuming that store is in the U.S.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Surströmming is actually really good, on a thin roll of bread, potatoes and lots of sourcream and a assorted selection of fine beverages. I prefer this one: www.northerner.com/prod_img/sys690.jpg www.northerner.com/html/sys-se_690hel.html And the smell goes away eventually anyway so I'm confused, from your link above, I get this: Kaptenlöjtnant. Hot taste with influence of 20 different spices, some citrus taste as well. One of Swedens most popular liqueurs. Whole Bottle 2.1 cup (500 ml). Served chilled as avec, to desserts, as drink ingredient. Alcoholic strenght 38% vol. Swedish Law does not allow us to sell alcoholic beverage to persons living in Sweden So can this liqueur be sold in Sweden? Obviously, pagansmurfen can answer this better, but in Sweden, alcohol sales are monopolized by the government.  You can only buy alcohol at government stores (and there used to be some kind of quota system - but I think that was abandoned years ago). I think this monopoly (systembolaget) is still in place, which would explain why you couldn't buy on-line.  Or, it's just some import rule - assuming that store is in the U.S.

Yeah, you're right. This is for sale in the US only, but the website has pagansmurfen contact info and telco number in Sweden which kinda of threw me.

I've seen that Durian in the asian supermarkets in Los Angeles.  It has a bunch of spines on the surface and has a tough brown skin.  They come frozen from the SE asia.  You can smell that fruit from a great distance.

Quoted: I've seen that Durian in the asian supermarkets in Los Angeles.  It has a bunch of spines on the surface and has a tough brown skin.  They come frozen from the SE asia.  You can smell that fruit from a great distance.

When it is in season in Malaysia, the smell can be amazing.  When you are driving along on the road, in a closed air-conditioned car, the smell can be as strong a s skunk if you're driving past a road-side stand with them.

It's funny when there are families in which some people LOVE it and other people HATE it.  I've seen roadside stands that sell it, where you see one member of the family eating durian at the stand, and the rest of the family parked in a car about 100 yards away, upwind.  

Quoted: Swedish Surstromming Academy That struck me as funny.have

Tell your Swedish friend to bite his tongue!  ABBA is cool.  "Bang a Boomerang" gotta be one of the best tune to do the Lindy Hop to!  ABBA is probably the only pop group who got some sort of a swing in their songs.  

I found out that the Chinese and the Swede share two common things: they like to eat rotten fish (the Chinese has a similar version of fermented fish) and share a same last name: "WANG".

LOL!

Quoted: I'm confused, from your link above, I get this: Kaptenlöjtnant. Hot taste with influence of 20 different spices, some citrus taste as well. One of Swedens most popular liqueurs. Whole Bottle 2.1 cup (500 ml). Served chilled as avec, to desserts, as drink ingredient. Alcoholic strenght 38% vol. Swedish Law does not allow us to sell alcoholic beverage to persons living in Sweden So can this liqueur be sold in Sweden?

Yeah, DK-Prof is right, we have these government stores for liqour, so it could only be sold there, but the EU is doing is best to eliminate this monopoly. Therefore this internet-store thing cannot sell liqour to swedes

Anyway, Im wah to drunk to make any sense and should go to bed

Quoted: I found out that the Chinese and the Swede share two common things: they like to eat rotten fish (the Chinese has a similar version of fermented fish) and share a same last name: "WANG". LOL!

Lindy_Hoppin_Gun_Nut: So what is the name of this Chinese rotten fish?  Do you know is it called, I would be curious.

pagansmurfen: Have you actually eaten this "Surströmming" fish?  How much does this cost in Sweden?

Quoted: Wouldn't it be easier to just ban Swedes?

Motion seconded, thats a damn good idea !