Old Codgers Of The Week (15)

Hats off to 71-year-old Sune Valentin Norlin who, in August 2023, claimed a Guinness World Record by eating 392.7 grams of fermented herring in one minute, the equivalent of almost two tins of the stuff.

The competition organised by the Disgusting Food Museum in Malmő did not feature any old fermented fish, but the Swedish (admittedly acquired) delicacy of surströmming, made from Baltic sea herring. In the spring, the spawning fish are caught in the seas of Sweden and Finland, their heads removed, and their bodies are stored in a series of salted water solutions.

After around two months, the partially preserved herrings are placed in airtight tins where they are left to ferment for up to another year. Traditionally, a year’s batch of soured (surs-) Baltic herring (strömming) could only by sold on or after the third Thursday of August.

It is not for the faint-hearted, a Japanese study concluding in 2002 that it has one of the most putrid odours in the world, one that hangs around for three days after a can is opened. Fans, though, point out that it is rich in umami and that its taste is much better than its smell.

The organisers of the competition had sick buckets at the ready, but Morlin was made of sterner stuff and has set a record that will take some beating.