Food & Drink

Americans Try Swedish Delicacy Pickled Herring (And Some Gagging Ensued)

A common staple on a Swedish smörgåsbord is pickled herring. The jarred fish is so popular with Swedes and Scandinavians alike, IKEA sells multiple varieties, and there are hundreds of recipes online for you to make your own (like this one from Food Network star Tyler Florence or this roundup from the New York Times).

To kick off Midsummer celebrations in 2019, we rounded up some Americans who’ve never had pickled herring and we decided to host a little smörgåsbord taste test, starring the fishy treat.

Someone described it as “delicious, but a little gelatinous,” others gagged and couldn’t keep the fish in their mouth long enough to swallow. Eight Americans, a range of emotions. Take a look.

Smaklig måltid!