# Anchovies, sardines, herring, surströmming, and other fishy treats **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 18, 2023, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchovies-sardines-herring-surstromming-and-other-fishy-treats/993347 "2023-11-18T23:16:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2023, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchovies-sardines-herring-surstromming-and-other-fishy-treats/993347/41 "2023-11-19T15:06:44Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > She Who Must Be Obeyed? Thank you my fuzzy morning brain couldn’t parse the meaning either. Yes to smoked dried cured little tins of stinky fish! ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2023, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchovies-sardines-herring-surstromming-and-other-fishy-treats/993347/42 "2023-11-19T17:47:38Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Well, there is the problem! You never put them on till the pizza comes out of the oven and cools a little. Cooking ruins them. Due to a pizza order mix-up, I discovered that many pizza places will let you order the anchovies on the side. You get to put all the anchovies for a whole pizza on just your slices and everyone else’s pizza is untouched. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2023, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchovies-sardines-herring-surstromming-and-other-fishy-treats/993347/43 "2023-11-19T17:57:33Z")
I love anchovies on pizza, but just the usual amount. Back in the eighties I worked in a Pizza Hut for a month. A takeout order came for a pizza with a LOT of extra toppings. This is forty years ago and it cost $20 back then. Amongst the extra topping was _ **triple anchovies** _! ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2023, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchovies-sardines-herring-surstromming-and-other-fishy-treats/993347/44 "2023-11-19T17:58:13Z")
I bring this up every time canned fish is discussed here, but fried dace with salted black beans: [![](https://www.tastyislandhawaii.com/images/fried_dace_2cans.jpg) ](https://www.tastyislandhawaii.com/images/fried_dace_2cans.jpg) [![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x9zaLRE2Q0k/TtBvBO44OXI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/wUaTIqXiJ9A/s1600/DSC00639.JPG) ](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x9zaLRE2Q0k/TtBvBO44OXI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/wUaTIqXiJ9A/s1600/DSC00639.JPG) Pretty much all East Asian people know this instantly. Traditionally prepared by simply opening the can and heating it directly on the stove, then served over rice. It’s kind of like softened fish jerky. Very intense flavor. If you didn’t grow up with it, you probably wouldn’t like it, but I encourage you to try it if ever you get the opportunity. It’s not fermented like surstromming or hakarl, so despite what it looks like it doesn’t have that “decomposed” flavor element to it. It’s mostly just very salty. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2023, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchovies-sardines-herring-surstromming-and-other-fishy-treats/993347/45 "2023-11-19T17:59:01Z")
I really like Trader Joe’s Smoked Trout Fillets in oil. I make a delicious (to me) sandwich with smoked trout, coleslaw and melted horseradish cheddar\* on toasted sourdough. \*I used to use Yancey’s wasabi gouda but they don’t make it anymore ☹ ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2023, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchovies-sardines-herring-surstromming-and-other-fishy-treats/993347/46 "2023-11-19T21:34:23Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > fried dace with salted black beans: That looks and sounds delicious! ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2023, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchovies-sardines-herring-surstromming-and-other-fishy-treats/993347/47 "2023-11-19T22:00:42Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > I love anchovies on pizza, but just the usual amount. Back in the eighties I worked in a Pizza Hut for a month. A takeout order came for a pizza with a LOT of extra toppings. This is forty years ago and it cost $20 back then. Amongst the extra topping was _ **triple anchovies** _! My mother ordered anchovies on a pizza in 2019 and I just couldn’t eat it. The flavor of the anchovie was overwhelming. But, anchovies are great for imparting flavor in a larger dish. I just can’t eat them when they’re the main event. Damn, I remember my dad telling me to cancel an order from Dominos because it was over $20. That was a decent amount of money back then. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2023, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchovies-sardines-herring-surstromming-and-other-fishy-treats/993347/48 "2023-11-19T22:28:58Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > _The man, taken aback by the query, thought quickly and said, “Er - Bismarck”._ > > _“Too bad,” the Rabbi said. “If it was Maatjes, she’d have a better chance.”_ Can’t quite follow the joke, is it that Rabbis fondness for herring can interfere with their advice-giving duties? Is Bismarck supposed to be top-shelf? Maatjes famous for being ugly? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2023, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchovies-sardines-herring-surstromming-and-other-fishy-treats/993347/49 "2023-11-19T22:36:16Z")
I have been told the biggest problem with surströmming and hakarl is the smell but the taste is not actually bad. But, getting around the smell seems a tall order. I saw a video of some guy showing how to make surströmming good to eat. IIRC it required an unusually large amount of raw onion mixed in to it. I love onions but that seems an unholy concoction. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchovies-sardines-herring-surstromming-and-other-fishy-treats/993347/50 "2023-11-20T00:48:07Z")
Apparently, one is “sweet” and the other is “sour”: > **[Every Kind of Herring...Except Red](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1979/07/15/every-kind-of-herringexcept-red/18d272f4-6f48-4244-b5f2-edf84818dbe8/)** ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchovies-sardines-herring-surstromming-and-other-fishy-treats/993347/51 "2023-11-20T00:52:59Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I saw a video of some guy showing how to make surströmming good to eat. IIRC it required an unusually large amount of raw onion mixed in to it. I love onions but that seems an unholy concoction. I found the video I remembered. I have no idea if he is correct about this being the “best” way: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/kDr0Kbbw6D0/maxresdefault.jpg "How to eat fermented herring the correct way") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDr0Kbbw6D0) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchovies-sardines-herring-surstromming-and-other-fishy-treats/993347/52 "2023-11-20T01:13:53Z")
I’d try it. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchovies-sardines-herring-surstromming-and-other-fishy-treats/993347/53 "2023-11-20T01:16:18Z")
Honestly…I would probably try it too if someone else made it. I cannot imagine myself ever buying it and having a go. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchovies-sardines-herring-surstromming-and-other-fishy-treats/993347/54 "2023-11-20T01:17:37Z")
Exactly. We’ll have to take a trip to Sweden. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchovies-sardines-herring-surstromming-and-other-fishy-treats/993347/55 "2023-11-20T01:18:30Z")
Mom wasn’t much of a cook, primarily due to not being allowed in the kitchen when she was little. I have no idea where she got the idea but one of her creations from when I was in high school was cooked elbow macaroni, parmesan cheese, melted margarine, and the contents of a couple tins of kipper snacks all stirred together. Better tasting than it sounds, this stuff was the basis of my version of Bachelor Chow when I got my first apartment. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchovies-sardines-herring-surstromming-and-other-fishy-treats/993347/56 "2023-11-20T01:20:19Z")
I once bought a couple of tins of dace and black beans at Walmart, just out of curiosity. Sad to say, I was not impressed. I couldn’t finish the tin I opened, and I think I dropped the other one into the Christmas relief bin at Food Basics. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchovies-sardines-herring-surstromming-and-other-fishy-treats/993347/57 "2023-11-20T01:35:24Z")
Worcestershire sauce is mostly just fermented anchovies, salt, and vinegar. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchovies-sardines-herring-surstromming-and-other-fishy-treats/993347/58 "2023-11-20T01:39:16Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > A guy orders a pizza with anchovies. When it is finished he comments on how few anchovies are on the pie. The cook replies, “of course, nobody likes anchovies”. One of the best pizzas I’ve ever had was a small pie at a pizzeria owned by a Sicilian immigrant in Brighton, England. Anchovies and capers, very little cheese, and a simple tomato sauce, all on a Sicilian-style crust. When I was teaching English in Czechoslovakia, one of my students invited me over for Christmas dinner with his family. They served the traditional Christmas dish, baked (I think) carp. The carp was tasty enough, but those goddamned bones! I may have spit out more fish into my napkin than I actually consumed. (New Year’s dinner at another family was nicer: Southern fried rabbit, raised in their own hutch.) ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchovies-sardines-herring-surstromming-and-other-fishy-treats/993347/59 "2023-11-20T01:46:24Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > With all due respect, you are … wrong. Leftover pizza is a mouthwateringly delicious breakfast. I agree. Cold pizza is almost like another food, with its own individual flavor profile separate from hot pizza. I enjoy both. My husband thinks I’m nuts - he’ll only eat hot pizza. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchovies-sardines-herring-surstromming-and-other-fishy-treats/993347/60 "2023-11-20T01:48:38Z")
Cold pizza with anchovies is a perfect breakfast. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchovies-sardines-herring-surstromming-and-other-fishy-treats/993347.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchovies-sardines-herring-surstromming-and-other-fishy-treats/993347.md?page=4)