HLM – Chapter 895 Explosive Canned Fish

Eva didn’t tell Wang Bo the name of this dark delicacy; she went straight to the food display.

Wang Bo wasn’t sure what she intended, so he followed her, watching as she whispered with a sales assistant before heading to the canned goods counter.

On the counter, there were some small golden cans of fish. Ordinary canned goods were on shelves, but these were kept in a refrigerated display.

Eva scanned ten cans. Wang Bo walked over, looked, and asked in surprise, “Herring cans? How is this a dark delicacy?”

“Look at the purchase instructions,” Eva said, pointing to a small sign hanging nearby.

The sign had tiny print in English, Russian, and Chinese, which read:

1. Notify everyone nearby before opening the can to prevent accidents.
2. Do not open the can in a closed environment; the consequences could be severe.
3. Chill the can in a refrigerator before opening to reduce internal pressure; opening it at room temperature may spray out a large amount of liquid, hard to clean.
4. Absolutely do not bring this can on an airplane; if the can bursts due to air pressure, it may create safety hazards.
5. After enjoying the delicacy, make sure to seal the can before disposing of it to avoid affecting the environment.
6. Consume the contents completely after opening; do not waste food.
7. Do not cook this can over fire!
8. Wear eye protection when opening; otherwise, it will sting your eyes!
9. If you feel unwell, induce vomiting first; if symptoms persist, seek medical attention immediately.
10. Purchase insurance before consuming this can…

After reading, Wang Bo laughed loudly. “What on earth is this? Is there a nuclear weapon inside? Isn’t this a bit exaggerated?”

His words prompted a nearby tour guide to assume he was asking seriously, so the guide explained, “Sir, this is a herring can, a traditional Swedish delicacy. If you’ve never tried it, you might not like it.”

Wang Bo hadn’t eaten canned herring before, but he had eaten herring. “Herring is good, I like it. Why wouldn’t I like this?”

“The canned herring is not the same as fresh herring. The fish is processed and naturally fermented inside the can, producing a strong stench and sour flavor,” the assistant explained. “It tastes terrible. The Swedish government even forbids opening these cans in residential areas.”

Wang Bo thought that sounded exaggerated. How bad could fermented fish in a can smell? Foreigners were just picky—he didn’t believe it could be worse than stinky tofu!

But since Eva called it a dark delicacy, the taste probably wouldn’t be pleasant. Curious, Wang Bo googled it.

The results startled him.

Canned herring generally appears in Sweden’s short summer and is considered the world’s smelliest food, reportedly 300 times worse than Japan’s stinky natto.

In Sweden, pickling herring is a traditional activity for fishermen. Every year from April to June, when herring spawn, fishermen catch hundreds of tons of herring to prepare for pickling.

The unique thing about pickled herring is natural fermentation. To ensure the herring doesn’t rot, they are first boiled gently in lightly salted water after being freshly caught, then canned to ferment naturally.

This method has been passed down for nearly 300 years. Initially, fishermen developed it to save money by using less salt.

By mid-August, the herring in the cans becomes sticky and juicy. The gas produced during fermentation swells the cans, signaling that the herring is ready for sale.

At this point, everything seemed normal—a traditional poor man’s food, like the minced meat pies and buttered onions they had eaten last night in the ice house.

Swedes love this food. Every year, on the third Thursday of August, they hold a herring tasting party, believing this is when pickled herring tastes best.

But after that… things got strange.

Some people would sprinkle canned herring liquid on dog feces to stop their dogs from eating it. The dogs would sniff the poop and spectacularly vomit. Videos of this exist online.

Other news stories were even more shocking. A few years ago, a flight from Stockholm to Tokyo had a Japanese passenger who brought canned herring. After takeoff, the change in air pressure caused a can to burst, forcing the plane to return. Stockholm Airport initially thought it was a hijacking. When the doors opened, they only found a cabin full of vomiting passengers. The unlucky passenger was detained for “disturbing public order.”

After reading these reports, Wang Bo became curious. He stared at a small can and asked, “Is it really that scary?”

Eva nodded with a knowing expression. “A friend of mine bought some from Sweden. Later, her boyfriend cheated on her and moved in with another woman. My friend was furious. Before leaving, she opened two cans and spread the contents around the bedroom and living room. That house was later sold.”

“Have you smelled it?” Wang Bo asked.

Eva shook her head. “No.”

Wang Bo shrugged. “I think this is exaggerated. It’s just a can. Even if it contained rotting human flesh, I don’t believe it could be that bad.”

Since Eva wasn’t planning to put it back, they bought the cans and decided to give them to Atulu and the others to try.

After shopping, at dawn, they seized the short window of daylight to go to SantaPark for some fun.

SantaPark isn’t far from the Santa Claus Village. Hidden underground in a mountain cave, it’s a Christmas-themed park where visitors can enjoy the holiday spirit year-round. Being deep underground, the weather outside has no effect.

The park isn’t open all year, generally from November to March. Wang Bo had intended to visit the day before, but they had spent too long at the Santa Village preparing for the Christmas parade.

Inside the park, there’s a Magic Train that takes visitors into a fantastical Lapland world, showcasing the polar seasons in clever ways. There’s also Santa’s workshop, where one can watch him and the elves prepare gifts, a Red-Nosed Reindeer Roller Coaster, a Christmas Carousel, and a large Christmas Souvenir Store, making it lively and fun.