Surströmming is a traditional dish from northern Sweden that has been part of Swedish cuisine since at least the 16th century. It is a lightly salted fermented Baltic Sea herring that is distinct from fried or pickled herring. The fermentation process gives the fish a pungent smell and a rounded yet piquant taste with a distinct acidity. Surströmming is often eaten with tunnbröd, a thin, either soft or crispy bread, and the two most common toppings are potatoes (either sliced or mashed, often almond potatoes) and finely diced red onion. Surströmming is commonly served with snaps, light beers like pilsner or lager, svagdricka (a type of small beer), water, or cold milk. The official fermented herring premiere (surströmmingspremiär) is on the third Thursday of August, but late August until early September is a popular time to enjoy surströmming. The most common way to consume surströmming is with tunnbröd, butter, potatoes, sour cream, and diced onion, which is called a surströmmingsklämma.