When anyone arrives from Sweden, or even if they are going to Ikea, there is always one thing I ask people to buy for me; Abba Sill. Abba is the best maker of Sill. (Kellogg's mother brought these over from Sweden with her)
In case you are a stranger to Sill, it is marinated herring; usually in a sweet and sour Dill-flavoured sauce. Sweden's greatest delicacy.
Anyway, I want to tell you my funny Sill related story.
I was in Waitrose (a UK supermarket) in Brighton when I spotted what looked to me like Sill on the Deli counter. I asked the man behind the counter if it was in fact Sill.
"No Sir" replied the man "We don't sell Seal here".
"Not SEAL" I said.... "SILL".
"No Seal is sold in this shop Sir" he replied again "It's a banned product".
"I don't want to buy any wretched Seal" I said, becoming somewhat frustrated with the man "I just wanted to know if this is SILL.... ESS EYE ELL ELL".
"No Sir, I've already told you; we don't sell Seal here".
"Oh forget it" I muttered as I walked away. Behind me I could hear him telling his fellow workers that he'd just had some nutcase wanting to buy Seal meat.
I've never heard of Sill. That's what I love about reading blogs from all over the world--I learn so many new things!
ReplyDeleteIs Sill eaten with crackers or as a sandwich or just by itself? I'm curious!
It's eaten in many ways; with cream or with new potatoes. I prefer the latter.
DeleteDeveloped a taste for sill from our time in Sweden, many years ago. On trips to Ikea I always come back with some. Delicious ! Aldi supermarket do German versions of marinated herring too.
ReplyDeleteIs the German version as good? I'll have to try some... we have an Aldi nearby.
DeleteIt's not too bad - they do at least two different types - one in a creamy sauce, and one with cream and herb sauce. They are a little heavy on the cream, which can be scraped off, but the herring fillets are quite a good size. Usually one is enough and we find they go nicely with salad for a light lunch. You'll find them in the chiller cabinet - on the bottom shelf, in our local store.
DeleteShould have said that in our local store they are on the bottom shelf. I don't know if every Aldi throughout Europe stocks goods in the same place !
DeleteThanks for that, I shall go look on Friday. I'll let you know.
DeleteIs it the same as soused herring or roll mops - I love them.
ReplyDeleteNot really. They are much sweeter. I have tried adding sugar to a jar of roll mops, but it doesn't have the same oooomph.
DeleteIt's your posh accent Cro. If you spoke with a northwest accent no one would ever mistake your eyes for ees. :-)
ReplyDeleteProbably!
DeleteI know what you are talking about, this is one of the things that i like so much too.
ReplyDeleteDelicious, isn't it.
DeleteWish I could taste some it sounds just my sort of food Cro. But the farmer would hate it - he doesn't even like sardines, smoked mackerel, seafood in general - he will eat salmon and loves what he calls 'ordinary' fish
ReplyDeleteHerring is very ordinary fish..... he could be converted!
DeleteYou could be talking about my husband too - he's not a fish "fan" and won't touch shellfish at all.
DeleteTinned fish/shellfish is amongst my favourite things. Octopus, squid in ink, mussels, tuna, anchovies, sardines, etc. I love 'em all.
DeleteYou should have emailed them about their Customer service...ok, it probably wouldn't have got you anywhere but it would have pointed out the lack of knowledge by the staff on that subject and would have made you feel better. ;)
ReplyDeleteI just laughed it off. Not everyone has heard of Sill; and certainly not him.
DeleteI don't like herrings. I probably wouldn't like seal either.
ReplyDeleteDon't knock Seal until you've tried it.
DeleteYour conversation reminds me of the one with my Polish dentist when he kept asking me about my feelings and I wondered why on earth he was so concerned about them until the penny dropped and I realized he meant my fillings. I tried to explain to him that it is "fillings" not "feelings" but he failed to understand and I muttered "forget it" and I am now without a dentist.
ReplyDeleteAs for herrings, my mother used to marinate her own straight from the North. Nobody else in the family touched them.
The North Sea, landed at Great Yarmouth.
DeleteMy mother used to make 'soused herrings' but that was quite different. Even so, I quite liked them.
DeleteI've never been to Ikea.
DeleteYou are made to follow arrows, which is slightly annoying. Otherwise the restaurant is good, as is some of their stuff. Kitchens are very good.
DeleteThis sounds so good. Growing up in a Polish area we had marinated herring and I really miss them. A food from my childhood.
ReplyDeleteNext time I go to Ikea, it's a two hour drive I must check to see if they have any.
cheers, parsnip
They will have.... every Ikea does.
DeleteI have never heard of sill. Are they anything like roll mops? My first ex mother in law introduced me to those - she was Danish. Thinking about it, discovering roll mops was probably the best thing about that marriage.........
ReplyDeleteI do love Waitrose though. Anywhere where somebody called Tarquin collects the trolleys and arranges the displays of veg - much more civilised than our nearest Tesco where the local neanderthals thump trays of fruit and veg on top of each other then chuck them about, making sure they're bruised and inedible the day after you've bought them.