Hash by Torgny Lindgren
Swedish writer – and member of the Swedish Academy – Torgny Lindgren is reviewed in The Guardian:

Adventurous gourmets may wish to chance their hand at the Swedish delicacy "surströmming": herring left to ferment underground. It's not for the faint-hearted. Less well known, but still likely to bring up memories for some of a grey, gelatinous mess served in school kitchens, is the northern speciality "Pölsan", a member of the haggis family rendered in Tom Geddes's translation of Torgny Lindgren's latest novel as hash.

Personally, I wouldn’t touch either dish. Lindgren’s short novel is however a quite charming bagatelle, very typical for a certain strain of Swedish northern rural magical realism which in this case – intentionally or not – is almost on the edge of self-parody. Though in no way the masterpiece Swedish critics claimed it to be it is an entertaining read. Don’t take its facts about Sweden at face value, however... [Hash at Amazon.com. Other books by Lindgren.]
Malte P @ 11:30 AM |   |