When I was in 7th grade, another student thought it was funny to bring a ripe can of Surströmming to school. It stunk up the whole school building ...
I am a vegetarian, so I have never tried it, but I have heard it tastes much better than it smells. If you ever get hold of a can, remember to open it under water and rinse the herrings before you eat them.
Herring in Sweden is served with potatoes (almond potatoes with surströmming), sourcream, dill, chopped chives (or red onion), butter, flatbread and of course lots of vodka. Don't drink milk - surströmming will react badly with milk and upset your stomach.