Surströmming is a traditional Swedish fermented herring infamous for a smell so overpowering that tasting it has become a dare format on YouTube worldwide. Hikakin, one of Japan's most-subscribed creators, built part of his fame on extreme food challenges, and his surströmming attempts — all gagging and dramatic suffering — became fan favorites. Ripped from those videos, this vomiting moment now circulates on meme soundboards as a universal gross-out button, shorthand for any scene where something is too disgusting to handle.