Summer is over

A long summer has past and for Swedish2go it's been a summer filled with packing and moving. For the following year (until summer 2013), Swedish2go will have it's base out of Canada. That's the best part of new technology: it's totally global! You can learn just as much Swedish from Swedish2go no matter where in the world you or we are!

Why Canada? Swedish2go owner Åsa Bouck (me) is married to a Canadian and to get a portion of Canadian air, language (English) and culture into the family life, it's important with a real life experience. But Sweden is still our first choice home, and we'll be back!

So what's going on back in Sweden?

Kräftskiva! (=Crayfish party)

During August this is the most popular parties to get invited to. And if you are doing the very real thing, it's a full weekend event: putting out traps in the lake, collecting your crayfish in the night, cooking them alive the next day and enjoying it, off course together with white wine and snaps (special Scandinavian shooters) and singing while wearing funny paper hats (not just the kids). If living in Sweden or ever visiting Sweden in August, do your best to get invited to a Swede having kräftskiva!

Understand Swedish? Read this article about kräftskiva.

Surströmming! (= Rotten herring)

Well... the nice translation for it may not be rotten herring, but fermented Baltic herring. Agneta Lilja, Södertörns högskola is explaining that because of it's very special smell and flavour, it divides the population into two sides: for and against it. The author of the text can unfortunately not be proud and say that I've eaten or even smelled this delicacy. Here may be some of the reasons:

• It's rotten.
• It's not only fermenting before the conservation of it, but also inside the cans, making the cans round-shaped !
• It's such a pressure in the can when you open it that you're advised to open it outside and under water.
• You are after opening the can advised to eat the rotten herring inside, since it attracts too many flies.
• It stinks (says everyone, even the rotten fish-lovers).

I guess the reasons for why I should try it one day is:

• It's an old Swedish tradition.
• It tastes much better than it smells.
• You eat it with tasty sides like, flat bread, butter, onion and potatoes.
• It's cheap!

Therefore: don't miss out on neither kräftor (crayfish) nor surströmming if in Sweden during later August/September (that is the time of eating surströmming) if you want to be wild and crazy and experience true Swedish culture!

Read in Swedish about surströmming!