What is it to be Swedish? This is a question I have often been curious about. We didn’t speak the language at any time in my house and the only food I can ever remember being served was pickled herring with sour cream and pumpernickel bread. Not exactly inspirational. And for some reason, it was always on New Year’s Day. I think it was a tradition of my grandfather’s, but one can’t be sure. It wasn’t very appealing, so any interest I might have had in being Swedish pretty much ended right there.
You see, my dad was half Swedish and half Italian. Given that his mother was Italian, you can imagine how things turned out on the food table. At no time was there ever any attempt to try to introduce my sister and I to Swedish food. My mom’s family was from Italy and my parents were completely aligned that the food and country to which our allegiance belonged was closest to the Mediterranean. And I was more than okay with that.
But after my dad passed away a few years back, I started to wonder about my Swedish ancestry a bit more. I took the Ancestry.com test and learned that everything was as my parents had said, although I was even more Italian than I assumed. I was hoping to hear that I had an exotic background since Sicily was conquered by many warring tribes, but alas, it came back that I was Southern Italian (80%) with the rest of my heritage in Sweden and Germany.
My dad’s father Frank was born in Stockholm and moved when he was an infant to New Jersey. My dad always mentioned that his grandmother was a cook in a wealthy home there and that she made Swedish meatballs. I always pictured the Swedish chef from the Muppets when I thought of her for some reason, which made me giggle, although my dad didn’t laugh!
The truth is I know very little about Sweden beyond it being the home of one of my childhood favorite bands – ABBA. I also enjoy Ikea and Swedish fish. In fact, I read recently that Swedish candy is having quite a renaissance of late, and people are lining up to buy it. Apparently, people in Sweden consume their candy traditionally on Saturday’s so it can be joyfully savored. This sounds very un-American to me since we like to have our cake and eat it too, but I can admire people who can withhold pleasure in order to enjoy something more meaningfully.
In an attempt to understand more about the land of my ancestry, I have been reading up on the food. I talked with friends who have been there, and they had a lot of positive things to say about the design esthetic. But when it comes to the food, they demurred. That made me wonder more about it.
There is a concept of Fika which is akin to the Brits’ afternoon tea tradition. To that end, Swedish people of all ages and genders stop what they are doing and seemingly take time to be social with each other while enjoying coffee, tea, and baked goods. I can certainly get on board with that. The traditional accompaniments include items like the Princess Cake, which is round-shaped layer cake topped with vanilla pastry cream and enrobed in a light green marzipan, a strawberry cake, made with sponge cake, strawberry jam, and whipped cream; and cinnamon buns or kanelbulle, which are twisted rolls with pearled sugar on top. There are also all kinds of cookies to choose from if one so desires.
Next there is something called the smörgåsbord, which literally translates to a table full of open sandwiches. When I was growing up, there was a chain restaurant from Horn & Horn in my hometown, Severna Park, that was called Smorgasbord, and it was an all you can eat buffet. I think I went one time total, and I wasn’t impressed, other than to note that it was a lot of food of varying degrees. There was a salad bar and a make your own sundae bar. My mom, who was an early adopter of healthful eating did not seem too keen on it either. Anything that was too over the top was usually deemed “Americani” food which is what her mom called anything that was food related and unappealing. Nonetheless, in Sweden the smorgasbord is a selection of different plates and dishes of food. From what I understand, the traditional smörgåsbord menu consists of cold plates laden with different kinds of fish and seafood. Prawns, smoked mackerel, cured salmon and fish roe often feature, but the mainstay is pickled herring, served in a variety of ways. This warmed my heart, because clearly this is what my dad was trying to somehow replicate in his misguided attempt to introduce us to his dad’s culture.
Other items that may be served include hard-boiled eggs and cold meats, such as salami, liver pate, smoked ham and sausage also feature, usually accompanied by pickles, onions, or mustard. For the hot dishes, a classic smörgåsbord example in winter would be meatballs, roast pork, and mini sausages (called prinskorv – or ‘prince sausages’) accompanied by a warm spiced red cabbage dish. In summer, light dishes such as quiche and mushroom pie with salad are often served.
All of this sounds great to me. But what about the candy? I read up on a few stores on the east coast that sell Swedish candy and I was keen to try it. I know there is a fondness for salty licorice, which I find appealing, but I knew of nothing else. Not too far away in Lancaster, PA, there is a store called Sweetish, which sells up to 70+ varieties of Swedish candies.
All of this is great, but in the end, I wonder what it means to be Swedish beyond the food. I have always been confounded by the two sides of my personality. There is the side that is gregarious, passionate and very comfortable socializing. But there is also the very punctual, uber organized, clean and ritualistic side that I have never understood and was certainly part of my dad’s way of being. I used to help my dad in the yard, and he was of the belief that it should be pristine. Naturally, I rebelled against that. Later, when he developed skin cancer from all of the many hours and days of working in the yard, I pointed out that he should have spent more time inside. But my dad was enjoying life on his own terms doing something that made him relax and I understand that now. If my need to plump the pillows (my husband John particularly finds this bizarre) and keep things neat and orderly is part of the Swedish side of me, so be it.
One thing I am starting to embrace that is a true Swedish trait, is to find more work-life balance. Whether it is spending time with family and friends, reading a good book, walking my dog, or watching a good movie or TV show, I have started to embrace that it is important for all of us to take the time to do things where we find joy.
I’m not sure I completely understand the Swedish side of me yet, but I’m hoping when I visit Sweden in a few months, I will feel at home. My grandfather died when I was only 6, so I didn’t really get to ask him any questions about it. My dad went to Sweden a few times and seemed to enjoy it, but I didn’t hear too much beyond how nice the people were and how pristine everything was during his travels. I’m hoping to connect with that side of my heritage and hopefully understand myself a little bit better when I go there.
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