SWEDISH CRAYFISH PARTY Crayfish have been eaten in Sweden since the 1500s. For a long while, only the aristocracy enjoyed these delicacies, as popular suspicion of shellfish was widespread. Originally, crayfish meat was used for sausage, ragout, patties or puddings. In the mid-1800s, people started eating crayfish as they are eaten today. The crayfish feast or crayfish supper in the month of August spread through the middle classes. In the 1900s, crayfish became a national delicacy and people in all sectors of society began celebrating the occasion. The price of crayfish fell as a result of imports from Turkey and elsewhere. The crayfish feast, at which people gather to eat, drink and be merry, is a typically Swedish festivity marking the end of the summer.
A crayfish party is a traditional summertime eating and drinking celebration in the Nordic countries. The tradition originated in Sweden, where a crayfish party is called a kräftskiva. The tradition has also spread to Finland via its Swedish-speaking population. A similar tradition exists in the Baltic countries in particular in Lithuania and Latvia.
Crayfish parties are generally held during August, a tradition that began because the crayfish harvest in Sweden was, for most of the 20th century, legally limited to the late summer. Nowadays, the kräftpremiär date in early August has no legal significance. Dining traditionally takes place outdoors, but in practice the party often takes refuge indoors due to the bad weather or aggressive mosquitoes. Customary party accessories are novelty paper hats, paper tablecloths, paper lanterns (often depicting the Man in the Moon), and bibs. A rowdy atmosphere prevails amid noisy eating and traditional drinking songs (snapsvisa). Alcohol consumption is often high, especially when compared to the amount of food actually consumed. It is considered customary to suck the juice out of the crayfish before shelling it.
Akvavit and other kinds of snaps are served, as well as beer. The crayfish are boiled in salt water and seasoned with fresh dill – preferably “crown dill” harvested after the plant has flowered – then served cold and eaten with the fingers. Bread, mushroom pies, surströmming, strong Västerbotten cheese, salads and other dishes are served buffet-style~
23 August 2018
