Midsummer Food: Traditional Swedish Dishes and Recipes
When and how is it celebrated?
The celebration takes place on Midsommarafton, Midsummer Eve, the Friday between 19 and 25 June. Since 1953 the festival has been fixed to this weekend. Before that it was held on St John’s Day, 24 June. In the morning, families and neighbours decorate the midsommarstång, a tall pole with a crossbar, with birch twigs and flowers and raise it. Then the dancing begins. The best-known dance is Små grodorna, in which everyone hops round the pole like frogs. Many people wear crowns of wild flowers. The meal is eaten in the early afternoon at long tables, usually in the garden or at a summer house in the countryside. An old custom says that unmarried women should pick seven kinds of flowers during the night and put them under their pillow. Then they will dream of their future husband.
What is on the table?
At the centre is pickled herring in several varieties, for example with mustard, with onions or with dill. A Silltallrik with three or four kinds is the usual start. With it come the first new potatoes of the year, boiled in their skins and sprinkled with fresh dill, plus sour cream, chives and Crispbread. Many families add Gravlax with a sweet mustard and dill sauce. For guests who do not like fish, there are Köttbullar or a Västerbotten Cheese Pie, a quiche made with a strong hard cheese from northern Sweden. For dessert come the first Swedish strawberries, on their own with whipped cream or in a cake. The best-known cake of the summer, Midsommarstårta, is made of sponge layers, vanilla custard and cream, topped with a thick layer of strawberries. If you bake it yourself, put the berries on just before serving.
Tips for your own festive meal
Almost everything can be prepared the day before, so the day itself stays free. Buy the herring ready pickled or start it yourself two days ahead. Cook the potatoes just before the meal. Small waxy varieties work best. If you are expecting more guests, add a Smörgåstårta, a savoury sandwich cake that sets overnight in the fridge. Strawberries and cream are enough for dessert. To drink, Swedes serve elderflower cordial with sparkling water, well chilled.
