Party Like A Swede: Crayfish Party And Vasterbotten Cheese
Friday, February 4th, 2011If you haven’t heard of the Crayfish Party, then you really need to brush up on your world festivities and celebrations. As the Swedish summer draws to a close, Swedes remain outdoors as long as the clear August skies last sharing a bowlful of crayfish and a wheel of finely aged Vasterbotten cheese.
Crayfish Party in the Past
Since the 16th century, the Swedes have been eating crayfish. But for a while, it was only limited to the noble and the aristocracy. Initially crayfish was used to make sausage, ragout, patties, and even puddings.
Three hundred years later, people learned to eat crayfish the way they are eaten today. And in August, the Crayfish parties became a tradition for the middle class. In the 20th century, crayfish became the country’s national delicacy and people in all walks of life began to join the celebration. The crayfish feast is a Swedish festival where people gather outdoors to eat, drink, and enjoy Vasterbotten cheese and celebrate the end of summer.
Crayfish Party Now
The Swedish government issued in the early 20th century, river crayfishing restrictions to discourage over fishing. Crayfishing was only allowed for a couple of months, starting August. That marked the inception of the crayfish feast!
While crayfish can now be bought all year round, only few are in favor of abandoning the summer tradition. U.S. and Chinese crayfish are deemed the best, but nothing beats the taste of Swedish crayfish. But whether Swedish, Chinese, or American, crayfish is cooked only the Swedish way – in brine, with lots of dill.
Crayfish Party Essentials
If you want to have your own crayfish party with your friends in you apartment up 6th avenue, make sure to have these things ready:
Crayfish (of course) – there are dozens of crayfish available in your local stores, or if you want just order via the internet. You can also get crayfish from several supplies store that will ship it to your home.
Dill – the only way to push the taste of crayfish to the surface is by adding tons of fresh dill. You can grab this from any foods store down the street.
Vasterbotten Cheese – the salty taste of crayfish is great with the full flavor of Vasterbotten cheese.A natural ingredient for most Swedish cuisines, Vasterbotten cheese will definitely turn your crayfish party the real, Swede way!
Now this is where it gets challenging; Vasterbotten cheese is not readily available and only a select cheese shops have the real, Swedish Vasterbotten. Make sure the cheese shop you buy Vasterbotten from is legit and reliable.