Published by Swedish News. Volume 145 No. 8, June 1, 2017. Price per copy $3.50.
Secrets of the Swedish Smörgåsbord Travelers visiting the north of Sweden 200 years ago, particularly foreigners with sensitive noses, spoke from time to time of the extraordinary stink that blanketed the countryside. One 18th-century merchant wrote home complaining that on these journeys, it was necessary to abstain from kissing the otherwise attractive local women on account of the smell of sour fish that enveloped them. He did not realize the odor was simply a by-product of one of Sweden’s oldest culinary traditions: fermented fish. Once homely survival food, pungent preserved fish dishes such as gravlax and surströmming have evolved into present-day delicacies — for Swedes, anyway, if not foreign guests. / Continued on page 14
Swedish Ingenuity
It seems as if every week we learn about new advancements in technology, science and ingenuity in Sweden. And this week is no exception with examples of an innovative wrinkle in a new kind of clothing, Volvo’s plan for producing electric vehicles, a supportive resource for helping people promote unique ideas, and a powerful new sports drink that’s got elite athletes hopping. / Pages 20-21
Midsummer, Midsommar …
Photo: Niklas Larsson/Bildbyrån
Swedes take their days off seriously and even have a special word for the one that’s “pinched in between” two holidays. / p4 More than 150 years later the Royal Swedish Academy of Music is making sure Jenny LInd remains a household name, even in the U.S. / p9
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An athlete from Maryland is helping Sweden build an American football league worth its salt in herring. /p22
No matter how we spell it we love this special weekend celebrated in Sweden on the Friday (and weekend) closest to June 21, the summer solstice. We spend weeks preparing for it and anticipating it -- is there anything prettier or more Swedish than the Midsommar celebration with all the flowers, the maypole, food and music? In the U.S. we try to mimic the festivities as much as possible (and we’ve heard reports of some American celebrations being even more Swedish than some in Sweden), and they are all here in our comprehensive listing of Midsommar celebrations throughout Swedish America / Page 6