The ferry Djurgården 4, an inner city ferry route in Stockholm, Sweden. It runs from Slussen, in the old town of Gamla Stan, to the island of Djurgården. /P4
Stockholm’s Old Town
Swedish comfort foods
Tuesdays with semla, Thursdays with pea soup and Saturdays with candy. These have become familiar pairings in Swedish culture. And during the winter months they are especially comforting, not the least for those who are passing along the traditions to friends and family members. Those “everyday” recipes as well as the special holiday recipes - the beloved recipes are always wanted. In this case, it’s Ann-Mari’s soup, often made with small pancakes (“plättar”) and sweetened blueberries and, of course, in February, it’s time for a semla. / P16, 22
It was the death of a mermaid that first turned Stockholm into the group of attractive islands where everyone wanted to settle. When she was killed accidentally, the surrounding water took on a soft sheen, a beauty never seen before. In the words of the Swedish author Selma Lagerlöf, it shimmered like the colorplay on the inside of seashells. As the glittering water lapped the shores, they too were transformed. This story was vividly brought to mind as Bo Zaunders entered the Gamla Stan subway station and confronted a completely nude woman with scales painted on her lower body. It turned out she was a live advertisement for a body painter named Bino, address: Gamla Stan. / P12 The soon expected IPO of Spotify has raised concerns among U.S. banks / p5 Just trying to pronounce “ sjösjuk” can make a person seasick / p11 A Nordic twist on a classic Bloody Mary with dill-infused aquavit /p23 Big wine on a small scale in Oregon, number four producer of wine in the U.S. / p18
Photo: Arild Vågen/Wikimedia Commons
The Swedish North Star, continuously published since 1872. Volume 146 No. 2, February 01, 2018. Price per copy $3.50.
dashboard | february 01, 2018 SCANDINAVIAN QUIZ
queen wore men’s clothes and 1 Which is buried in the Vatican? A) Queen Margareta B) Queen Kristina C) Queen Ulrika Eleonora
6 In a study to find out what Western babies cry the
least (African and Far Eastern babies are carried more and cry less), which country was found to be the most tolerant of the crying? A) Denmark B)Lapland C) Sweden D) Iceland
2 What is said to be the richest of Sweden’s prov- 7 Sweden and Norway were united kingdoms under inces, the home of many castles and manors? A) Södermanland B) Hälsingland C) Jämtland
Name’s Days of the Swedish Calendar Namnsdagar i februari
February 1 February 2 February 3 February 4 February 5 February 6 February 7 February 8 February 9 February 10 February 11 February 12 February 13 February 14 February 15 February 16 February 17 February 18 February 19 February 20 February 21 February 22 February 23 February 24 February 25 February 26 February 27 February 28
Max/Maximilian Kyndelsmässodagen Disa/Hjördis Ansgar/Anselm Agata/Agda Dorotea/Doris Rikard/Dick Berta/Bert Fanny/Franciska Iris Yngve/Inge Evelina/Evy Agne/Ove Valentin Sigfrid Julia/Julius Alexandra/Sandra Frida/Fritiof Gabriella/Ella Vivianne Hilding Pia Torsten/Torun Mattias/Mats Sigvard/Sivert Torgny/Torkel Lage Maria
February 1
|
New York Chicago Stockholm Kiruna Lund Los Angeles 2 NORDSTJERNAN
Sunrise & Sunset
7.05 am 7.02 am 7.58 am 8.55 am 8.01 am 6.49 am
5.13 pm 5.05 pm 4.05 pm 2.51 pm 4.41 pm 5.23 pm
3 Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of IKEA, got an early start as a salesman selling what at age 6? A) chairs B)matches C) boxes D) reusable bags
8 Which of these isn’t a Scandinavian company?
and Norwegians? A)repeated wars B) religious differences D) competitive skiing C) reindeer games
A) Karl XII B) Gustav II Adolf C) Gustav III
A) Tretorn B) Arabia C) Stokke D) Lindor
4 What led to a general resentment between Swedes 9 Who was called the Lion from the North? 5 Which province originally had a name that meant “dangerous island” though it wasn’t an island? A) Öland B) Bohuslän C) Skåne
CULTURE
Namnsdagar
10 Where did King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia
meet? A) At the Olympics in Munich B) At the party of a mutual friend C) At a Bergman movie premier Answers: 1:B, 2:A, 3:B, 4:A, 5:C, 6:A, 7:C, 8:D, 9:B, 10:A
This queen was heiress to the crown at age 6 when her father King Gustav II Adolph died in 1632. He was a doting father, who was originally told by the midwives that he finally had a baby boy, but when he found out the truth, he laughed and said, “She’ll be a clever one, she’s fooled all of us!” This may have been foretelling of her life, which proved unconventional. She is known for wearing masculine clothing and enjoying an education usually offered only to boys. She was an intellectual whose interest in books, religion, philosophy and science was vast, and she was decidedly against marriage — which had all of Europe wondering about her. She was Queen Kristina, who abdicated the throne in 1654 (in favor of her cousin Karl X Gustav), converted to Catholicism and moved to Rome, where she died in 1689.
a common monarch and common foreign policy for how many years starting in 1814? A) 1 B) 19 C) 91 D) 119
Februari
Sigfrid - Februari 15 Sigfrid or Siegfried is a German name meaning “victory” and “peace.” The name has been used in Sweden since the 13th century. Saint Sigfrid was a Benedictine monk and bishop in Sweden, he converted King Olof Skötkonung in 1008. After Ansgar, Sigfrid is revered as the Second Apostle of the North. He died in Växjö in 1045. There were 3,360 people with the name in Sweden in 2016. Torsten - Februari 23 Torsten or Thorsten is an Old Norse name consisting of the words “Tor” (the god’s name) and “sten” (stone). The name may mean “tough” or “thunderbolt.” Torsten was one of the characters in Esaias Tegnér’s “Frithiofs saga,” and became popular as a name in Sweden in the 19th century because of that. There were 15,313 people with the name in Sweden in 2016.
founded in new york city in september 1872 Nordstjernan (ISSN 1059-7670), founded in New York City in September 1872, is published by Swedish News, Inc., 570 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10022 • Readers services and editorial submissions: P.O. Box 1710, New Canaan, CT 06840 Periodicals Postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. www.nordstjernan.com, Nordstjernan is published semimonthly, except for the months of January, February, July when it is monthly and Augustwith no issue. POST MASTER: Please send address changes to Nordstjernan, P.O. Box 1710, New Canaan, CT 06840 Subscription rates: 1 yr. = $55, Two yr. = $99, outside US 1 yr. = $167.
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this week…
02 CROSS FINGERS: “Håll tummarna” (hold thumbs) it’s Groundhog Day 13 MAKE A SEMLA: “Fettisdagen” / Shrove Tuesday (See our suggested recipe on page 22.) 13 MAKE PANCAKES* “Internationella pankaksdagen” / International Pancake Day 14 BUY FLOWERS: “Alla Hjärtans Dag” / Valentine’s Day 25 EAT GRAPEFRUIT and look for next month’s feature on the Swedes that built the citrus industry in the Sunshine State / “Grapefruktens Dag” / Day of the Grapefruit
*We may think of the thin pancake as Swedish but International Pancake Day has its origins in England where it’s been celebrated for centuries. The British organize pancake races that place during this day, always celebrated on Shrove Tuesday (a day prior to the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday). Participants run the races with a frying pan containing a pancake, and must flip the pancake in the air at least three times during the contest. Lent – the 40 days leading up to Easter – was traditionally a time of fasting and on Shrove Tuesday, Christians went to confession and were “shriven” (absolved from their sins). A bell would be rung to call people to confession. In England this is still called the “Pancake Bell.” The English pancake tradition has much in common with the Swedish semla, which in southern Sweden was traditionally called fastlagsbulle (Lenten bun). Shrove Tuesday was the last opportunity to use up eggs and fats before embarking on the Lenten fast, and pancakes (consisting of eggs, milk, salt and flour) are perfect for using up these ingredients—as are our beloved semlor, with the further addition of whipped cream and almond paste. Find recipes for this important day on pages 17 and 22.
Page 5
Their Royal Highnesses, the King and Queen of Sweden greet the public at the celebration of the King’s 40th anniversary at the throne in 2013.
Dashboard, p4-5
An easier (often cheaper) way to move around in Stockholm City / The Swedish American of “America’s Third Party” passes on / Golden Swede in Hollywood / The IPO of Spotify has raised concerns among U.S. banks / The Court of Bernadotte 200 years
Events calendar, p6-8
What’s going on in Swedish America.
Comfort Food, p16, 22
“All” the important fixings for February.
We didn’t quite beleive it either but here’s proof — participants at the Olney Pancake Race on Shrove Tuesday, 2012.
What we like
What’s with the little red horse on your desk and why do Blue and Yellow resonate with you just like the Red, White and Blue? Ever get into an argument about the merits of Kalles Kaviar, potato sauasage or how aquavit is not just flavored vodka ... how lutfisk is just as edible as Swedish fish … whether to use salt or sugar with gröt? And, how singing at the table is actually good manners and keeps things grounded? As an American you bring a bit of your old country inside of you all the time. SwedishAmericans with a foot still in the old country say they get the best of two worlds. Or possibly three: Sweden, America and Swedish-America. With Nordstjernan, we’d like to bring you the best of these three worlds. As we’ve done for 146 years. By no means can we cover all aspects or all
areas or all phenomena in every single issue. But carrying as much as humanly possible is what keeps us up at night, makes us turn on the screens in the mornings and meet you here on these pages, in social media or in real life. We all need companions; we all need to belong. At no point in time in our 146-year history did we hear from so many readers as we did in 2017. We like that and would very much like to hear even more from you. Nothing brings us more joy—whether on events, people in your area, suggestions for coverage or contributions of texts, images or ideas, don’t hesitate to connect. What we like is hearing what you like.
PS. Always stay informed in a Swede way, call 1.800.827.9333 to order subscription, email editor@nordstjernan.com with suggestions.
Ulf Barslund Mårtensson Editor & Publisher
Your next issu e will be dated March 1, 2018
Page 22
Our Swedish Honorary Consuls, who are they really? We decided to find out. /p20
Swedish News, p25
Geely buys stake in Volvo Trucks / The Volvo XC 60 wins “the Oscars” / Growing economy / Housing price correction/ Record low / Falling unemployment / Population boom / Initial public offering of Spotify / All about wellness / Retail startup / Säpo maintains an elevated threat level / How safe is Sweden? The Exchange Rate:
$1.00 = SEK 8.05 (01.17.2018)
FEBRUARY 01, 2018 3
Photo: Photo Alexis Daflos Kungahuset
February TO DO
dashboard | february 01, 2018
Podtaxis are small, fast taxipods that you order with an app. They are somewhat cheaper than ordinary taxis and completely free of emissions (driven by eco-labeled electricity). Fast, cheap and environmentally-friendly. See www.bzzt.se for more information.
This issue’s Page One The ferry service depicted on our Page One is integrated into Stockholm’s public transportation system, and public transport is really the way to go when you visit Sweden’s capital. Driving and parking in Stockholm can be a bit of a challenge depending on where you’re going and parking tickets can run anywhere from $60 to $150, and tenacious representatives of Stockholm fine close to half a million parking violators every year. If you want to avoid a parking ticket or other driving fine, stay away from driving in the city. Buses, trams, trains, ferries and the subway system take you everywhere. Our advice for the summer: Rent a city bike or use a Podtaxi if public transportation doesn’t take you where you want to go.
The stories, the traditions, the people behind the news. founded in new york city in september 1872 executive editor & publisher:
Ulf Barslund Mårtensson (editor@nordstjernan.com) editor:
Amanda Olson Robison (editor@nordstjernan.com) managing editor & production: Everett Martin graphic design: Nadia Wojcik (design@nordstjernan.com) contributors:
Chipp Reid - Lisa Mikulski - Ted Olsson - Leif Rosqvist Ulf Kirchdorfer - Valorie Arrowsmith - Olle Wijkström Bo Zaunders - Göran Rygert - James Kaplan - Gunilla Blixt publications director:
Mette Barslund Mårtensson (mette@nordstjernan.com; 800.827.9333, ext 12)
nordstjernan p.o. box 1710 new canaan ct 06840 contact us at 1.800.827.9333 ext 10 for reader services, email: subs@nordstjernan.com; ext 12 for advertising, email: ads@nordstjernan.com www.nordstjernan.com Covering three worlds: Sweden, America and Swedish America. Order your own copy, $55.00 for a year (18 issues) Choose ‘subscribe’ at www.nordstjernan.com or call 1.800.827.9333, ext 10 4 NORDSTJERNAN
Screen grab from www.bzzt.se - the easy way to move around in the inner city of Stockholm.
million. The money eats away at the American political system.” John Bayard Anderson, 02.15.1992-12.03.2017 Anderson strongly felt corporate America must be mindful of the effect that profit-at-any-cost actions, such as lay-offs, are having on the country. Close to 40 years after runHe said, “There is a very fundaning one of the most successmental responsibility that is owed by ful independent presidential members of the business community campaigns in modern times*, to the American worker to re-examine John Anderson probably still what is going on in the changes that felt a third party should be are occurring in our economy.” formed. The Swedish-AmerThe former congressman from ican who served 20 years as Illinois later became a visiting a member of Congress won professor of constitutional law at a a credible 6.6 percent of the series of universities and cofounded vote in the 1980 election. FairVote, which was chaired by him John Bayard Anderson, from 1996 to 2008. He also served who died on December 3, as president of the World Federalist 2017 in Washington, DC, Independent presidential candidate Association, was on the advisory was born in Rockford, Illi- John Anderson, member of the board of the Electronic Privacy Innois, the son of an immigrant U.S. House of Representatives from formation Center and served as Illinois’s 16th District from January Swedish father and a mother 3, 1961 - January 3, 1981. the first executive director of the whose parents had arrived Council for the National Interest. In from the same country. Anderson’s beginning in January 2008, Anderson indicated strong support politics came in 1960 when he won election to the for the candidacy of a fellow Illinoisan, democratic House of Representatives in a strongly Republican contender Barack Obama. district of Illinois. He started as one of the most Anderson died of natural causes on December 3, conservative members of the House but his views 2017 at the age of 95. moderated later in the 1960s, especially regarding social issues. Later he took more liberal stances, * Anderson’s finish stands as the seventh best for any criticizing President Richard Nixon for the Vietnam such candidate since the Civil War. War and eventually breaking with the party. **We can’t help but note that the 2016 election came Anderson believed that election campaign spend- at a price tag of just under $7 billion albeit none of ing and the plight of the American workers were it tax payer money; most came from organizations, reasons to shun both the Republican and Democratic Super PACs, special interests and the often wealthy parties. In the mid-1990s he said, “I feel we have individuals in charge of campaign fundraising. For dishonored the very roots of our democratic system some candidates also large amounts of individuals. by the vast amounts of money that today are pouring The 2010 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United into our national election campaigns. Sixty million v. Federal Election Commission legalized unlimited dollars in taxpayer money will be given to matching spending by independent groups working in supcampaign funds of presidential candidates in 1996. port of candidates. The ruling by the Supreme Court In addition, the parties will raise an additional $100 unleashed a deluge of undisclosed money. PEOPLE
‘The U.S. needs a third party’
dashboard | february 01, 2018
Golden Swede in Hollywood
Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgård claimed the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor on January 7. His performance as Perry Wright in HBO’s hit series “Big Little Lies” won him an Emmy in September, and now Skarsgård, who was born in Stockholm to acclaimed actor Stellan Skarsgård in 1976, adds the Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series award from the Golden Globes, which honors the best in film and American television as decided by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. HBO confirmed a return for a second seasons, though Skarsgård’s character seemed to have met his demise at the end of season one. “I don’t even know if I’m really dead or not. I feel okay right now but we’ll see,” the actor said as he remained ambiguous about whether he’ll return for the series’ second season.
Initial public offering of Spotify
Spotify is expected to be introduced on the New York Stock Exchange during the first quarter of this year. Spotify’s initial direct listing can have major consequences for Wall Street’s banks, according to the Wall Street Journal. In most cases, investment banks sign up to find early investors who are ready to buy the shares at a predetermined price. After that, other buyers are offered the same price during the introductory day. But Spotify will bypass the banks and simply let the market decide from the start where the price should be and fees for advisory banks will be much lower. According to analysts, Chinese investment company Tencent Holding’s investment, with the price of about $5,000 per share, is what Spotify wishes to see as a benchmark for listing. It gives a company value of just over $20 billion, or SEK 160 billion. WSJ argues that if the setup is successful, other technology companies like Airbnb and Uber could follow in the same footsteps.
Photo: JonasEkströmer/kungahuset.se
Talent does indeed run in the family: Alexander Skarsgård, right, with younger brothers Bill Skarsgård, center, and Gustav, both also actors, photographed in Los Angeles by Kerstin Alm. All three brothers have made it to the left coast and major U.S. productions, with Alexander having come far after his stint as Nordman in the HBO series True Blood.
Sweden’s royal family, the House of Bernadotte, gathered at Solliden, the family’s summer residence, in 2016. Their Majesties King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia are surrounded (l-r) in front by TRH Princess Leonore with Princess Madeleine, Prince Nicolas, Princess Estelle, Crown Princess Victoria with Prince Oscar. In back are Mr. Chris O’Neill and TRH Prince Carl Philip, Princess Sofia with Prince Alexander, and Prince Daniel to the left of H.M. the king.
BICENTENNIAL
Bernadotte 200 years
Sweden’s royal Bernadotte family is recognizing its 200 years of leadership. No other Swedish royal family has ruled so long, and in no other European country has the same branch of the same family under the same name ruled over a free and independent country in peace as long as the Bernadotte family. In 1810, an extraordinary parliament was gathered to elect a successor to the throne. The childless Karl XIII, older brother of Gustav III, whose adopted son, Crown Prince Karl August died earlier the same year in a riding accident, was to adopt a new heir to the throne. There were several candidates but after deliberations in a secret committee the government proposed French Marshal Jean Baptiste Bernadotte (1763-1844) as heir to the Swedish throne. The election would mark the end of the Holstein-Gottorp dynasty and the beginning of the present Bernadotte dynasty on the Swedish throne. Jean Baptiste Bernadotte was born into a bourgeois family in southern France. He wanted to go into the military but because he was not of noble status he could not become an officer. He has
served in the military for 11 years before the French Revolution broke out and then all talented young men could advance regardless of their background. Within two years Bernadotte rose from captain to general, with a high post as a Napoleonic marshal, and he even ruled over a large part of Germany as governor of Hamburg-Bremen-Lübeck. It wasn’t uncommon to look in other countries for worthy heirs and Sweden found Bernadotte, offering him a position as Crown Prince of Sweden. He was unanimously elected by Sweden’s parliament, became a Protestant and assumed the Swedish name Karl Johan. With him the throne was secure in his 14-year-old son Oscar, who would later become King Oscar I of Sweden and Norway. The 200th anniversary has been celebrated for several years, marking various occasions related to other dates from the beginning of the Bernadotte dynasty in Sweden. This year, on February 5, a seminar titled “Bernadotte 200 years” will be hosted by H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf, H.M. Queen Silvia, H.K.H. Crown Princess Victoriaand H.K.H. Prince Daniel at the Royal Palace. www.kungahuset.se FEBRUARY 01, 2018 5
local events
Local Events California
Burlingame 02.14, 6 PM S w e d i s h C l u b o f Sa n Fra n c i s c o : Valentine’s Dinner at Burlingame Women’s Club. 650.344.8144 / www. swedishclubofsfba.org
Florida
02.02, 12-3 PM Suncoast Scandinavian Club: February entertainment program is Bruce Raig, accordionist and Eric Hoveland from the Scandinavian Trade Association of Tampa. RSVP to 732.546.7756, dinner is $17 at Banquet Masters. blekinge93usa@ gmail.com 03.02, 12-3 PM Suncoast Scandinavian Club: Learn more about our club and enjoy the March entertainment program, New Century Opera Company with Maestro Constantine Graham. RSVP to 732.546.7756, dinner is $17 at Banquet Masters. blekinge93usa@ gmail.com
Illinois
Chicago 02.03, 1:30 PM DNA: A Power Tool in the Genealogist’s Tool Box: A prominent certified genealogist will explore the practical applicability of DNA test results, in family history searches.The test results comprise more than just pie charts of ethnicity. Free with museum admission. Swedish
American Museum, 773.728.8111 / www. swedishamericanmuseum.org 02.08, 6 PM Exhibit opening: “Available Light” is an exhibit of still and moving images of life on a Swedish farm by SwedishAmerican artist Erika Råberg, created over several years on her family’s farm in rural Värmland. At the Swedish American Museum through March 29. 773.728.8111 / www.swedishamericanmuseum.org 02.11, 1 PM Scandinavian Jam: An instructional program about traditional roots music led by Mary Allsopp and Paul Tyler; participants are welcome to play their own instruments during the jam session that begins at 2 p.m. Swedish American Museum, 773.728.8111 / www.swedishamericanmuseum.org 02.16, 11 AM Hejsan: Monthly story and craft hour for children of all ages and their parents, on the theme of music in Sweden; tunes by Robyn are featured in February. Swedish American Museum, 773.728.8111 / www. swedishamericanmuseum.org 02.18,5 PM Entertainer Magnus Mårtensson returns for dinner and an evening of humorous musical virtuosity. Dinner precedes the 6 p.m. performance. Swedish American Museum, 773.728.8111 / www. swedishamericanmuseum.org
Iowa
Decorah 02.03, 10 AM Barneløpet: The non-competitive ski or walk event for ages 3-13. In the spirit of
SAN FRANCISCO Söndag 11 februari kl 11.00
SVENSK GUDSTJÄNST i Norska Sjömanskyrkan på Hyde St. Präst Louise Linder predikar och kyrkokören medverkar. Kyrkkaffe och saft
Lördag 17 februari kl 15.00 (barnsamling kl 14)
FAMILJEGUDSTJÄNST
i Los Altos. Präst Louise Linder predikar. Kyrkkaffe och saft. Barn välkomna redan kl 14.00 för sång och pyssel.
Fredag 2, 9, 16 och 23 februari kl 10:30
SVENSKA KYRKANS BARNGRUPP träffas på fredagar i Norska sjömanskyrkan för sång, lek och gemenskap. Fika serveras.
Onsdag 7 och 21 februari kl 18:30 Övning med kyrkokören. Kom till Norska Sjömanskyrkan för sång och gemenskap. Alla välkomna!
Torsdag 15 februari kl 18.30 Meningen med livet. Kom till Norska sjömanskyrkan för samtal och soppa. Smärtforskaren inom medicin Line Loken talar om smärta och beröring. Tema: hjärta och smärta. Se Facebook för mer info!
SVENSKA KYRKAN SAN FRANCISCO Norska Sjömanskyrkan, 2454 Hyde Street, San Francisco Tel: 415-632-8504 Epost: sanfrancisco@svenskakyrkan.se Hemsida: www.svenskakyrkan.se/sanfrancisco 6 NORDSTJERNAN
the Vasaloppet, the event is modeled after the Norwegian Barnebirke (in Hayward, WI the next day) and is free to all skill levels. registration from 9:40 to 10 a.m. Sleds are welcome for younger siblings, participants must provide their own skis. 563.382.9681 / dfossum-martin@vesterheim.org / www. vesterheim.org
Minnesota
Minneapolis 02.14, 6:30- 8:30 PM Swedish Pizza Date Night: Discuss how pizza is the perfect platform to demonstrate an immigrant culture, the cultural implications of Swedish pizza and toss a few pies of your own. Menu includes banana curry pizza and fillet of beef and béarnaise pizza, pizza salad, and a lingonberry dessert. $55/members, $65/non-members includes a drink from FIKA Cafe. American Swedish Institute, 612.871.4907 / www.asimn.org 02.21, 1 PM Film screening: Swedish comedy “A Holy Mess” asks the question of how tolerant the Swedes are. It’s a warm comedy about the modern family and a continual struggle to “do things right.” 108 minutes, in Swedish/ English/Greek (with English subtitles). Free. American Swedish Institute, 612.871.4907 / www.asimn.org Moorhead 02.24, 7-10 PM Nordic Gala: Theme Mysigt-Cozy-Hygge. Come for a silent auction, a Swedish dinner and cultural entertainment. Dakota Medical Foundation in Fargo, 218.299.5452 / www.nordiccultureclubs.org
New York
02.10, 11 AM Storytelling with the HCA Storytellers: In this popular ongoing children’s series, some of New York’s famous storytellers from the Hans Christian Andersen Storytelling Center present exciting fairy and folk tales and fantastic adventures from Scandinavia. In “Trolls, Tricksters, and Chaneques!” captivating stories from Scandinavia and Mexico remind us that tricky trolls and other odd spirits inhabit stories all around the world. Ages 5+, free. Scandinavia House, www.scandinaviahouse.org 02.22, 7:30 PM Folk Songs from the Faroe Islands: Composer, guitarist, and singer/songwriter Stanley Samuelsen presents acoustic music in Faroese, an old Nordic language resembling Icelandic, both of which are, together, the closest counterparts to what Norwegian Vikings spoke a thousand years ago. He expertly composes melodies to the greatest Faroese poets, and his melodic songs are accompanied by finger-style guitar playing, which is influenced by esteemed guitarists such as Stephen Stills and John Renbourn. Scandinavia House, www.scandinaviahouse.org
Do you know about an upcoming event in Swedish America? Submit it any time to our online calendar at www.nordstjernan.com/ calendar
local events
The Year of Bergman 2018 celebrates the rich legacy of Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, who would have celebrated his 100th birthday on July 14, 2018.
Bergman retrospective in Berkeley
Bergman 100: A Tribute to Liv Ullmann is a retrospective of Ingmar Bergman’s films at Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive on February 1-24. The festival kicks off with an in-person appearance by Bergman’s longtime muse Liv Ullmann on February 1 and 3. Ullmann (1938 - ), an acclaimed Norwegian actress who acted in many movies in Sweden, Europe, Canada and the U.S. and has more recently directed five movies, appeared in 10 Bergman movies including Persona (1966), The Passion of Anna (1969), Cries and Whispers (1972) and Autumn Sonata (1978). Feb 1, 7:30 PM: See “Persona” at the Berkeley Art Museum. Liv Ullman appears in person. Feb 3, 7:30 PM: See “Shame” at the Berkeley Art Museum. Liv Ullman appears in person. Feb 8, 7 PM: See “Hour of the Wolf” Feb 15, 7 PM: See “Cries and Whispers” 02.17, 6 PM: See “Autum Sonata” then enjoy a prix-fixe dinner at BAMPFA’s cafe Babette 02.24, 6 PM: See “Sarabond” then enjoy a prix-fixe dinner at BAMPFA’s cafe Babette
03.06, 6-8 PM The Sandman: Book discussion and signing by Joona Linna, the author or the #1 internationally best-selling thriller. Book talk with Lars Kepler. Scandinavia House, 212.779.3587 / www.scandinaviahouse.org
North Dakota
Fargo 02.24, 7-10 PM Nordic Gala: Come enjoy a “mysigt-cozyhygge” evening with a Swedish dinner, silent auction and cultural entertainment. Dakota Medical Foundation, 4141 28th Ave South, 218.299.5452 / w w w. nordiccultureclubs.org
Oregon
02.11, 4-6 PM Fastelavn: Celebrate the carnival season in Nordic fashion with this family day. Don your favorite costumes and bring your family for an afternoon of crafts, games, fastelavnsboller, snacks, beverages, hilarities and a costume contest. $5. Nordic Northwest, 503.977.0275 / laila@ scanheritage.org / www.scanheritage.org 03.24, 6:30-8:30 PM Armchair Adventurer Series: Polar Opposites: Amundsen, Scott, and the Race for the Pole. Lawrence Howard of Portland Story Theater tells this story that recounts a tale of agony and ecstasy, of accomplishment and failure, of a glorious victory overshadowed by an even more glorious defeat in Antarctica 100 years ago. $15/members , $20/non-members. Nordic Northwest, 503.977.0275 /www. scanheritage.org
In “Persona” (screened on Feb 1), an actress named Elizabeth (Liv Ullmann, left) lapses into silence and is put into the care of Alma (Bibi Andersson), a nurse companion.
The movies are screened at the Barbro Osher Theater, named after Sweden’s Honorary Consul General in San Francisco, which was inaugurated in early 2016 with another Bergman classic, The Seventh Seal, chosen by the consul. BAMPFA, 2155 Center St., Berkeley / 510.642.0808 / www.bampfa.org and www.ingmarbergman.se
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local events
Scandinavian crime fiction today Dr. Jim Kaplan, professor emeritus at Minnesota State UniversityMoorhead will discuss the Scandinavian crime novels that are enjoying world-wide popularity. Huge successes as books, movies and TV shows, they feature internationally recognized characters such as Lisbeth Salander, Kurt Wallander and Harry Hole. Featured in this program will be “Jar City” by Icelandic author Arnaldur Indridason, “The Snowman” by Norwegian author Jo Nesbø, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” by Swedish author Stieg Larsson, as well as “The Department Q Trilogy” by Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen. Crime thrillers enable readers to learn about the real lives of Scandinavian people today and are a fun and exciting introduction to literature and the humanities. Dr. Kaplan will highlight the films made from these books that are available on streaming video and DVD.
Augusta’s Daughter Ever wonder what made so many emigrate from Sweden in the nineteenth century? Judit Martin’s novel, “Augusta’s Daughter,” about 19th century Swedish peasant life made such an impression on us, we decided to offer it to the Nordstjernan readership. call 1.800.827.9333 for your own copy ($24.90 incl. S&H to continental U.S.).
The program will be presented three times: Monday, Feb. 12 at 5 p.m. at the Woodside, CA Public Library, 3140 Woodside Rd. For more information call 650.851.0147. Saturday, Feb. 17 at 2 p.m. at the Glen Park Branch of the San Francisco Public Library, 2825 Diamond Street near the Glen Park BART Station. For more information contact 415.355.2858. Monday, Feb. 26 at 1 p.m. at the Sixty Plus group in the Rosa Parks Room of the Cesar Chavez Student Center on the SFSU Campus. The programs are free and open to the public but attendees of the Sixty Plus event are asked to make a reservation by calling 415.405.0489.
LOS ANGELES Söndag 4 februari kl 11.00
GUDSTJÄNST
Kyrkoherde Hans Bratt Hernberg predikar, kören medverkar och lunch serveras.
Onsdag 14 februari kl 19.00
ASKONSDAGSMÄSSA
Pennsylvania
Philadelphia 02.10, 11 AM Semlor & a Movie: Treat yourself to a rich semla, a cream and almond paste filled Swedish pastry, along with a cup of hot coffee and a Scandinavian film. $13/advance, $15/door, $6/additional semla. Walk-ins welcome, but preregistration is appreciated. American Swedish Historical Museum, 215.389.1776 / info@americanswedish.org / www. americanswedish.org 02.20, 10:30-11:30 AM Toddler Time: The phenomenon of aurora borealis can be seen across many arctic countries and certainly lights up the sky in northern Sweden, so we’ll read Roaring, Boring Alice by P.K. Merski, dance in a color ballet, and do a color mixing science experiment! Enjoy rainbow Jello snack and watch the night sky light up. $5/child, free/ members and accompanying caregivers. American Swedish Historical Museum, 215.389.1776 / info@americanswedish.org / www.americanswedish.org 02.24, 10 AM-2 PM Swedish Cooking Workshop: Join fellow culinary enthusiasts for a hands-on cooking workshop with recipes for Beef a la Lindstrom, cardamom bread, and pickled beets. Space is limited; $50/person (includes all food and drinks), reservations are required by phone or online by Feb. 19. American Swedish Historical Museum, 215.389.1776 / info@americanswedish.org / www.americanswedish.org
Washington
Seattle 02.01, 1:30 PM Nordic Storytelling: In our 11th year of Nordic Stories geared toward preschoolers and their grown-ups, Moomin and the Birthday Button is shared along with a fun craft project. This month (through April) storytelling takes place at Secret Garden Books in downtown Ballard, 2214 NW Market St. 206.789.5707 / www. nordicmuseum.org 02.10, 1:30 PM Performance: The Life and Times of Queen Christina of Sweden. When she became Queen of Sweden in 1632, Christina was only 6 years old. Her whole life was unusual and all of Europe talked about this unconventional queen. For all ages at Home of the Good Shepherd, 4649 Sunnyside Ave N. $12/adults, $6/seniors and students, 206.789.5707 / www.nordicmuseum.org
under ledning av kyrkoherde Sverre Tofte.
National archives and library for Swedish-American historical research Publishers of Swedish American Genealogist 639 38th Street Rock Island, IL | 61201-2296 309-794-7204
www.augustana.edu/ swenson 8 NORDSTJERNAN
Tisdagar kl 18.30
SVENSKAFTON med film, lärjungaskola, sång och gemenskap.
Onsdagar kl 19.00 Kyrkans kör övar. Välkommen du också!
Fredagar kl 9.30
MORGONANDAKT För aktuell information om våra evenemang, inklusive kommande fundraiser, se vår facebook- och hemsida.
SVENSKA KYRKAN LOS ANGELES 1035 South Beacon Street, San Pedro, CA 90731 Tel. (310) 292-7080 • Epost: losangeles@svenskakyrkan.se Hemsida: www.svenskakyrkan.se/losangeles
Through
NORDSTJERNAN 1.800.827.9333 Ext 10
local events
Apply by February 7
Americans wanted! Swedish television’s Golden Globe winner “Allt för Sverige” (also known as The Great Swedish Adventure) is accepting applications from all ages for its 8th award-winning season. Apply by Feb. 7 at www.greatswedishadventure.com to be one of the Swedish Americans who goes to Sweden. Scenes from the series’ last season: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=EHk2MjCAi74
Excitement in Seattle
The 32-year-old Wallenberg thwarting the Nazis; remembered for having saved up to 100,000 Jews in Budapest during the last months before the end of WWII. Raoul Wallenberg was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal of the United States on July 9, 2014.
Raoul Wallenberg: To Me, There’s No Other Choice The official exhibition, “To me there’s no other choice - Raoul Wallenberg 1912-2012,” organized by the Swedish Institute and supported by the Swedish government, has been traveling around the world over the last few years. It is currently in Portland, Oregon. In Raoul Wallenberg: To Me, There's No Other Choice, learn the story behind the Swedish diplomat who single-handedly saved thousands of Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary during World War II. By issuing protective passports and buying buildings to establish
as sovereign Swedish territory in Budapest, Wallenberg was able to shelter Jews during 1944 and save an estimated 15,000 lives in just six months. His life and legacy stand as a testament to moral courage and fortitude, especially in the tragedy of his ending: arrested by
the Soviets during the Red Siege of Budapest, he disappeared and was never seen again. The exhibit, which comes from the Swedish Institute in Stockholm, is free and open to the public through April 6, 2018 at Nordia House Gallery. www.scanheritage.org
The Nordic Heritage Museum will move from the building it’s outgrown into an extraordinary new space in May. It hasn’t even opened yet but the newly branded Nordic Museum is already making international lists for being exceptional: Architectural Digest included it on its list of the “15 Most Noteworthy Museum Openings Worldwide;” the New York Times features it among “52 Places to go in 2018;” and Artnet (the leading online resource for the international art market and the destination to buy, sell and research art online) posted its Complete Guide to the Biggest, Baddest, Boldest Museum Openings in 2018, listing the new Nordic Museum at #3 on its list of eight international museum openings. The museum will move into the new, modern 57,000-square-foot cultural center in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood this spring, with special events and its grand opening set for May 5, 2018. www.nordicmuseum.org
See Sweden Anew
Celebrate Midsummer in Rättvik, Dalarna, Sweden, 2018. See UNESCO World Heritage Farm “castles” in Hälsingland and unforgettable Stockholm, capital of Sweden. Trip and itinerary prepared by Margareta Claesson. Deadline for reservations: April 1
Benjamin Schulze Phone: +1 (800) 884-1721 ext 102 Web: www.firebirdtours.com
This is what we found at our visit to the new Nordic Museum in September, 2017. Now things are being moved in and getting ready for the May opening. FEBRUARY 01, 2018 9
readers forum
InBox What does a Swedish language teacher Finnish school in northern Wisconsin. Pulla was Since she had the time, she tried different batches do when a concussion keeps her out of something her grandmother often made, and as a and eventually got the balance right. the classroom for several weeks? little girl Mirva was allowed to help in some small Mirva realized the day she could finally return One of the University of Wisconsin’s Scandinavian Studies instructors grew up in Virginia speaking both Finnish and English—her mother is from Finland and her father’s parents emigrated from Finland, so Mirva Johnson also visited family in Finland regularly. Mirva’s life experience fueled her trajectory in college, and when she applied to graduate school for linguistics, she discovered UW-Madison has an entire field devoted to Scandinavian Studies. Not wasting another moment, she pursued this path that would capitalize on her language skills, and learned Swedish (with which she was familiar since some Finnish relatives speak Swedish). As a graduate student she has already begun teaching Finnish and Swedish. For an assignment in her Scandinavian American Folklore class this past fall, Mirva chose to bake pulla (a Finnish coffee bread) based on a recipe she received while doing fieldwork in a
ways, like in the braiding and with the egg wash. She had never made bread dough from scratch, though, and her first attempts didn’t turn out well. Then Mirva suffered a concussion and the doctor ordered her to rest. Never one to sit idly, she was very frustrated because she couldn’t do much of anything she enjoyed. Except bake. Turns out baking was something she could do without triggering her concussion symptoms – she could read recipes at her own pace—and so baking became an outlet for a lot of her energy during her recovery. At first, she just baked cookies and scones, but then she decided to give the pulla another try. “I asked my mother for my grandmother’s recipe and baked it using a combination of the recipe and my memories from when my grandma made it. It turned out pretty well!” That bolstered Mirva to try other things, so she made pepparkakor from a family recipe—she has a photocopy from her mother’s old cookbook and translated the amounts for different ingredients.
to her Swedish students was the last day of class for the fall semester, December 13—Luciadagen. She had long since decided to provide a special fika for her students on that day, and she realized she should now try making lussekatter. She was ready. She aced it the first time. Most of her students may not have known how lucky they were, but a few knew how special it was to have fresh, perfect lussekatter on Lucia Day. Next up for Mirva is more Swedish baking: prinsesstårta (she can’t stop thinking about the princesstårta she tasted in Uppsala last summer) and kanelbullar. “Now that I feel a bit more confident in my bread baking skills they’re next on my list. Those and vaniljbullar.” If you’re near Madison, WI and interested in Scandinavian Studies – or if you’re wondering (as we are) if Mirva will bake semla for her students this winter – visit www.gns.wisc.edu/nordic
A Swede holiday contest
The U.S. doesn’t really have something to compare to Sweden’s skum candy — we bill it as marshmallow candy though some may think it’s more like gummy candy, but maybe it’s just another one of those unique foods we are proud to say is Swedish. We wished we could have sent prizes to all our readers who entered our holiday contest in December, but we are happy to report that Cloetta’s special candy, their lingonberry flavored skumtomtar, proved to be so good that we’ll definitely try to offer another such contest this year. Here’s what our winners had to say about the typically Swedish seasonal godis (candy): I thought it was chewy like gummies and soft like marshmallow candy. It has a light berry flavor, but I have only had lingonberry preserves a few times so I maybe not very knowledgeable about
Hohoho, Christmas, here and there
their taste! My wife and son were able to share the candy with me and they enjoyed it too. It was a lot of fun to try it and if I see it for sale in a store or online I will buy more of it. Verilyn Haahr I loved the whimsical tomte shape and the authentic lingon taste! Will be looking for it in June when my husband and I travel to Sweden. Beth Lindquist I enjoyed the lingon skumtomte candy. I like marshmallow anything! I only got to eat two pieces because my husband tasted one & I never saw them again! I would definitely buy them if I could find them locally. A great little Christmas candy. Thanks. Linda Rompala
Oh, how I agree with Göran Rygert’s article in Nordstjernan dated Dec 15, 2017, no 17. I am writing this in my home on New Year’s Day with all the candles lit, the Christmas Tree lit and my outside lights on. The only house in my cul- de- sac that shows Christmas is still here. Yes, there is a Swede living here. Eva Murray, OK 10 NORDSTJERNAN
fiction
w/ord encounters
Just trying to pronounce the word sjösjuk can make a person seasick. Life in Sweden is rough going. I was able to confirm this condition while innocently looking for references to one of my Swedish favorite words, “sjösjuk.” Once again the Swedish newspaper Expressen has a way of reporting some of the most bizarre and unlikely woes to befall the inhabitants of the land I used to call home, where my ancestors the Vikings lived in a fabulous matriarchal society between stints of travel abroad and cultural exchange. It turns out one of the employees checking passports at Arlanda airport has filed a written complaint: “When travelers pass the passport checkpoints at Arlanda the floor shakes and swings so much that one becomes sjösjuk [seasick].” The passport official is quoted as having written: “I should not have to take seasickness medication to be able to work here.” Furthermore, he is concerned that the pillars and foundation of his workplace have been compromised and everything just might come crashing down. (https://tinyurl. com/y763abq8) Let us for a moment leave behind the woozy life of a 21st-century passport official and turn to something more solid, Svenska Akademiens Ordbok (SAOB), and explore the history of the word “sjösjuk.” One may have thought the word would have officially occurred early in history, given that Sweden has such a long coastline and tradition of seafaring, but it is not until 1737 that we have written usage recorded of the term. The entry for sjösjuk includes: a) Som mår illa till följd av fartygs rörelser vid sjögång / Den sjösjuke kan vara så illa däran, att han blott önskar, att fartyget skall gå under. (The seasick person can be so badly afflicted that he wishes the ship would sink.) Östergren (1939).
Life made Sweder:
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b) Som lider av illamående av samma slag som det som framkallas av fartygs rörelser vid sjögång / Hyrde vi en dag en bil. Landsvägen gjorde mig sjösjuk. (We rented a car one day. The country road made me sick.) Lilius ResMex. 58 (1924). No great surprises here, though while sitting safely behind a desk on dry land the quote of usage from 1939 does bring about a certain kind of joie de vivre, when one recognizes just how horrible seasickness must be, and what the good folks over at NBC’s Saturday Night Live could do with this innocent sentence. However, for us folks in everyday life “sjösjuk” can be quite amusing. I am thinking here of the pronunciation, especially when attempted by non-native speakers of Swedish. I have mentioned before how much good-natured fun my American wife and I have while navigating the maze of product names decorating IKEA. My wife’s pronunciation of some of the names make her sound as if she has been in subzero temperatures for an extended period of time, though sometimes I wonder if she purposely distorts her face and makes sounds worthy of the Elephant Man. The sobering truth is that just about all nonnative speakers of Swedish stumble at making the “sj” sound, and sjösjuk offers up the opportunity to tongue-stumble twice. In order to pronounce sjösjuk correctly, one must tackle the “sj” sound as if one were blowing out the candles on a birthday cake, but even that is not completely correct, because the lower lip must move forward instead of maintaining the more customary “o” shape of the mouth employed while extinguishing the birthday candles. (By the way, I am saying the “sj” sound with my lips only as I write this in an attempt to explain to non-native speakers how they might tackle the pronunciation of the most difficult parts of sjösjuk. Never mind getting the “ö” and “u” right.)
Reading it is easier (maybe)
Having practiced pronouncing alone the “sj” sound of our word sjösjuk it is time to take a break and enjoy one more example of usage. This one comes from the paper Sydsvenskan and, believe it or not, occurs in a restaurant review. Not a very nice combination one would think, seasick and food. A restaurant in Lund is taken down several notches by a grouchy restaurant reviewer; but aren’t all restaurant, film, and art reviewers grouchy? Not even the potatoes please the Swedish gourmet scribe, but it is the dessert that sets him off into seasickness: “Guanaja chokladmousse i
Born in Sweden and raised in Europe and the U.S., Ulf Kirchdorfer is as Swedish American as we come. As a contributing writer for Nordstjernan he has shared eloquent and witty essays on how his Swedishness has influenced his life, reflecting on his childhood with his Swedish grandmother and experiences as an adult in America. You might just see a little of yourself in what he writes, in a collection of essays Kirchdorfer calls Swede Among the Rednecks: The Language That Just Won’t Stay Buried, available from Nordstjernan and through amazon.com. mandelsmördeg med körsbärssås för 105 kronor. Precis som fisken är även chokladmoussen torr – såvida den i själva verket inte vill komma ut som knäckebröd. Smördegen är av samma bleka karaktär som en gravt sjösjuk.” (For the benefit of readers who do not know Swedish, the almond butter dough of the chocolate mousse with cherry sauce “has that same pallid quality of someone who is morbidly seasick.”) Sadly it is not possible to translate the seasickness comparison to reflect the delicious word montage offered by the Swedish food critic. Swedish readers can enjoy the entire linguistic tour de force of the grouchy food critic at https://tinyurl. com/yckcoewl. I want to end this month’s (w)ord journey on a positive note! I wish all readers and friends of Nordstjernan happy, smooth sailing this year, with just enough tacking challenges to have learning experiences you emerge from with more wisdom and perspective. Until then, I will be looking for you on the adventurous linguistic high seas!
FEBRUARY 01, 2018 11
feature
stockholm’s
old town
It
was the death of a mermaid that first turned Stockholm into the group of attractive islands where everyone wanted to settle. When she was killed accidentally, the surrounding water took on a soft sheen, a beauty never seen before. In the words of the Swedish author Selma Lagerlöf, it shimmered like the color-play on the inside of seashells. As the glittering water lapped the shores, they too were transformed. This story was vividly brought to mind as I entered the Gamla Stan subway station and confronted a completely nude woman with scales painted on her lower body. It turned out she was a live advertisement for a body painter named Bino, address: Gamla Stan. Gamla Stan (the Old Town) is a small island in the middle of Stockholm, closely linked with three smaller islands. It is the core of the city, crammed with beautifully preserved old buildings. Associations with Stockholm’s 800-year history seem to be everywhere — even on the leaflet handed to me by the reincarnated mermaid. Apart from advertising an exhibit called “Sex, More Than Sex” which, of course, would strike anyone as pretty contemporary, 12 NORDSTJERNAN
it showed a reproduction of Albrecht Dürer’s Adam and Eve, the original of which once hung in the old “Three Crowns” castle, less than half a mile from where I was standing. It belonged to Queen Kristina, one of the more colorful Swedish regents. Exceptionally gifted, she loved to surround herself with the most brilliant men. Descartes came all the way from France just so the two could have daily chats together. Less enamored with the affairs of state, and of having to live in what she considered a cultural backwater, Queen Kristina shocked the nation by abdicating. When leaving Stockholm for more congenial shores, she brought with her a staggering number of art treasures, including the Dürer painting. “She had no business stealing that picture from the Swedish people,” a history buff told me. But it was probably all for the best, for when the Three Crowns caught fire in 1697, practically all its treasures were destroyed.”
The Royal Palace
On examining a map, one is impressed by how much of Gamla Stan is occupied by the Royal
Palace. The present structure, which replaced the Three Crowns, was built in the early 18th century by a father and son, both named Nicodemus Tessin. Although no longer the residence of the royal family, the palace is one of Stockholm’s great tourist attractions. Every morning rows of vibrantly painted tour buses — the Germans are the most spectacular — line up on the nearby Slottsbacken (Castle Hill) to unload their human cargo, which is then dispersed into the various halls, cabinets, galleries and chambers of the palace. There are 608 rooms altogether, which, as the guides eagerly point out, is one more than Buckingham Palace. From the large number of rooms open to the public, I visited a select few, beginning with the Pillared Hall, where Gustav III — the king who personified the elegant French style of the 18th century — once played cards and took his late suppers. The hall is lined with Ionic columns, and in the ceiling hover the four seasons in a painting by Allesandro Ferretti. Gazing into one of the many mirrors, apparently in admiration of her own graceful behind, stands a marble Venus. She was commissioned by Gustav III, carved by Sergel,
and is said to bear a striking resemblance to one of the king’s favorite court ladies. In the next room I met with a totally different style and spirit: the Victoria Drawing Room, a paen to mid-19th century taste with bombastic red plush furniture, immense chande-liers and pomposity. That same spirit could be savored in Oscar II’s writing room, an exuberantly overloaded study from the 1880s. All this high living must have had its drawbacks, however. Also on display were the clothes worn by three kings who met with bloody deaths, as well as the pistol that shot the fun-loving Gustav II during a masked ball some 200 years ago. When I left the palace, I encountered the Changing of the Guards. This is a noon-time ceremony which involves military music, two regiments on horseback and large numbers of tourists. The sun added sparkle to the event. It shined on the blue uniforms and glistened in the silvery spiked helmets. The music rose as the soldiers rode into the courtyard to meet with the Svea Lifgarde, a regiment in equally spiffy outfits. Knowing that ceremony is the lifeblood of every Swede, I anticipated a flawless performance, and was not disappointed.
Germany, long exerted a strong influence on life in Gamla Stan. Many of them settled right here. Stortorget was also the site of the Guild Hall from which political meetings were staged, and laws and ordinances were read to the public. Facing the Guild Hall was the Pillory. Here, for public edification, offenders were punished in the fashion of the day, which could mean having to sit ignominiously with ankles in an iron halter, getting trashed, or having one or two ears snipped off. It was here too on Stortorget that Sweden saw its first popular theater, where medieval scholars put on their Lenten plays, and winter dueled with May before the coming of spring.
One activity linking Stortorget to the distant past is still alive and well: the Christmas market. From a couple years ago, I recall dark masses of people in earmuffs and heavy boots, candlelight flickering in the snow, and old-fashioned booths from which one could buy straw goats, hot dogs and minuscule cups of steaming glõgg. Thinking back on that wintery experience, I’m reminded of how profoundly the Swedish people are affected by the extremes of the seasons. Winter is the dark flip side of the midnight sun. There is a prolonged period during which dusk falls in the early afternoon, and people go to work and return home in pitch blackness. Although this
The center of attention
Walking south from the palace, I soon found myself at Stortorget, the central square. Cobblestoned and intimate, with some pretty 17th century buildings flanking it on one side, it seemed utterly tranquil. The impression was enhanced by the people sitting around on benches, listening to the soft renderings of a street musician singing songs by Ewert Taube (more about him later). Recalling the history of Stortorget, “tranquil” would have been the last thing I expected. If anything, this has been a place of intense action. In 1521, it became the scene of the Stockholm Blood Bath. On that occasion, some 90 people were beheaded or hanged, including innocent bystanders, one of whom was the local barber whose only crime was to have wept as he watched the atrocities. The muddy square ran with blood and the smell was sickening. For several days the bodies were left where they lay until finally they were dragged away and burned in a bonfire. The man behind this ghastliness was the Danish king, Christian II, or as he was known in Sweden, Christian the Tyrant. In 1400, Stockholm had a population of 6,000. At that time, Stortorget was already surrounded by stone buildings. Originally invited by Stockholm’s founder, Birger Jarl, merchants from Lübeck, Previous page: Skeppsbron and the Royal Palace seen from Skeppsholmen with the permanently anchored turned hostel HMS Af Chapman in the foreground. This page: Cobblestoned and intimate, Stortorget, the central square in the Old Town. / As if to soften the cold northern light, many of the old buildings are painted in warm colors.
FEBRUARY 01, 2018 13
feature makes Christmas especially meaningful — a festival of light and togetherness when darkness rules the earth — it will often produce the kind of gloom commonly associated with the Bergman films. Summer, of course, is a different story. When it finally arrives, the effect is so over-whelming that it causes a form of emotional catharsis. An early sign is the sight of people stopping suddenly, sometimes in the middle of the street, just so they can turn their faces to the sun and soak up every little bit of life-giving warmth. By the time of the midsummer festivities in late June, when nature is at its loveliest and nights are merely an hour or two of enchanting twilight, Swedes go wild. Etched in memory is a midsummer night from years ago. I was in a forest next to a beautiful lake. It was 2 a.m., music played in the distance, sunlight filtered through the foliage and behind practically every tree, couples frolicked with an abandon worthy of some Dionysian love feast.
Today’s Old Town
For all its old-time flavor, Gamla Stan is very much a living part of today’s Stockholm. Businesses thrive, there are several hotels and quite a number of good restaurants, and many professional people, notably architects, pride themselves on having an office in Gamla Stan. Here chic outweighs cramped space. As can be expected, apartments are hard to come by — and are highly desirable. Egalitarian as this country may be, a list of occupants is likely to read like a section of “Who’s Who in Sweden.” It’s easy to find one’s way in Gamla Stan. Not only is everything within comfortable walking distance, every corner has its own street sign, which includes the name of the block. The block names are all taken from Greek or Roman mythology: Pegasus, Achilles, Luna, etc. Appropriately, Castor and Pollux live side by side. On the other hand, to confuse those familiar with the classics, Orpheus and Eurydice are six or seven streets apart. The busiest street is Vãsterlånggatan. Here, fashion boutiques, art galleries, secondhand bookstores, and a variety of shops with exotic folklore dominate the scene. It’s usually packed with people. Parallel to Vãsterlånggatan runs Prästgatan. Dark and narrow - following the path of the earliest city wall - it offers such peace and quiet it seems in-conceivable that the two streets should be separated by less than 40 feet. Only This page, top: “Brända Tomten,” the Burnt Lot is a small, triangular public square in Gamla Stan. It has been called the burnt lot since the 18th century when a building here burned to the ground and was never rebuilt. / Bottom: The idyllic streets of Stockholm’s Old Town are seldom this empty in summer. Next page: The statue of Evert Taube at Riddarholmen. / Mårten Trotzigs Gränd, at 35” making it the narrowest street in Stockholm.
14 NORDSTJERNAN
now and then is there the sound of a solitary walker. Bicycles lean against the old walls, many of which glow in the rich hues of golden ocher or deep salmon. In the 13th century, Österlånggatan, the eastern counterpart to Västerlånggatan, was still the Baltic shoreline. As time progressed and the shoreline was pushed farther outward, “the long street east of the wall” went through several metamorphoses to end up a quiet, rather dignified business street with some good restaurants. Alcohol, not sex, is the original sin in Sweden, and extreme measures are taken to curb the citizen’s lust for liquor. All alcoholic beverages, including beer, are heavily taxed and sold through
a government agency called Systembolaget. The cost, especially of hard liquor, is so inflated that it spawned a whole industry: ferry boats to Finland with duty-free privileges doing brisk business on the Baltic. Prohibitive prices proved an insufficient deterrent, so a zealous politician proposed a law to close all the stores on Saturdays. A few years ago the law passed, and soon afterward the politician appeared on national TV, triumphantly declaring that not only was liquor consumption down, but people were now spending more time at home baking bread, as evidenced by the unprecedented increase in the sale of yeast. (Incidentally, the stores are once again open on Saturdays albeit only until 3 p.m.)
In 1721, the wars between Sweden and Russia were finally put to an end. After a rosy beginning, with the 18-year-old King Charles XII beating the Russians in early battles, the situation had taken a bad turn, and ended in disaster as the King was hauled into exile and later as-sassinated. This meant the end of Swedish supremacy in northern Europe, but peace was by then so longed for that when a new tavern opened on Õsterlånggatan, it was given the name Den Gyldene Freden — the Golden Peace. Den Gyldene Freden is now the country’s oldest restaurant, with a reputation for serving good traditional food. It is also known for its literary connections. In a room upstairs the members of the Swedish Academy meet regularly once every month. Best known for picking Nobel Prize winners, the Academy was originally founded to promote the purity, vigor and nobility of the Swedish language. Bistro Ruby is yet another restaurant on Österlånggatan. Dimly lit with apricot-colored walls, worn leather seats and large windows facing a mysteriously dark alley, it exudes a sense of comfort and intimacy. A typical neighborhood restaurant, it offers a small, well-rounded menu with a couple Swedish mainstays, one of which is Biff Rydberg (diced beef with mustard, egg yolk, and fried potatoes).
Taube’s Stockholm
To know Sweden one must know Evert Taube. In songs, written over nearly a lifetime, he sang of his adventures as a young sailor, of the simple but joyous life in the archipelago and, with more heart and soul than anyone, expressed the love all Swedes have for the Swedish summer — a love which, as mentioned earlier, reaches the height of lascivious rapture. Many years ago I actually saw Taube at Den Gyldene Feden. He was then an old man, sitting alone at what I understand to have been his regular table. Always playing to an audience, he had gathered all the waitresses around him and rambled on in a long monologue on the beauty of the names of certain Swedish places. The familiar voice boomed through the restaurant and stopped the few of us there in our tracks. There are now two statues of Evert Taube in Gamla Stan. One is on Riddarholmen overlooking Lake Mälaren and City Hall; the other stands in the corner of Järntorget, which is halfway between Den Gyldene Freden and what used to be Taube’s home. At Riddarholmen, the old troubadour makes an expansive gesture as if to embrace the shimmering waters surrounding these magic islands. At Järntorget, one can fantasize that he stopped on his way home, threw one last glance in the direction of his favorite Gamla Stan hangout and, like Lot’s wife, froze. Text & Photo by Bo Zaunders
After the mermaid had imbued it with magic, it seems only reasonable that a strong poetic tradition developed in Gamla Stan. In the 17th century there was Lasse Lucidor. Rather wild and unruly between spurts of creativity, he often got himself into scraps. One ended his life. It happened in a tavern after one too many laced shandies. Record tells that one of his drinking brethren, Lieutenant Arvid Kristian Storm, became so offended when Lucidor didn’t reply to a toast that he drew his sword and killed the poet. If nothing else, this certainly confirms how seriously Swedes take the toasting ritual. The next century produced Carl Michael Bellman, who is considered one of the all time greats in Swedish literature. Borrowing from the French opera comique and other sources, he wrote lyrics of extreme originality. The songs, mostly enthusiastic hymns to Bacchus and Freyja (the Nordic Venus), often describe riotous doings among a recurring set of friends in and around Gamla Stan. In his wanderings Bellman would sometimes stop by Gyldene Freden, which ever since has been a favorite with literary figures. Academy members apart, this is where Ewert Taube, a latter-day Bellman, used to be a steady patron.
FEBRUARY 01, 2018 15
feature
Comfort cooking in the cold
by Gunilla Blixt
Soup and small pancakes with sweetened blueberries.
The son of the family (now a proud father with two children of his own) called to ask for the recipe for what we call Ann-Mari’s soup. It was a real everyday favorite when our children were young and now he wanted to carry on the tradition with his children. I thought it was nice to carry on the oldfashioned tradition of soup and small pancakes (“plättar”) on Thursdays. Whether the classic yellow split pea soup or our favorite below, soup works especially well during the cold season. The original recipe is by the food scribe Anna Bergenström, a longstanding contributor at Dagens Nyheter and cookbook writer. After the soup, we serve plättar with homemade blueberries. This year, I always have blueberries in the freezer. I have not picked them myself but buy them fresh at the market hall, usually at Hötorget in Stockholm, and freeze them.
Ann-Mari’s Soup Serves 4
2 large potatoes 2 carrots 1 small leek 2 tablespoons of butter 1 teaspoon dried thyme 6 ripe tomatoes or 1-3/4 cups (14 oz or 400 g) crushed tomatoes 1-1/3 quart (1.25 liter) broth For serving 1 cup (250 g) of broccoli 1 cup (2 dl) grated cheese 2 tsp oregano You also need mixer or rod mixer
1
Peel the potatoes and carrots and cut into smaller pieces.
3
Course dice the tomatoes and put them in the pot together with carrots and potatoes. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let simmer until vegetables are soft.
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2
Clean and rinse the leek then cut it into smaller pieces. Fry the leek in the butter in the stock pot. Season with thyme.
Mix the soup a little at a time in a separate bowl, if you want it as fine as we usually make it. Pour back into the stock pot. Chop the broccoli florets and cook smooth in the soup. Mix the grated cheese with oregano. Sprinkle over the soup for serving.
4
Sweetened blueberries
1 small jar of “rårörda blåbär” jam 1-1/4 cup (3 dl) deep-frozen blueberries 1/3 cup (1/4 dl) sugar Finely ground peel of half a lemon You also need jar with a sealing lid Put the blueberries on a plate and allow them to thaw half-way.
Plättar
Serves 4 (24 plättar from 4 rounds in the frying pan) 1/2 cup (1.25 dl) sieved spelt (hulled wheat) Small pinch of salt 1-1/4 cup (3 dl) milk 2 eggs 1-1/2 tablespoon butter You also need A cast iron Plättjärn (plättar is really a smaller version of the Swedish pancake, traditionally made on a cast iron frying pan specifically made for this. (We found them at hemslojd.com. If you have a hard time finding the item, bear in mind with a regular frying pan you won’t get the same perfectly round shape but the taste will be just as good.)
Mash the blueberries with a fork and scrape the mash into a bowl. Stir in the sugar and lemon peel. Stir with a fork until the sugar is fully dissolved. Place the jam in a jar and seal with lid. The durability is about one week. The jam tastes good with pancakes, “plättar,” yogurt or on toast. (If you use fresh blueberries, you may have to add a bit of water and lemon juice to get the right consistency.)
Mix together flour and salt. Whisk half the milk into the flour and whisk to a smooth batter. Add the rest of the milk and then the eggs, one at a time. Allow the batter to rest for 30 minutes. Melt half the butter and whisk it into the batter. Use the rest of the butter to lubricate the frying pan between each turn. Grease the frying pan and pour 1 tablespoon of batter into each well. Fry on medium heat until the top is dry. Then turn and cook the other side.
Follow Gunilla Blixt’s cooking and recipes at www.gunillablixt.se
FEBRUARY 01, 2018 17
feature
BIG WINE on a SMALL SCALE
By Leif Rosqvist Oregon, the number four producer of wine in the United States after California, Washington and New York, demonstrates an advanced diversity that is absolute magic. There are 30,000 acres of vines and 700 wineries in Oregon, each harvesting 60 tons of grapes a year and producing over 3 million cases of wine, but there are also a vast number of small and private winemakers, each producing about 100 cases of excellent wine for private consumption every year. I recently met with one of the small and interesting 100-cases-per-year winemakers in Oregon—an enthusiast who makes wine not for commercial sales but for private consumption and the joy of making it. Over 20 years of experience has made the born Swede turned American a very good one as such. He taught me a lot about wines and winemaking. First, of course, you need grapes—but not just any grapes. You need the right grapes to create the character you mean to develop in any given year. He picks up the grapes himself from Yakima Valley grape growers in Washington State. For this harvest season he bought: 1600 pounds of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes 600 pounds Malbec 900 pounds Cabernet Franc 600 pounds Petit Verdot At the private producer I visited, just under five 18 NORDSTJERNAN
tons of grapes were pressed in one and a half days by the winemaker and his two helpers. The wine will be mixed into blends with different ratios of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc to obtain the desired “blend.” The time from crushing grapes to bottling is about 15 months. The pressed wine stays in steel tanks for malolactic fermentation for about three months, then about one year in oak barrels for aging. During that process the blending of the wine to desired type takes place about 6 months prior to bottling. The wine produced should reach a rating at the 90 point level. Big wineries have significant facilities to store their wine in, while the small wine producers use anything and everything they can get their hands on, including the crawlspace under their houses. Lucky me, I, walked into this small wine operation and met some very nice and professional wine making people. Grapes from Washington state, wine made in Oregon, what a good mix! To them we toast: Unto a spot before ne’er told, The Vinland of the Sagas old, A region, henceforth of renown The Paradise of Leif the bold; Unto a fair and fruitful land Where, though unplanted by man’s hand, The purple grape filled all the wood, And, though unsown, from green to gold - Songs of New-Sweden. Arthur Peterson, 1913
Big wineries have big facilities for storage ...
while the small winemakers often have to make do with left over space in basements and crawl spaces. All for the joy of creating. Find out more about the Oregon wines you can actually find at the store, at www.oregonwine.com
Grapes are delivered,
and are then pressed.
They rest in steel tanks prior to being tapped into oak barrels.
The pressed wine stays in steel tanks for malolactic fermentation for about three months, then about one year in oak barrels for aging. During that process, the blending of the wine to desired type takes place about 6 months prior to bottling. In 2016, a little over 70,000 tons of grapes were crushed by the 725 Oregon wineries. A ton of grapes could cost anywhere between under a thousand dollars and up to $4,000 depending on grape, quality and region. The statewide average price for a ton of Pinot Noir was $2,422 in 2016, for a Müller Thurgau, $1001. • The Oregon Wine Board says the state’s wine industry creates more than 17,099 winerelated jobs and contributes more than $3.35 billion in economic activity to the state each year. Pinot noir is the dominantly used grape, which accounts for 64 percent of all planted acreage and 57 percent of production. • In 2016 the top five varieties produced in Oregon were Pinot Noir (17,744 acres), Pinot Gris (3,705 acres), Chardonnay (1,482 acres), Riesling (713 acres) and Cabernet Sauvignon (626 acres). • Wine Spectator magazine’s 2017 selection of “the Wine of the Year” was a Duckhorn 2014 Merlot from Three Palms Vineyard, Napa Valley … but, at $98 per bottle! There are not many of us buying such expensive wine, even if it is wonderful.
Local Oregon winemaker, Swedish born Roger and one of his helpers. FEBRUARY 01, 2018 19
feature
Sweden’s Honorary Consuls in the U.S. Who are they? In an effort to find out more about the Swedish consuls in America, the work they do and the people they represent, contributor Helen Teike interviewed each of them, published here throughout the year.
JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK
Honorary Consul: Stephen Sellström, Jamestown How long have you been the Swedish consul? 10 years in Jamestown. What is your full-time occupation? Attorney at law.
About Swedish food: I don’t eat lutfisk every Thursday, but I do on occasion around Christmas time. And for me, sill is also more of a Christmas season tradition extending from Thanksgiving to New Years. Most admired Swede: The Queen of Sweden.I had an opportunity to meet her on a visit to Jamestown. I was struck by how gracious and enthusiastic she was toward the Swedish Americans in my area, adults and children, who came out to meet her. She is a wonderful emissary of Sweden. Biggest misconception about Sweden: Maybe that they are all blond, blue eyed, fair skinned, but in actuality it is a more multi-cultural country. Chef Marcus Samuelsson has helped changed that misconception. Explaining Sweden to others: In my area, much of the local population has roots from Sweden, so I don’t really come across people who are not familiar with Sweden; we have a lot of local organizations and events representing and promoting Sweden. When I can, I explain that Sweden has excellent green and eco-friendly programs and that Swedes use bikes much more as a means of transportation, and seem to be better connected to nature and the outdoors. 20 NORDSTJERNAN
How much time do you spend on consular matters? Do you have help? The amount of time spent can fluctuate from month to month so it is difficult to estimate. I have secretarial assistance in the performance of my duties. How many Swedish citizens are in your area? I cannot answer this question with a reasonable degree of certainty as that data is not kept with substantive accuracy by (to my knowledge) any governmental sources. How many Swedes visit the consulate? For what purpose? The most common reason would be to receive passports and driver’s licenses forwarded to my office for distribution to Swedes. As such, the number of visitors can fluctuate from year to year depending on the number of passports and drivers licenses needed. What is the Swedish Consulate’s most important job for the Swedish American community? I believe the three most important jobs are: to assist Swedes who have contact with American governmental agencies and who are arrested and/or incarcerated in my area; to provide Swedish citizens with a point of contact with their government in case of emergency; and to provide a convenient contact point for Swedish citizens who visit or reside in the United States and need consular services. How much are you guided by directions from the embassy in Washington, DC? I believe
that Jamestown is the least populous city with an Honorary Swedish Consul. We are located on the opposite side of the state from New York City and provide an alternative contact point for Swedes who are within New York State but not near New York City. I regularly called upon the Embassy of Sweden to assist me in responding to the large variety of questions and situations that arise for Swedes residing or present in the United States. With the re-establishment of the Consulate General in New York City, the Consulate General in New York City has become the next tier in the organizational chain (and many questions from my office are now directed to them). What made you choose to accept this position? My father, John Sellström held the position before me. When I joined my father’s law practice, his office was regularly engaged in providing consular services without salary. I have been happy to continue to provide my time and my office staff’s time to assist in the mission of the consulate and the Foreign Ministry. What is your personal connection with Sweden? My great-grandfather and great-grandmother emigrated from Sweden. My fondest memory of Sweden is visiting Stockholm, walking through the Old Town, and touring the Vasa Museum.
Swedish Honorary Consulate in Jamestown 9-11 East 4th Street Jamestown, NY 14701 716.484.7195 jamestown@consulateofsweden.org
viewpoints
Vett och etikett I min ungdom rådde klara skiljelinjer. En av mina klasskamrater i folkskolan hette Vera. Veras föräldrar var frikyrkliga, baptister, pingstvänner, eller tillhörde någon annan av de många religiösa samfunden. De flesta av dem hade sina bestämda uppfattningar och regler om vad som är synd. Rätt eller fel. Veras föräldrar gick plikttroget till Germania - det lokala bönhuset - varje söndag. Där förenades man i andakt, psalmsång, bön och kollekt till fattiga barn i Kongo. Dessutom ett gemensamt förakt mot synd och ibland allt som var frestande och roligt. Eftersom Vera var en lydig tös följde hon alla anvisningar. Hon hade flätor och trodde definitivt mer på den helige ande än på kamrater som sprang på bio och klädde sig i nylonstrumpor. Jag vet inte vad som hänt med Vera. Inte ens om hon fortfarande lever. Skulle hon händelsevis leva måste hon nu vara en gammal och mycket snäll tant. Om hon ej lever har hon säkerligen hamnat i den himmel hon trodde fanns. Under hela sitt gudfruktiga leverne hade Vera - så vitt jag vet - betett sig på ett så gudfruktigt sätt, att hon borde bli synnerligen välkommen dit, när hon lämnade jordelivet. De regler som Vera och många med henne uppfattade som goda har med tiden förändrats. Det som förr betraktades som synd är inte så farligt som det en gång var. Inte minst i fråga om sedlighet har samhällets värder-
ingar undergått helomvändningar. I Sverige visades, som “vuxna” människor kanske ännu minns, för något halvsekel sedan en film som hette ”Hon dansade en sommar”. Den väckte stort rabalder genom sin osedlighet. Kvinnan som dansade en sommar badade nämligen spritt språngande naken. Såväl bröst som rumpa var skamlöst blottade. Det faktum att filmen en gång väckte sådan debatt uppfattas idag med förvåning. Folk var extremt naiva förr anser nutidens folk. Numera förväntar sig varenda TV-tittare andra tag. Om erotiken inte blir tillräckligt närgången kan betraktaren slå om TV kanal till mer porr. Där allt visas, inte bara rumpor. Gott uppförande är en dygd. Det finns vissa basala regler som varje väl uppfostrad person bör iaktta. Att chevalereskt hålla upp dörren för en dam eller erbjuda henne en sittplats i bussen tillhör de enklaste reglerna på gott uppförande. Att ta av sig mössan, kepsen eller hatten innan man sätter sig ner att äta på en restaurang hörde fordom till reglerna. Den regeln gäller inte längre förstod jag häromdagen, när jag intog min lunch på en krog. På krogen var jag ensam om att vara barhuvad. De andra manliga gästerna på krogen hade kvar sina kepsar, hattar eller luvor. De struntade eller fann det onödigt att följa min gamla förlegade etikettsregel. Inom vissa områden råder striktare regler. Våra mammor lärde oss bland annat hur man skall sitta till bords. Att använda alla bestick - såväl gaffel, kniv och sked - på ett
behagfullt och vedertaget sätt. Att stoppa kniven i mun tydde på dålig uppfostran fick vi veta. Etikettsreglerna blir strängare ju mer avancerade kalasen eller banketterna blir. Och ju kräsnare omgivning vi befinner oss i. Decembers Nobelbankett i Stockholms stadshus med kung, alla nobelpristagare, ambassadörer och andra digniteter hör till de finaste och mest etikettreglerade kalasen. Glasen skall stå i rätt och prydlig ordning för varje rätt. Servetterna vara vikta och på plats. Avstånden mellan gästerna välanpassade. Lyckligtvis har alla förnäma deltagare vid sådana kalas fått tillräcklig uppfostran i etikettsfrågor. Allt fungerar tack vare välutbildade kypare och servitörer (och kanske en och annan välment “fin vink” om det brukliga). Varje gäst vet att föra sig och ej ställa till någon oreda. Det vore till exempel fullkomligt otänkbart att någon i denna förnäma församling skulle komma på idén att resa sig och utbringa en personlig skål med kungen. Alla gäster har också anlänt före kungen, som enligt seder och bruk alltid ska ankomma sist och, enligt regeln, också lämna sist.
Olle Wijkströms rikt illustrerade bok - Min Historia - handlar om hans minnen och möten med alla slags folk från tre kontinenter. Boken kan beställas och betalas via Nordstjernan.
not my time to die Titanic and the Swedes on Board by Lilly Setterdahl The 123 Swedes on board made up the third largest ethnic group on the Titanic after the American and the British. The book profiles each of the Swedish passengers; including the 34 survivors... Perfect bound, large size paperback, 296 pages. Richly illustrated.
Please send me
book(s) x $19.95 =
S&H (in the continental U.S.) + $4.95 Total: Name Address City, State, Zip
Mail order form to: NORDSTJERNAN P.O. Box 1710 New Canaan CT 06840 Or call 1.800.827.9333 ext. 10
Tel. Check enclosed payable to Nordstjernan Please charge my credit card:
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Exp. Date:
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SCC Code: FEBRUARY 01, 2018 21
art and culture
Semlan, the Lenten Bun
A semla is a traditional sweet roll made in various forms in Scandinavia - it’s called semla or fastlagsbulle (Swedish), laskiaispulla (Finnish) and fastelavnsbolle (Danish and Norwegian). The tradition for having semlor is rooted in Fettisdag (Shrove Tuesday or Fat Tuesday). Most years, Fettisdagen is a February holiday falling close to - or on - Valentine’s Day, making it the perfect treat for sharing with a sweetheart. In the beginning semlor were eaten only on Fettisdagen, then every Tuesday between Shrove Tuesday and Easter. Now it’s nothing unusual to eat every day starting in January. Here is Anna Bringle’s Swedishdreamish recipe for semla-turned-Valentine’s Day treat:
Swedish Dreamish Semla
to a soft, non sticky. Important to not add too much then the buns easily end Ingredients up dry. 1 package dried yeast (2 ¼ teaspoon) Form into 16 balls (or 28-30 if you 5-3/4 to 6-1/4 cups flour (14-15 dl) like smaller semlor) and place onto 1/2 tsp salt greased baking sheets. 1 tsp cardamom Cover with a kitchen towel and rise 2 tsp baking powder for 30 minutes. 2/3 cup butter (150 g), softened Bake in oven about 15 minutes or 2 cups + 4 tsp milk (5 dl) until golden brown. 1/2 cup Swedish White syrup (1 dl) Important to not over bake, it also or regular sugar easily makes the buns dry. 2 eggs Cool on rack under towel. 16 regular size or 28-30 small size
Blend dried yeast with sifted flour (save approximately 1 cup for later when kneading the dough), salt, cardamom and Swedish syrup (sugar). Melt butter in a pan, add milk and warm it to 104˚F (40˚C), use a thermometer to get exactly right temperature. Add the dry ingredients to the warm liquid. Add egg. Blend well, either by hand or by using a food processor to a shiny and smooth dough, approximately 5 minutes. Let the dough rise under towel for about approximately 30 min. Preheat oven to 400˚F (200˚C). Sift together flour and baking powder. Put the dough on the table and knead it well with your hands. Add a little bit of the additional flour and baking powder at the time and knead
22 NORDSTJERNAN
Filling 3/4 cup milk (2 dl) 12 oz marzipan (400 g)
When the buns have cooled down, cut a lid about 1/2 inch thick off the top of the bun and set aside. (Optional: After the lids are cut off each baked bun, use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to shape the lids.) Scoop out the inside of the bun, leaving a shell about 1/2 inch thick. Place the removed crumbs into a bowl. Moisten the crumbs with milk, then mix in marzipan until smooth. Add additional milk if needed until the marzipan filling is nearly as soft as pudding. 2 cups and 4 tsp whipped cream (5 dl) 2 tsp Swedish vanilla sugar Powdered sugar
Marzipan 2 cups almond flour - either blanch and grind the almonds yourself or buy Whip cream with vanilla sugar to stiff almond meal (4.8 dl) peaks. 2 cups powdered sugar (4.8 dl) Fill each shell with a spoonful of 2 tsp water marzipan filling. 1 egg white Pipe whipped cream on top of the filling to 1/2 inch over the top of Place the almond (flour) and pow- the bun. dered sugar in a food processor and Replace the tops onto the buns, pulse until combined and any lumps and dust with confectioner's sugar are broken up. before serving. Add the water and pulse to combine. Find more about Swedish Dreamish Add the egg white and process at facebook.com/swedishdreamish, until a thick dough is formed. instagram.com/swedishdreamish as Turn the almond marzipan out onto a well as pinterest and Tumblr. work surface and knead it a few times.
art and culture
Broder Söder Danish Mary With over a dozen spices in its mix, plus dillinfused aquavit, it’s no surprise Broder’s Nordic take on the classic Bloody Mary is consistently ranked as the best in Portland.
New Swedish jams in the U.S. Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant in Door County’s Sister Bay, WI (www.aljohnsons.com) let us know they have introduced a new line of Swedish Raspberry Jam and Swedish Strawberry Jam; they are the only U.S. distributor of this jam, made in and imported directly from Sweden. Fredrik (Freddie) Bexell, Al Johnson's executive chef, returned from visiting his hometown of Österbymo, Sweden, and was surprised by a package he received from the restaurant's lingonberry partners in Sweden (Nordstjernan issue 1510). The package included two jars of jam and a brief note that said, “We loved hearing your childhood story of your mormor (grandma) making jam from the berries that grew near her house and how much you enjoyed them. We would like you to try our jams and enjoy them as much as you did hers.”
‘Fruit forward’ flavors
The jars were popped open and sampled by Al Johnson's staffers, who said the new jams offer “fruit forward” flavors, feature tasty pieces of strawberries and raspberries while also providing a touch of sweetness. They all exclaimed that the flavor tasted homemade. Since almost every locally-produced jam in Door County is from a farm stand, a small producer, or someone's home kitchen, this is likely the best compliment the Swedish jam makers could have received! The new Swedish imports are already being served with breakfast orders at Al Johnson's, the authentic flavors enhancing the Sister Bay institution's renowned Swedish breakfast lineup. Both the jams are available at Al Johnson's Butik, online at aljohnsons.com, and at amazon.com. In the coming months, both the jams will also be available in the retail stores that currently carry Al Johnson's Swedish Pancake Mix and Wild Organic Swedish Lingonberries (store list: www.aljohnsons.com/ news/find-us-outside-of-door-county).
Danish Mary Mix 1-1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns 1 small bay leaf 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1/2 tsp dry dill weed 1/2 tsp freshly ground white pepper 1/4 tsp cayenne 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder 1 tsp celery salt 1/4 tsp curry powder 1/2 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp ground coriander 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 1 tsp brown sugar juice of 4 lemons (1/2 cup) 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp balsamic vinegar 1 tsp prepared horseradish 1/3 cup tomato paste 46 oz can tomato juice
own “aquavit” for the occasion, don’t hesitate. Your very own spiced snaps can be as strong or as mild as you choose it to be, and it’s easy to do. For a dill snaps, simply place a stem of dill into a bottle of vodka or similar spirit, add a couple dried juniper berries and a pinch of caraway seeds if you feel adventurous. Do not leave the dill or other ingredients in the bottle for more than two days, however, and do not save this snaps for more than a week as it loses its freshness quickly. Broder Söder is the in-house café, caterer
Celery-dill rim salt 3 tbsp kosher salt 1-1/2 tsp celery salt 1-1/2 tsp dry dill weed Danish Mary Cocktail Serves 1 Lemon wedge Celery-dill rim salt Ice 2 oz Gamle Ode Dill Aquavit, gin or vodka 1/2 cup Danish Mary mix Cherry tomatoes and pickled vegetable, such as beets, cucumbers, cauliflower and onions for garnish. We made a Virgin Danish Mary. Delicious. If you add alcohol, please remember to drink responsibly. Gamle Ode Dill Aquavit is a dill-infused aquavit with a touch of caraway seed and juniper berry distilled and bottled in Wisconsin. It will be hard to find in eastern states but is readily available in the Midwest and parts of the west coast, see www.gamleode.com for availability in your area. If you want to try your hand at spicing up your
and restaurant at Nordic Northwest in Portland, Oregon. It’s at 8800 SW Olsson Road and well worth a visit, with or without the goal of tasting the original Danish Mary. The recipe was generously shared by its originator, Broder Söder’s General Manager Casey Currier. For more info on Broder Söder, see www.scanheritage.org/broder-soder
FEBRUARY 01, 2018 23
news in brief
Retail startup
Chinese Geely buys stake in Volvo Trucks
The owner of Volvo Cars has taken over the second largest ownership post in Volvo AB, the Göteborg-based manufacturer of trucks and heavy equipment.
Swedish venture capital company Cevian announced on December 27 that it’s selling its entire holding in the truck manufacturer AB Volvo to Chinese Geely. Cevian’s holding in AB Volvo amounted to 8.2 percent of the share capital and 15.6 percent of the votes — the largest holding measured in capital and the second largest in votes. Based on Volvo’s closing price before Christmas, Cevian’s post is worth approximately SEK 27 billion (approximately $3.3 billion). Geely has been the largest owner of Volvo Cars (the Göteborg-based passenger car manufacturer). The company Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, founded in 1986, manufactured its first car in 1998 but didn’t take the step to the international scene until the purchase of Volvo Cars in 2009. Four years later, the London Taxi Company, producer of the iconic London taxi was bought. But it was in 2017 that the international expansion took off seriously. Geely has been on a global shopping round this year, buying half of Malaysian car manufacturer Proton, the British sports car brand Lotus and now 8 percent of truck manufacturer Volvo in the deal with Cevian. When Geely took over Volvo Cars from Ford, the doubts were many. How could an almost un-
known Chinese company succeed where the car giant Ford failed? But the critics were wrong. The Swedish manufacturer has almost doubled production since the Chinese company took over in 2010. The last year with Ford as owner, Volvo Cars lost SEK 5 billion, compared with the company earning 10 billion during the first three quarters of 2017 alone. For a long time Geely lived in the shadow of the big government owned car companies in China. Ten years ago Geely was the 17th largest car brand in China. Today, they are number five and will have manufactured around 1.2 million cars in 2017. Together with the subsidiaries Volvo and Malaysian Proton, the group will reach around two million manufactured vehicles, placing them just after BMW in size. Geely is on the way to become a global success story in class with the telecom giant Huawei and PC manufacturer Lenovo. Geely has been reluctant to comment on this latest purchase. Exactly what their plans are with the ownership in AB Volvo — how to go about cooperating with the other major owner, Industrivärden, and if the plan is to buy additional shares — have not been disclosed.
Augusta’s Daughter Ever wonder what made so many emigrate from Sweden in the nineteenth century? Judit Martin’s novel, “Augusta’s Daughter,” about 19th century Swedish peasant life made such an impression on us, we decided to offer it to the Nordstjernan readership. call 1.800.827.9333 for your own copy ($24.90 incl. S&H to cont. U.S.). The sequel,
Kajsa
was just released. The story of 15-year-old Elsa-Carolina’s illegitimate daughter Kajsa,who was cast out into the world from a foster home at the age of 8. 24 NORDSTJERNAN
While H&M is wrestling with falling sales per store and the challenge of increasing its internet based sales, another company has taken off fast: The online store Na-kd (www.na-kd.com) showed sales revenues of approximately SEK 160 million during its first fiscal year 2016. Na-kd sells clothes, shoes, accessories, make-up and everything else in women’s fashion. The goods are shipped from the main warehouse in the Netherlands to over 115 markets. The largest sales are in Germany, followed by the Nordic countries and Australia. Its own brands accounted for more than 70 percent of sales in 2016. The business was founded by serial internet entrepreneur Jarno Vanhatapio of Gothenburg, Sweden, who expects sales to increase 125-150 percent every year. An important explanation for Na-kd’s success is its impact in social media. For example, the Instagram account Nakdfashion reaches over one million followers worldwide. The cities with the highest number of followers are London, Stockholm, Lima, Istanbul, Munich and Berlin.
The ‘Oscars of automotive’
From Detroit and the North American International Auto Show we hear that the all new Volvo XC60 was awarded the 2018 Utility Vehicle of the Year. The awards, chosen by a panel of more than 60 jurors, are among the most prestigious in the industry. “Like the XC90, the XC60 offers Volvo’s distinct brand of luxury and it may even be more appealing than its bigger brother. The ride is exemplary, and when smartly equipped, it is a fine value,” said NACTOY juror and freelance auto writer Kirk Bell.
Please send me ____ book(s) “Augusta’s Daugheter” x $24.90 = _______ Please send me ____ book(s) “Kajsa” x $24.90 =
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news in brief
Swedish News Growing economy
Population boom
Housing price correction
Sweden reinstates the draft
Sweden’s economy is growing much faster than most of the rest of Europe, with high confidence levels, strong government finances and declining unemployment. Sweden also boasts some of the world’s best-capitalized banks, and the regulator has pushed through several measures to curb debt growth. The country is “resilient to a slump in house prices,” according to Anna Breman, the chief economist at Swedbank AB, the country’s largest mortgage lender. Swedish households’ net wealth reportedly increased 1.3 percent during the third quarter of 2017. Meanwhile, Sweden is on the brink of the worst housing-market downturn since 2008. But with bigger financial buffers and a growing economy, experts believe everything will be fine. This is in part because the housing price correction was not caused by economic or financial distress, but by a surge in construction (initially to meet excess demand). Sweden is now a buyers’ market, with construction at its highest since the 1990s.
How safe is Sweden?
Planning a trip? Rest assured, according to “Safe Around,” Sweden is the 18th safest country in the world, based on the safest and most dangerous countries ranking (the report lists the U.S. as the 55th safest country). The website tripsavvy.com also states “Sweden is one of the safest countries, to the point that travelers don’t have to consider any safety issues in Sweden at all, as long as they’re using basic safety tips and common sense. Crime rates in Sweden are much lower than in most other European countries and there are no health risks for Sweden travelers.”
Sweden’s population reached 10 million in 2017, and is expected to grow by more than 1 million within the next 10 years. One in four people is under age 20; according to data collected in 2012, life expectancy at birth for the Swedish population is calculated at an average of 81 years: Men’s life expectancy is 78 years and women’s is 83. Sweden hasn’t been involved in a war since 1814 but kept its mandatory military Golf taxfree when you’re employed in Sweden (and your service program until 2010. Since then, employer offers the incentive). security needs have changed and “the reactivating of conscription is needed for military All about wellness readiness,” said Sweden’s defense minister. In Everybody knows Sweden has a healthy work-life 2017, the required number of new recruits to the balance, often reflected in tax codes and other reguSwedish Armed Forces fell short of the target of lations. Gym memberships have been deductible 3500. Only 2,230 people signed up voluntarily, for years, but as of 2018 companies are allowed to so training positions will now be filled through offer staff an untaxed wellness contribution for such conscription. Support for reinstating conscription exercise as playing tennis, golf or sailing. is fairly strong; the modern conscription is gender neutral and will include both women and men Record low born in 1999 and 2000. Home prices are on the downturn, dropping 7.8 percent in the last three months, the steepest deSäpo maintains an elevated cline since late 2008. Swedish mortgage rates threat level have fallen to record lows and are expected to The Swedish Security Service, Säpo, estimates remain low after the central bank cut rates below the risk of a terrorist attack remains at an elevated zero in a bid to boost inflation. level in 2018, according to Director General Anders Thornberg. “It is still on a continued increased Falling unemployment threat for the coming year. This means there is a Swedish unemployment is falling, with the rate at risk of a terrorist attack,” says Thornberg, who is its lowest since before the 2008 crisis. Population formally taking the decision on the threat level. growth, in part driven by immigration, contributes He says “you always hope” you can make de- to a greater need for public investments in daycare, cisions about lowering the level. However, the schools, senior care, hospitals and infrastructure. overall knowledge and gathering of intelligence adds to the conclusion that the level in force since 2010, with some exceptions, remains unchanged. It corresponds to a three on a five-degree scale.
Pomona’s Lost Children, A Book of Uncommon Antique Fruits By Jay Stratton
Jay Stratton’s book is a comfortable mix of memories, facts, trivia and hundreds of recipes, but also a revelation for a variety of reasons. If you grew up in the countryside or with access to a summerhouse or garden in Sweden, you have most likely grown up around red and black currant bushes along with gooseberries, elderberries and all sorts of other fruits that these days, as we’ve learned, are considered super berries. Having grown up in upstate New York, it turns out Stratton’s childhood was all about these widely forgotten fruits and berries—and quite a few we weren’t aware of, such as the Jostaberry, the Pawpaw or the Saskatoon.
“The mix of tips on growing, on cooking with memories, mythology and ethnobotany of Pomona’s Lost Children makes it an easy read and the hundreds of recipes are a welcome bonus.”
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FEBRUARY 01, 2018 25
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SWEDE AMONG THE REDNECKS
katrin, almost american
A humorous collection of essays about growing up, reaching adulthood and maturity on two continents and in two separate cultures.
A new novel by Lilly Setterdahl,
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Loved by Rednecks, Bluenecks, Swedes and Americans: “… something any Swedish American will enjoy” … “A humorous look at Swedes and Swedishness” … “[written with] the gift of clarity, humor, pathos, and joy” A book from Nordstjernan, also available on Amazon.
Perfect bound, paperback, the ideal stocking stuffer or companion on a winter’s night.
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sports
Swedes take center stage at the Olympics in 2014 in the sprint relay as she overcame a 29-second gap to give Sweden the win. Joining Kalla is Stina Nilsson, currently the top-ranking sprinter on the World Cup circuit.
High hopes for hockey
Sweden is sending 101 athletes to the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, which open February 9 in PyeongChang, South Korea and run until February 25. It only comes around every four years and for sports fans from Alaska to Zimbabwe, it is four years of anxious waiting. No, it isn’t ski jumping, figure skating or even ice hockey that warms the cockles of Winter Olympics aficionados’ hearts. It’s curling, and Sweden should be right in the thick of the medal fight. The quirky, cult-favorite sport of curling will be front-and-center on the world sporting stage once more, with a Swedish curling contingent of 10 athletes. If the curling pundits (yes, there really are curling pundits) are correct, the gold should come down to a three-way battle between Sweden, Canada and Great Britain.
Medal favorites
Sweden won the silver medal in 2014 at the Sochi Winter Games and is the reigning world championship silver medal team, losing both finals to Canada. Team captain Niklas Edin is also the team skip – the player who throws the final “rocks” (stones). Each player slides two stones each; the team also includes Christoffer Sundgren, 23-yearold curling sensation Rasmus Wrana, and 2014 bronze medallist Oskar Eriksson. Wrana, who helped lead Sweden to the silver medal at the Ford 2017 World Curling Championships, said he and his teammates are hungry to do better. “We do have high hopes, being medal favorites. We aim for the gold,” he said. Sweden prepared for PyeongChang with the usual regimen of training, with added tactical
sessions on the felt instead of the ice. “We try to compete as much as possible, and when we don’t train curling we play pool, which is pretty similar to curling in many aspects,” Wrana said. “When you hit the ball in pool, the movement is very similar to a slide in curling. It has to be perfect from the beginning to the end. And we have discovered that it’s really important with pool to always keep that competition mode, so that we never make any weird decisions in competition.” Sweden’s women are just as determined to end the Canada jinx. Skip Anna Hasselborg and her crew are currently the fifth-ranked curling team in the world and finished second in the 2017 European Championships, losing to Eve Miurhead and Scotland in the final. Muirhead is the skip for the Great Britain team that, with Canada, is a goldmedal favorite. Hasselborg’s teammates are Sara McManus, Agnes Knochenhauer, Sofia Mabergs and Jennie Wåhlin.
The hockey tournament could well be a repeat of the European Championships or even the World Juniors as the NHL has barred any of its players from participating in the tournament. Although several Russian players have threatened to play anyway, as of press time none had crossed their NHL bosses and flown to South Korea. The ban extends to the American Hockey League, where more than 30 Swedish players with NHL contract currently play. The NHL decision opened the door to players that have not had the chance to compete in the Games, namely those in the Swedish Hockey League as well as leagues in Switzerland and the Russian-based Kontinental Hockey League. Rasmus Dahlin, the Frolunda defenseman who is all but assured of being the top pick in the 2018 NHL draft, headlines a Swedish team that has high hopes of repeating the gold medal of 2006, when N.Y. Rangers goaltender led the Tre Kronor to the podium. Team USA will have a decidedly Swedish feel as three Americans currently playing in the SHL will don the Stars and Stripes. Defensemen Chad Billins (Linköping), Ryan Gunderson (Brynäs) and Noah Welch (Växjö Lakers) are all on TEAM USA, as are former SHL stars Garrett Roe, who played for Frölunda last season before moving to Switzerland and Broc Little, who played for Linköping before also jumping to the Swiss league.
More medal hopefuls
The curlers are not the only medal hopefuls. Sweden is sending a total of 101 athletes to the 2018 Games (nearly half are on the men’s and women’s hockey teams) to compete in 10 sports: alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, freestyle skiing, ice hockey, short track speed skating, snowboarding and speed skating. Charlotte Kalla, two-time gold medalist in crosscountry skiing, returns to compete in her third Winter Olympics as she leads a strong women’s skiing team in South Korea. Currently third in the classic race World Cup standing and sixth overall, the 30-year native of Gällivare led Sweden to a memorable gold medal
As for why curling is so popular – matches are typically sold out at the Winter Games – former U.S. and three-time Olympic curler John Schuster said it was the ambience that made the sport such as a fan favorite. “During a curling match we’re mic’ed up the entire time. We’re talking about strategy (during) interactions with teammates ... I think people are able to connect on a personal level,” he said in an interview with WFLA-TV in Pittsburgh, PA. Chipp Reid FEBRUARY 01, 2018 27
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