Semlor and Song: Cultural Connectors

I went into this journey thinking Melodifestivalen would be celebrated like the Super Bowl. The TV viewing numbers say as much. Almost half the country watches. I thought people would be pumped about the contest and all its trappings - and everybody would watch. I imagined people would sit down with friends and family to see the spectacle with a big spread of food and everybody would be talking about it - for six weeks straight.

It was sort of like that, but not quite. The final show in Stockholm followed a Super Bowl-like pattern, minus the commercials. Almost everybody watched and many people gathered together with food during the final show. There's no doubt everybody was talking about it the next day. The previous five weeks of the contest were... a bit more muted.

Things aren't always the way I expect them to be in Sweden, even though I'm familiar with the culture. It's good to know there are still surprises to be found after more than a decade of study.

Even though I look at Sweden through an experienced frame of reference, I still filter it through American eyes (or maybe Swedish-American eyes). I expected Melodifestivalen to be a well-loved party where everyone celebrates the contest and the artists in a big way. I expected an excited and positive response when I mentioned blogging about the show. The biggest response I got was, "That's kinda crazy" followed by "I don't watch the show." I thought the host cities would hold parties and large events for the general public. Karlstad tried to promote the show, although you could have stayed in Stockholm and Malmö without ever knowing Mello was happening just a few minutes from your location. Like I said, it was muted. Or, muted in an American sense. It was not what my American self had in mind.

A popular show, but not in the American sense.

I learned the show isn't so much a well-loved party as it is a well-known cultural touchstone. Everyone knows about it and has a relationship to it, either positive or negative. The show itself fills many cultural and social functions throughout its six week run. It's a way for people to escape from the daily grind for a few hours each weekend. People also use the contest to share thoughts and opinions. They use it to find new music and artists for their playlists. Using it for an excuse to party is also popular, although Swedes don't have much trouble finding reasons to go out on a Saturday night. All these functions have one thing in common - connection.

Melodifestivalen connects people. Whether you love or hate the show, you are connected to other people through its appearance every year. It gives people the opportunity to talk with each other and build relationships around the things they experience, whether that be a shared love of the contest and the songs or a shared dislike of the entire phenomena.

Folk 'n' Rock, a popular cafe in Malmö. It's a combination cafe and music store. A good place to make connections, both personal and musical.

It's the same story for semlor and Swedish food, apparently. Connection is the key. In Italy or France, the taste of the food and the experience of eating is held in high regard. In Sweden, the food isn't the star of the show. It's the people you're sitting with while you eat. Taking a coffee break, aka fika, or sitting down with a meal gives people the opportunity to relax and really connect with the person sitting across the table. Semlor play a special role in such connections since their appearance is seasonal. It brings something special to your fika time since the traditional pastry tends to bring back memories and events from previous years. What were you doing when you ate your last semla? How has your life changed since then? Such thoughts pop into your mind. They make for good discussion topics with others as you connect over food.

Helena Wahlman/imagebank.sweden.se

Cinnamon rolls are also popular fika food.

While the contest has ended and semla season is soon over, the memories remain. Next year, the same process will repeat. People will eat and listen - and connect. Old friendships and relationships will be strengthened. New ones will be formed. And the culture will grow richer because of it. All this because of a little semlor and song.

Semlor - making connections between people in Sweden for centuries.

__________________________

I connected with many people during my stay in Sweden. Food and music played a vital role in each encounter. Many people opened up their hearts and their homes to me during my stay as well. My gratitude cannot be expressed in words, but I must say thank you anyway:

Thank you to Nordstjernan for giving me the opportunity to contribute to your publication. And to everyone I spoke with during my stay, I say thank you for your insight into the contest and the culture!

A special thank you goes to CouchSurfers Michael, Emma, Christian and Alexander, along with Sara and the entire congregation at Missionskyrka in Gnosjö for giving me a place to call home while on the road.

Another big thank you to dancer and actor Ausben Jordan, Pia Andersson from Melodifestivalsklubben, Ann-Charlotte from Ave Produktion, singer and author Jenny Berggren, and Andreas at the Swedish-American Center in Karlstad for sharing your time, insight, and knowledge with me during our longer discussions. You provided in-depth insight into the contest in a way I could not have reached otherwise.

A final thank you to everyone reading the blog. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Maybe one day you'll go to Sweden to see Melodifestivalen yourself. If you do, be sure to eat a few semlor for me!

The Semla and the Swede

I've learned a semla is a bit like a typical Swede:

• Semlor don't really stick out at first. There's nothing crazy about them. They're nice looking pastries, often presented in an appealing manner. Many Swedes don't try to stick out and have a nice, modern sense of style, too.

• Semlor look unassuming. You don't think there's anything incredible about them at first glance. You expect a good pastry, but you don't think there's anything more to it than that. And maybe, you might even think semlor are slightly boring. A little sugar, bread, and whipped cream. Ok. Nothing special. Sometimes, when people go to Sweden or meet Swedes, they come away thinking Swedes are unassuming and maybe a bit boring, too.

• Semlor are only available under certain conditions, like the time of the year. Like a semla, many Swedes are open to conversation only under certain conditions. You don't usually strike up a conversation in an elevator or on the street. That would be a bit awkward and strange, which leads tourists and foreigners to think Swedes are cold and aloof. There's a joke in Sweden about people smiling at you on the street. If you encounter someone who smiles at you, they're either one of two things - drunk or American. There are proper times to socialize and improper times. If you schedule a get-together where people are expected to socialize and chat, you'll find people in Sweden to be open and caring, genuine and funny.

• Semlor have a surprise inside. You think the semla is boring and typical at first glance. That's because you can only see the surface. If you go deeper, you'll find the best part is at the heart of the semla - a sweet mix of sugar and almonds blended together, creating a unique and unforgettable flavor. Swedish culture is a bit like that too. At the heart of it, the culture is full of warmth, care, laughter, and humor with a unique flavor all its own. You just have to get past the outside to see it, which can sometimes be a little tricky.

• Semlor and coffee are a match made in heaven. I don't drink much coffee, but I've been told the two make a perfect fit - just like Swedes and their coffee. Coffee looms large in the culture, as does the coffee break, otherwise known as "Fika". Sitting down with a semla and a cup of java gives you an opportunity to socialize and chat with those around you - a good way to get to the heart of a Swede.

• Semlor are unique. Yes, there are similar pastries in other parts of the world. Estonia, Finland, and Denmark even have variations of the semla. But, no one makes a semla, or celebrates it, like the Swedes. Just like the pastry, Swedes and Swedish culture is unique. The country and culture has its own style and ways of seeing the world. A few years ago, a World Values Survey was released. This survey placed countries on a chart based on their cultural values. Unique Sweden ended up in the far top-right corner, well apart from all the rest.

• Semlor are just awesome and so are the Swedes. No explanation needed.

There's more to both the semla and the Swede than you first expect.

Camilla Degerman/imagebank.sweden.se

Woman vs. Swedish Food

In honor of King Adolph Fredrik, I am taking up a food challenge.

On February 12, 1771, King Adolf dined on a luxurious dinner of caviar, lobster, smoked herring, sauerkraut, and champagne. Such a dinner didn't satisfy his appetite, so he added fourteen helpings of semlor with warm milk as well. It was his favorite dessert. Shortly thereafter, the king came down with stomach cramps and dizziness. A few hours later, King Adolf Fredrik passed away.

Portly King Adolf Fredrik of Sweden before his death by semla.

image from wikipedia.org

Some officials called for a ban on the baked good since it seemingly played a role in the death of a king. A contemporary to the king, Count Johan Gabriel Oxenstierna, a  proclaimed the king's death, "A most brilliant way to die." I concur.

I will attempt a similar feat in honor of the king who is remembered as the king who died eating semlor. He didn't do much during his time on the throne, so this is what most Swedes remember about him.

My personal challenge is on a slightly smaller scale.  I will eat two pounds of pytt i panna, a typical Swedish dish made from potatoes, meat, spices, and onions. After that, I will attempt to down eight semlor.

Yes, this is from Findus - the company in the middle of the horse meat scandal. The circular label on the left proclaims the meat to be 100% beef.

The finished pytt i panna and the eight semlor waiting in the background. MMM!

I don't doubt I'll be feeling the same stomach problems and dizziness before it's all over. As long as I don't die, I'll be alright. I do have a flight to catch tomorrow. And I intend to be there. But first, it's time to eat. Here's to you King Adolf Fredrik, the semla king!

Literary Character Obsessions

I'm celebrating the pending final of Melodifestivalen with, what else? A semla.

You know something has a hold on the culture when literary characters are obsessed with it. Remember Wimpy from Popeye? The one who is always looking for a hamburger and would gladly pay you later for one today? Or how about Janet Evanovich's character Stephanie Plum who can't eat enough Tastykakes?

Sweden has an equivalent literary character from a children's book series written in the '40s and '50s. The main character, Sture Sventon, a private detective, solves crimes and lives near a bakery that makes semlor year 'round. Sture has a sweet tooth for the pastries and a slight difficulty pronouncing the letter -s, so his name becomes Ture and semlor become temlor.

Ture loves his temlor so much, he has a specially made container to transport them. Semlor appear in every single story. Sometimes, they play an important role in solving the crime. In "Ture Sventon in the Desert", someone steals his refrigerator stocked with 300 semlor and he jumps at the chance to solve the case!

Ture even has his own internet meme:

How in the heck am I supposed to hold all these temlor?, a meme using the pasted face of  Ture as portrayed in a 1970s Swedish film.

I just know Ture was onto something. I'm thinking of buying a fridge and stocking it before I get back to Texas. How much is it to ship a fridge filled with semlor internationally? I'll have to find out.

Lesson Learned

I recently learned an important lesson. Don't breathe out just as you're taking a bite of a semla. If you do, all that powdered sugar will fly in every direction. It will land on you, your jacket, your table, and your neighbors next to you. Not a good way to make friends.

Breakfast Semla. 600 calorie jolt.

I finished off my semla, walked out the door, and had to promptly pull up my jeans. They're getting roomier. I think this Swedish Diet is working out.

Snapshots of Karlstad

The city is full of statues everywhere you look. Each one represents different facets of Karlstad's history and culture. This statue, called the "Goddess of Peace", stands in the city center. It represents a peaceful split between Norway and Sweden in 1905. She holds a broken sword in her hands with her right foot on top of....

... a severed head. Emma told me this statue has been voted the ugliest statue in the country. City planners dressed it in the colors of Melodifestivalen. Just to be festive.

A beautiful day in the city

It's not only a semla, it's a semla cake! It was the size of my head. I was sorely tempted to buy it.

Hipsters live in Sweden too.

Views from Malmö

A permanent marching band sculpture in the middle of a busy pedestrian walkway. Tourists love to stand in the empty spot and strike a pose.

This is King Karl X Gustaf who conquered the city when it was Danish and handed it back to Sweden in 1658. Today, you might think he's famous for conquering the competition in Melodifestivalen. The flags waving in the breeze are Mello flags.

Malmö is known as an international area, with residents from every country living here. It shows in the food choices around town. You can find any type of food you want. Chinese, Italian, Mexican, Swedish, Danish, German, Middle Eastern, Thai, Texan. (What? Texas is almost its own nation. Don't you know that?!) The international food list is endless. You can still see the Swedish influence in the food, however.

Chinese food next to the national Swedish convenience store on the right, Pressbyrån.

A version of Latin American cooking in Sweden, complete with cartoon mascot.  

The American section of a grocery store. Popcorn salt, "marshmallow fluff", frosting,  Swiss Miss, cheesecake, brownies, American pancakes, Skittles, and "Frootmallows".

I bought my dinner from a pizza/falafel restaurant. This is a clam and shrimp pizza. Yum!

 Folk & Rock, winner of best cafe 2012. It's a cafe/music store combination Swedish food and music together. This is my kind of place. I stopped by yesterday to eat there, but it was so busy, there were no seats available! Looks like it is on track to win in 2013 too.

The city does sing! This store's song? Fastlagsbullar - another name for a semla. I saw the sign! This is where I decided to get my first semla since 2004....

which didn't last long.. All gone.

This was full of semlor when I arrived. Thirty minutes later, there are three left.

A long pedestrian street where families take a quiet Sunday stroll to work off those fastlagsbulle calories

St. Petri church in the center of town. It was built in 1393 in the Gothic Style. The tower is 344 ft/105 meters tall.

A bike path underneath a busy road. The path has its own lane markers and street lights. Swedes are serious about safety.

 A native of Southern Sweden. Scania trucks, like this one, originate from this very area. Swedes call this region Skåne. In English, it's known as Scania.

 The tabloid papers post the daily headlines in huge font. Tabloids are also known as "yellow journalism". Maybe the term originated in Sweden? This particular paper talks about the Army of Lovers and their half-naked Schalger performance yesterday. The bottom is about weighing more. Looks like the BMI scale has changed, so you can weigh even more now and still be considered healthy. I'm in luck!

Imposter! Imposter! This Death Star and R2D2 are made of Lego blocks and those are Danish. Sure, Karl X Gustav kicked out the Danes in the 1600s, but it doesn't mean it stayed that way. Today, Copenhagen and Malmö have strong economic ties with each other. The ties were further enhanced after a bridge was built between the two cities in 1999, making it possible to travel between the two countries directly by car in about half an hour.

Breaking that Fast during Lent

Sunday Schedule

I'll tell you a little more about my Mello evening on Sunday, including a few chats I had with fans in the arena. Then, I'll focus on other matters. Like getting a semla! Finally! I still haven't had time to get one anywhere. It's like putting a steak near a starving wolf for two full days. I'm pacing around those bakery windows like nobody's business.

And now that I'm out of the Melodifestival bubble for a few days, I'll take some time to explore the city itself, including the local areas and sights around town.

Sleep calls after this exciting and eventful night. See you in the morning for a day in Malmö before moving up the West coast to Gothenburg.

My Swedish Diet

Every time I go to Sweden, I lose weight. I don't even mean to. It just happens. Don't think I avoid food while I'm there. Swedish food is some of the best stuff on Earth. I can't resist all that yummy goodness - breads, seafood, cheeses, pancakes, potatoes, strawberries, fish, meatballs, pizza, candy, ice cream, chocolate, cookies, cake, more candy... I eat it all and in abundance.

Fat and sugar free in Sweden , or so it seems.
Tuukka Ervasti/imagebank.sweden.se

So, what gives? Could it be all that running around and walking I do in Sweden? Possibly. I inevitably gain weight upon my return to Texas. After returning from an extended stay in Stockholm in 2004, I packed on a hefty 25 pounds - in three months. Maybe it's all the driving we do in the States. Or maybe it's all the fried food. Regardless, the US is #9 when it comes to global obesity rates while Sweden is #60 on the list, if you wonder.

This time, I've prepared a little non-scientific experiment for my time abroad. I've been eating (sorta) healthy and have made sure I'm fit with lots of pre-travel exercise. My BMI is a trim 22, smack in the middle of the healthy scale for my height. So, will I gain weight this time? I'm going to try.

How do I propose to blimp up? By eating as many semlor as I can manage. Bet you didn't see that coming. These things are fat bombs, according to Göran Petterson at Chalmers University. He likens them to a health "catastrophe" in a recent Nordstjernan article.

Bombs away! At 550-650 calories each, about six of these would put on an extra pound.
Lola Akinmade Åkerström/imagebank.sweden.se

If I lose weight this time, I will strongly consider writing a book about my Swedish diet: Go to Sweden. Eat copious amounts of fatty, sugary and carb-loaded food. Come back lighter. Would make for a useful tourism tag line: "The Swedish Miracle Diet! Eat everything and get trim. Book your trip now!" I'm booked and ready.

The Start of the Semla

Pancakes, king cakes, paczki, doughnuts, semlor.... Each country has their own tradition when it comes to Shrove Tuesday. That's the day before Ash Wednesday. And once Wednesday hits, you have 40 days of fasting before Easter.

Fasting ain't easy when you have goodies hanging out in your house calling out your name, so people all around the world came up with ingenious ways of getting rid of anything that could prove tempting before starting that long fast. Out with the eggs, the sugar, the milk, the butter! Any rich foods needed to go and go quickly. Throwing them away would work, but why throw out all these precious goods when you could stuff yourself silly with them instead? And that's just what happened. Different countries came up with fat-laden, rich tasting foods on Tuesday and consumed until they popped before Wednesday, thus creating traditional Shrove Tuesday foods in the process. In Sweden, that brought about the birth of the Semla.

Basic breakdown of a semla: 

• Wheat bun - Made with a whole lotta sugar, flour, butter, milk, and eggs.
• Almond paste - Even more sugar and eggs, and almonds of course. The heart of a semla. It makes or breaks the pastry.
• Cardamom - An imported Asian spice. Common in Indian cooking and Swedish baking.
• Whipped Cream - More fat, for good measure. And why, not? You might as well take it all the way.
• Powdered Sugar - A sprinkle on top to make it even more irresistible. As if it needed to be!

Total damage: around 550-650 super tasty calories

If you're in the US and you pick up a copy of the March issue of Martha Stewart's Living, you'll find a two page KitchenAid ad on the inside cover. The scrumptious picture of a person baking semlor shown there is from photographer Anna Huerta. I took the magazine out on February 12th (Fat Tuesday this year) and showed the ad to everyone I met. I asked them to identify the pastry on the page. I asked co-workers, shop assistants, a few bakeries, and people walking on the street. Most people ventured a guess, although no one got it right. Cream puffs were the consensus and why not? That's the frame of reference most Americans have for such a concoction. Close, yet far. I asked KitchenAid for a little info, however they couldn't ID the pastries in the ad either, "Unfortunately, we do not have the information you are requesting regarding the pastry. Usually information regarding the food is referenced at the bottom of the KitchenAid advertisement.", according to the representative I contacted.

So the average American doesn't know about semlor, but there is one business in New York City working to change that. FIKA, a Swedish cafe in the city, serves these mouth watering pastries daily when they are in season. Take a look at this video from Nordstjernan:

Time for a semla, FIKA style from Nordstjernan on Vimeo.

Welcome, or should I say Välkomna?

Hello dear readers! Welcome to my month long travel blog! I will be reporting on a few of my favorite Swedish things: Food and Music. Instead of trying to cover both subjects with a wide lens, I will cover these two topics using a macro shot. I want to discover something new about the country and its culture using two specific cultural icons: Fat Tuesday pastries and Melodifestivalen, an annual song contest.

Semlor and Song, in other words.

Fat Tuesday, the official day for eating semlor in Sweden, was two days ago. But that doesn't stop the Swedes from chowing down on these nom-nom pastries after the official date is over. No one is happier about that than me! It means I get to join in on the semla feast. And feast, I will!

Image from Flickr user Flugan - Creative Commons 2.0

There's also the song contest. Oh, the song contest! I have watched Melodifestivalen (literally, the melody festival) since I was a teenager. My first year was in 1999 and I haven't missed a show since. I couldn't miss it because it just wouldn't be February and March without it.

Image from Flickr user Signe Brockman - Creative Commons 2.0

My love for these two things - and more importantly, my love for Sweden and the Swedes - has convinced me to write this blog during my trip. I want to bring you along for the ride so you too can experience the fun and excitement of Sweden when tourists are few and far between. I hope to learn even more about my adopted second country, and I have a feeling you do too!

Nuuuuu kör vi! Here we go!