Godjul hos Jan och Irene

What a good Christmas. :)

Merry Christmas to All

I present to you a compilation of my photos of the Christmas season in Sweden. Merry Christmas to my family and friends, far and wide.

Godjul i Sverige

It's official...

Göteborg Daily News reported this week that this year is the longest period of freezing temperatures in Gothenburg since 1875.

Consequently, they also report a climbing number of broken bones and emergency room patients this month. Which doesn't surprise me since the cobblestone sidewalks are literally little pathways filled with tricky mini glaciers (I hate them). I've seen three old ladies (to date!) eat it on the pavement in these conditions.

I, myself, am waiting for when my feet finally tell my brain that enough's enough---go buy winter boots. Too bad my head is often too stubborn to listen to every other bodily system... :-P

Christmas Special 2.0: Julmust och Glögg

There is a fantastic Christmas tradition in Sweden that revolves around hot, spiced wine---or, glögg, på svenska. Like the pitchers of water you'd find in the good cafes in Seattle, in the wintertime in Gothenburg (and I presume everywhere else in this country), you can often find a vat of this stuff steaming near the cash register for a small price. You get a small cup, put a few raisins and almonds at the bottom and fill 'er up for about 20-30SEK (2-3USD). 

Hot. Delicious. Glögg: please don't ever leave me. 

You can find glögg in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions throughout the city. Some people actually  make it themselves every year, fermenting the wine for a month in advance and adding the spices... But usually, people buy something called julmust which is a glögg premix and heat it on the stove themselves. There are some serious debates between Swedes over which brands have offer the best taste, as well as fighting over who has the best pepparkakor to supplement it (see Christmas Special 1.0). 

Amusingly, you can also find julmust in the form of sodas, for children I suppose. This little number I snapped while in Swedish class. My Swedish classmate says it tastes pretty unique; I say it tastes like Santa-endorsed cherry coke.

And, of course, pepparkakor. You know those thin little cinnamon cookies? Anna's? 

They're everywhere, and I'm rejoicing.

Christmas Special 1.0 : Julmat and other Goodies

So, here starts an onslaught of the Christmas-themed descriptions of Swedish life that I've been promising for a couple weeks. With the turn over of the city into the holiday season, there has simply been so many new and charming changes that I haven't been able to keep up the blog fast enough! But, since I've sent a number of you cards, I figure I should probably update (and classes are done)...

Like the States, a big part of Christmas time in Sweden is the holiday food. I know in the States it's all about peppermint lattes, gingerbread houses, ham, peanut butter kiss cookies, chocolate bark, eggnog---the works---but Sweden has some delicious staples of their own (yes it's not all herring here). I'd say most Swedes also enjoy a ham on Christmas, but Christmas cheeses and sausages are a popular holiday addition in most grocery stores and Christmas markets come end of November. But the deeper you get into December, the more your life starts to revolve around holiday foods and where to find them. Below is only a taste of the tastes what I've seen this season...

Sweden's Christmas Markets are loaded with holiday food. Most of the time, these markets are held in the historical districts of the city (which, I guess in Europe, is the oldest and most charming place they can find) and are swarming with crafters, artisans, music and food peddlers. You wander with the crowd of families, couples with dogs, mothers and fathers with prams, grandparents with baskets, and odd ladies with fur coats, looking at all the tables under white Christmas lights and decorated awnings. 

Almost always at these markets you can find someone selling Swedish fudge and other Christmas candies. They're usually not as rich as some American fudges (basically, you're not biting into butter), but boy, your teeth sure do ache from the sugar. I'm a fan of the Rum Russian and pistachio recipes. You buy a hectogram of these guys, and they'll slip them into a little triangular bag for you for home.

The bakeries here set up tables laid with checkered tablecloths, Christmas tree bows, oil lamps, and are usually heaving with baked goods. Saffron-infused breads and buns, almonds, peppermint hard candies, fudge, and gingerbread wafers.  

Anyone recognize this? :) 

In Gothenburg, there's a bakery famous for having the biggest cinnamon buns (kanelbullar) in Sweden. Here, I present to you a picture: they're about as big as your head, and if you order one, you're expected to finish it in its entirety---no doggie bags.

Elin and I last week tried to make our own version of kanelbullar. We used an American recipe at the start, but when I was looking, she dumped a bunch of saffron in and the rest were prepared the Swedish way. They're not like the cafe's, but I think we were happy with our cross-culturally baked products.