Haven’t heard of the Crayfish Party? Look it up in the internet and catch up! As the Swedish summer draws to a close, Swedes remain outdoors as long as the clear August skies last sharing a bowlful of crayfish and a wheel of finely aged Vasterbotten cheese.
Crayfish Party in the Past
For hundreds of years, Swedes loved the the taste of crayfish. But for a while, it was only limited to the noble and the aristocracy. Initially, crayfish meat was used to make sausage, ragout, patties, and even puddings.
During the mid-19th century, people started to eat crayfish the way they are eaten today. And in August, the Crayfish parties became a tradition for the middle class. In the 20th century, crayfish became the country’s delicacy and everyone started to celebrate. The crayfish feast is a Swedish celebration where friends and family gather outside to eat, drink, and delight in Vasterbotten cheese to mark the end of summer.
Crayfish Party Today
Running the risk of over fishing, the government issued restrictions on river crayfishing in the early 20th century. Crayfishing was only allowed to a couple of months from August. From then on, crayfish then became an exclusive and much sought-after delicacy in Sweden.
While crayfish can now be bought all year round, only few are in favor of abandoning the summer tradition. Although Chinese and U.S. crayfish are considered best, the Swedish crayfish remains undisputed in terms of taste. But whether Swedish, Chinese, or American, crayfish is cooked only the Swedish way – in brine, with lots of dill.
Crayfish Party Needs
Want to host your own crayfish party in December? Here are the things that you need:
Crayfish (of course) – several local stores have frozen crayfish available, or you can order from the internet if your want. You can also get crayfish from several supplies store that will ship it to your home.
Dill – adding tons of fresh dill releases that mouthwatering crayfish flavor. You can grab this from any foods store down the street.
Vasterbotten Cheese – the salty shellfish taste blends perfectly with the full flavor of Vasterbotten cheese. Considered a must for most Swedish cuisines, Vasterbotten cheese will add that genuine Swedish taste to your crayfish party!
Now this is where it gets challenging; Vasterbotten cheese is not readily available and only a select cheese shops have the real, Swedish Vasterbotten. See to it that the cheese shop you buy Vasterbotten from is credible and legit.
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