Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Wednesday, 10/11

Remind me never to eat Surströmming.

As I’ve traveled to Europe, and as I’ve come to realize that I am a true American “mutt”, born of many different nationalities, I’ve spent a lot of time exploring the history, culture, and lifestyles of other countries, especially countries from which one of my ancestors came. I’ve done so with the help of a great series of books called “Culture Shock”, which are a great guide to cities and countries around the world. While the books are designed mostly for people who are thinking of moving to another country, they’re also a great resource for those of us just curious about where our roots lie.

I’m currently reading the “Culture Shock” edition on Sweden. I’m one-eighth Swedish; my dad’s grandmother (which would make her my great-grandmother, right?) was born in Sweden, and came to the U.S. as a young girl where she married an Irish guy who was actually born in Canada. She died many years before I was born, and all of her kids (especially my grandmother) were American kids through and through, so I never knew anything about Sweden other than what every other American knows about Sweden—namely, Abba. Oh, and the word “smorgasbord”.

But that was it.

But as Loraine was researching her book on Elwood Norr a few years ago, we spent a lot of time with Elwood’s sister Jeanne, whose grandparents also came from Sweden. Jeanne actually did know a little about the culture—in fact, she spoke a little Swedish—and was able to whet my appetite just enough that I knew I’d like to explore the country from which my great-grandmother came just a little more.

And so when I saw that “Culture Shock” had an edition on a country that gave me one-eighth of my genetic makeup, I pounced.

Being a geography nerd, I actually know a bit about the country and its history and its economic system; however, the book is quite fascinating about the people who call Sweden home. Apparently, they’re not a lot like people from other Scandinavian countries; they’re much more reserved & thoughtful & orderly. In fact, the book has a joke that many Swedish residents themselves tell—two Danes, two Norwegians, two Finns, and two Swedes each land on different islands. By the end of the day, the Danes have set up a commune on their island, the Norwegians have gone fishing, the Finns have cut down all the trees, and the Swedes are still waiting to be introduced to each other.

Ah, Nordic humor. You gotta love it.

I also found the chapter on Swedish food interesting. For instance, did you know that there really is no such thing in Sweden as Swedish meatballs? And that while younger generations of Swedes prefer a much more worldly and sophisticated palette, some of the very old, traditional Swedish dishes are still hauled out for holidays and special occasions. Those, of course, include a lot of fish and root vegetables, including the aforementioned “Surströmming”, which is basically rotten herring that’s been allowed to ferment in its own juices.

Sounds appetizing, doesn’t it?

It’s a dish from the northern part of the country; the herring used to be allowed to ferment because salt was rare and couldn’t be used to preserve a lot of food. It sounds like there were a lot of traditional Swedish dishes like that; Surströmming, however, is one that’s still eaten, if only by a small group of people in the country.

I think I’ll pass, though.

So if you’re ever curious about some of the countries from which your ancestors hailed, I highly recommend books in the “Culture Shock” series. They have volumes on 50 different countries (as well as over 20 large cities), so you’ll probably find handy information on most of your background. Next to actually going to your ancestral lands (something I hope to do one day, at least to Sweden and Finland) the books are a great way to see how some very distant cousins, aunts, and uncles still live their daily lives.

Especially if it involves eating dishes like Surströmming.



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