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.
