Fettisdagen 2020

Today is Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras, which in Sweden we call 'Fettisdagen' (=Fat Tuesday) since traditionally it was the last day you could eat all you want and really gorge before the period of Lent started. In Sweden, traditionally Swedes celebrate this day with eating 'semla', a cardamom scented bun filled with almond paste and whipped cream.

These delicious buns should actually ONLY be enjoyed today on Fat Tuesday, but as the general Swede is not really that enthusiastic about the rituals of Christian festivals, and most lack self-discipline, people start eating them as soon as Christmas is over. This year I must confess, I actually had one already BEFORE Christmas when I was in Sweden! Just because - I could, ha ha!

Although I didn't need to fear missing out, as the Scandinavian restaurant in Dubai - Smørrebrød, made sure this year that all the ladies in SWEA could feast on 'semla' for our Fat Tuesday! Thank you! They were really delicious, and very authentic tasting.

No wonder there was a big group of us turning up for this event! Yum!

Finally, here are some 'semla' by numbers:

5 bakery-bought 'semlor' are eaten by each Swede each year.
300 kg was the weight of the world's biggest 'semla', World Record broken this year.
14 'hetvägg' (='semla' served in a bowl of warm milk) were eaten by King Adolf Fredrik in February 1771 before he died of digestion problems.
6 000 000 'semlor' are the Swedes expected to eat today.

Bake your own 'semla' using this recipe!