We’re a well travelled bunch here at unearthed® and always on the look out for an adventure – even better if it contains food and involves lots of other people.

So we were intrigued when we heard that Elly, one of our NPD team, was off to a crayfish festival in Sweden.  Elly had heard about Sweden’s Crayfish Festival from her Swedish boyfriend’s family on a Christmas trip home.  The more she heard about it, the more she was sold. She had to go – and promised to report back.

Fast forward a few months later and her bags were packed. Her boyfriend’s friends, in his hometown, arranged it so that they could host their own Crayfish party.  So off they travelled to Archipellago – a beautifully scenic part of Sweden, famed for crayfish.

When they arrived at the house, one of the friends had set up a tent on the balcony of his place, to fit in all the merry-makers. All that was left do as decorate the house with crayfish-related decorations. This sounds like it could be tricky, but rest assured, the Swedes go mad for this.  As one of her the pictures shows, supermarkets are full of crayfish lights, bunting, hats, serviettes, plates. And so they indulged!

[cycloneslider id=”crayfish-festival”]

The party of friends was very serious about food as well. Elly suggested snacks, but she was told that there were no snacks allowed, only traditional foods.  In typical tradition the food is quite heavy – no vegetables – and washed down with alcohol! The menu comprised:

• Västerbotten cheese pie
• Crayfish, Crab, lobster
• Smoked salmon (lax)
• Shrimp skagen (shrimp, dill, mayo and sour cream)
• Handmade bread
• Kladdkaka (chocolate) cake
• Hallands Elderflower Akvavit (vodka)
• Beer and aperol (a nod to Europe)

Once the serious business of eating was done, they moved onto the nearly-as-serious business of singing crayfish songs and downing the Akvavit (we’ll save you from the videos!) but it was all in the spirit of the crayfish and it was reportedly a lot of fun. At a time when it’s being modern and edgy has never been so cool, it’s great to see a group of edgy Swedes, totally loving an old tradition. We salute the crayfish.

We thank Elly for sharing her crayfish party with us. She wanted to happen and so it did., Just another reason why #peoplemakefood