Swedish traditions: 'Kraftskivan' - your own crayfish party

Crayfish, crawfish, in Swedish simply kraftor [kr'ef:tor] Checklist, how to create your own.

인터넷바카라�The tables are decked in the orchard bower, The lanterns are glowing, the evening is warm. The dill weed인터넷바카라�s a whisper, Resplendent in bloom, And crayfish, roe-packed, Lie waiting, piled high.인터넷바카라� Crayfish party under the soft August moonlight as described by Erik Axel Karlfeldt, Swedish national poet.
HOW TO
Prepare 'kräftskivan' your own crayfish party
Make your own funny hat: Cut out a shape similar to this on a regular 8.5인터넷바카라� x 11인터넷바카라� piece of paper. Cut through along the dotted line, then roll the shape together to create the cone shape, push the corner into the cut out opening, tape it on the inside. Make two small holes across from each other and fasten a thin rubber band to pull down under your chin to hold the hat in place.
Crayfish, crawfish, in Swedish simply kräftor [kr'ef:tor] and, in Sweden served different from most crayfish you have had elsewhere. August 7 was for many years synonymous with the begin of the season - fishing for the delicacy was strictly prohibited between November 1 and August 7 at 5 p.m..
Swedish crayfish are boiled with dill, sugar and salt and you serve them cold인터넷바카라�guests eat with their hands. The party itself is all about having fun and socializing. (Hard not to, if you follow the checklists below인터넷바카라� remember, if you try serving Swedish aquavit or, if chard to find, the Norwegian Linie or Danish Aalborg aquavits, which are more readily available, aquavit is hard liquor, serve and drink responsibly!)
Want to find out more about the tradition first? Go to
The funny paper hats will put you in the right mood...
Checklist / incidentals:
1. Paper moons (colored paper lanterns that usually wrap around regular light bulbs)
2. Bibs and napkins; in Sweden often with the crayfish motifs.
3. Funny hats (items listed here are only the beginning, in Sweden you인터넷바카라�ll find special paper plates and table cloths with the appropriate crayfish motifs)
4. A nutcracker for the tougher parts of claws or tail of the crustaceans.
5. At least a couple of traditional Swedish songs, written up phonetically if a majority of your guests are foreign to the tradition. For the ambitious, you인터넷바카라�ll find a collection of songs in "The very best of Swedish Schnapps Songs" published by 온라인바카라주소 and available on or through In a hurry? You'll find a couple of songs here:
Come August and all over Sweden you can see the moon-shaped lanterns lit over often outside tables as the crayfish parties kick off.
And ... here's the instruction film on how to behave:
Make your own funny hat: Cut out a shape similar to this on a regular 8.5인터넷바카라� x 11인터넷바카라� piece of paper. Cut through along the dotted line, then roll the shape together to create the cone shape, push the corner into the cut out opening, tape it on the inside. Make two small holes across from each other and fasten a thin rubber band to pull down under your chin to hold the hat in place.
Checklist / food:
1. Crayfish; you인터넷바카라�ll find frozen crayfish at most IKEA stores. Mail order and over the internet, you can also order from or, catch your own and get plenty of ideas on how to catch, where and with what at
2. White toast, crisp bread (인터넷바카라�knäckebröd인터넷바카라�) and butter
3. Cheeses인터넷바카라�Several kinds of hard cheeses to accompany the bread. A typical Swedish cheese for the crayfish table would be the aged 인터넷바카라�Västerbotten cheese,인터넷바카라� which is no longer available in the United States. Add an aged Cheddar and a good chunk of Jarlsberg instead and you are all set.
4. Most parties will offer a choice other than crayfish 인터넷바카라� a quiche or cheese pie, Swedish meatballs. By our own experience, this recipe for a Västerbotten cheese based pie will even interest the serious crayfish aficionados: . (These days, since Västerbotten is no longer allowed to be imported to the U.S. replace with an aged white cheddar.)
5. Cold beer works well with the saltiness of the crayfish
6. Schnapps. No Swedish crayfish party is complete without the shots of aquavit, the 인터넷바카라�nubbe,인터넷바카라� which is always accompanied by singing.
Ulf Kirchdorfer's book, "Swede Among the Rednecks" - available at <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ztt7kbr" target="_blank">인터넷바카라�Amazon인터넷바카라�</a> or through 온라인바카라주소, 1.800.827.9333
The funny, conical paper hats are part of the party ensemble and will put you in the right mood to enjoy this Swedish tradition. The hats can be quite deliberate or you can have your guests prepare their own인터넷바카라� You find a simple template for the hats to the right.
A bib is a must and since you인터넷바카라�ll be eating with your hands, piles of napkins or rolls of paper towels are often available on the table. If it인터넷바카라�s your first time, make sure you are near one or grab one of them and don인터넷바카라�t let go. Focus on the claws and tail and too avoid a visit to your dentist인터넷바카라�s, use a nutcracker to reach the sparse meat inside the crustacean. Practice Swedish drinking songs if you are inviting Swedes or going to a party arranged by Swedish born. It doesn인터넷바카라�t matter whether you speak Swedish. It only matters that you try hard, hum along and can say Skål [Skoal!] at the end of every song.
During regular years several of the Swedish organizations in North America, from Chambers of Commerce, to SWEA and Vasa lodges organize their own crayfish parties. You'll find crayfish the Swedish way and much of the accessories here: (Some IKEA stores will also have some of the paraphernalia needed for the party)
If you인터넷바카라�ve been there before and would like to try your hand at boiling your own crayfish, below are two recipes.
인터넷바카라� 2 lbs. of crawfish (approx. 25 pcs.)
인터넷바카라� 3 quarts of cold fresh water
인터넷바카라� 5 tablespoons salt
인터넷바카라� 1 tablespoon sugar
인터넷바카라� A lot (10-15) of dill-"crowns" (when you grow fresh dill, you let it start to grow flowers, but you pick the dill before the buds evolve into flowers. The buds should have turned yellow though. This is very important, do NOT substitute for ordinary dill.)
인터넷바카라� 1 tsp of anis (optional)
Make sure all of the crawfish are alive.
Boil water, salt, sugar, dill-"crowns" and anis.
Place the crawfish in a sifter, and lower them into the boiling water. let them cook for 10 minutes once the water starts boiling again. Let them cool off in the seasoned water, keep refrigerated until serving. The dish is served cold. Decorate with fresh dill crowns.
Even Martha Stewart ran a piece on the Swedish kräftskiva or as she calls it, the Crayfish Boil, in July, 2008. Her recipe is a bit fancier. We like the addition of stout, which adds a little bit of flavor to the creatures:
Serves 8
인터넷바카라� 8 pounds live crayfish
인터넷바카라� 1 gallon water
인터넷바카라� 4 cups stout, such as Guinness
인터넷바카라� 2/3 cup coarse sea salt, plus more for seasoning
인터넷바카라� 3 tablespoons sugar
인터넷바카라� 1 dried Thai chile, seeded
인터넷바카라� 1 bunch fresh dill sprigs
인터넷바카라� 10 crowns of dill, plus more for garnish
인터넷바카라� 1 cup mayonnaise
인터넷바카라� 3 tablespoons creme fraiche
인터넷바카라� 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
인터넷바카라� 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
인터넷바카라� Lemon wedges, for serving
Directions
인터넷바카라� Rinse crayfish under cold water. Discard any that don't move. Bring water, stout, salt, sugar, and chile to a boil in a large pot. Add dill sprigs and crowns and crayfish. Cover pot, and return to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes.
인터넷바카라� Fill the sink halfway with cold water. Place pot in sink, and uncover. Dampen a large piece of crumpled parchment with cold water, and place it on surface of broth. After 20 minutes, replace water in sink with cold water and ice. Repeat every 30 minutes until crayfish and broth cool, about 2 hours.
인터넷바카라� Mix mayonnaise, creme fraiche, lemon zest and juice in a small bowl. Season with salt.
인터넷바카라� Drain crayfish, arrange on a large platter, and garnish with crowns of dill. Serve with lemon wedges and mayonnaise mixture. To eat crayfish, pinch the head and twist the tail to separate. Carefully remove meat from tail by pinching from the bottom and breaking through the rings on the shell. (The head carries flavorful juices. Either suck the head, or discard.)
Read more at Marthastewart.com