SWEA Minnesota

08/23/2026

August 23 is Köttbullens Dag (Meatball Day.)

What could be more Swedish than Swedish meatballs? They are probably our most famous food.

Nobody knows where the first meatballs were made, but it has been documented that meatballs were served at king Richard II's court (around year 1000) in England. From that same period, recipes for seasoned meatballs have also been found in cookbooks from Baghdad.

In Sweden, the meatball first appeared in print in Kajsa Warg’s cookbook from 1754. Before that, the meatball was basically a "frikadell", like a boiled dumpling. But in the mid-19th century, when meat grinders and wood-burning stoves became common in Swedish homes, ordinary people started eating fried meatballs.

In Sweden, meatballs are a staple in everyday home cooking, but are also served in many holiday meals. Traditionally, Swedish meatballs are served with gravy, boiled or mashed potatoes, lingonberries, and pickled cucumber.

Mmm, doesn't this make you hungry for some meatballs.....?!

08/13/2026

It’s August, which means it’s crayfish season in Sweden, one of Sweden’s most cherished food traditions. Crayfish are called “kräftor” in Swedish and the party where you eat them is called “kräftskiva”.

Swedes have been eating crayfish since the 16th century. First only the royals enjoyed the crustaceans since regular people were suspicious of animal, but in the 1800s crayfish became popular with the middleclass. It became so popular that it became regulated by the Swedish government in the 1920s because they were afraid that crayfish would run out. Crayfish fishing was, therefore, banned between November and August 7. Although that ban no longer exists, the crayfish party season begins the first Wednesday of August.

So, what do you need for a good crayfish party? Well, of course the main dish, crayfish, which is boiled with salt, dill, and beer and then chilled. Side dishes of cheese quiche, salad, bread and hard cheese are also served. Don’t forget the aquavit and the accompanying snaps songs (cheerful drinking songs, the sillier, the better!)

The crayfish is preferably eaten outdoors with colored paper lanterns (often in the shape of a smiling full moon) hung round the table. Put a funny little paper hat, a bib around your neck and the party can begin! Eat the crayfish from the shell with your fingers. It’s perfectly acceptable to make sucking noises!

SWEA Minnesota holds a Kräftskiva every year. Next one on September 12.

08/05/2026

Du är röstberättigad i de allmänna valen i Sverige om du:
* är svensk medborgare
* är minst 18 år gammal på eller före valdagen den 13 september
* har varit folkbokförd i Sverige

Du måste visa upp en giltig id-handling, till exempel ditt svenska pass eller ett lokalt amerikanskt id-kort/körkort.

Om du inte personligen kan rösta på ASI, kan du brevrösta från USA. Brevröstningen startade den 30 juli 2026. Material beställer du via Valmyndigheten.

07/23/2026

07/09/2026

SWEA Minnesota hopes you are enjoying your summer; wherever you are!

06/25/2026

Internationella skattefrågor utifrån ett svenskt perspektiv med fokus på USA är temat för denna Livefika med tre experter från Grant Thornton. Den är exklusiv för medlemmar och partner. Inarbetad pension utomlands som ska betalas ut i Sverige – vad finns det för fallgropar och möjlighete...

06/19/2026

Midsommar is arguably the most Swedish of Sweden’s holidays and is widely celebrated with friends and family gathering to celebrate the abundance of light. At summer solstice the nights are scarcely dark at all and in the north, the sun never sets.

Swedes start the day by picking flowers and leaves to make head wreaths and to decorate the maypole. Then, traditional ring-dances ensue. The most famous dance is the “The Little Frogs” dance, when you jump around like a frog and wave your hands around your head and bottom to show that frogs don't have ears nor tail while making quacking noises. It all makes perfect sense to us Swedes!

Food is an important part of Swedish Midsummer celebrations – particularly pickled herring, new potatoes, and strawberries; all washed down with aquavit and more songs.

Legend has it that the night before Midsummer’s Day is a magical time and a good night to perform rituals to look into the future. So, on their way home from the Midsummer celebrations, girls and young women pick seven different species of flowers and lay them under their pillows. Then, at night, they will dream of their future partners.

Credits: Anna Hållams/imagebank.sweden.se
Carolina Romare/imagebank.sweden.se
Clive Tompsett/imagebank.sweden.se