Autumn is many a Swede's favourite season, with its colourful leaves, fruits of the forest and clear skies.
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Photo: Håkan Sandbring/Position Skåne©sydpol.com |
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And there are eel parties in the province of Skåne, similar in spirit to crayfish parties, except that eels are the main delicacy, and served in every conceivable form - smoked, grilled and stuffed.
Autumn is a time to visit the woods or the parks and experience the changing of the seasons. Sweden has relatively marked seasons and autumn is a blaze of yellows, oranges and reds. Almost a national pastime, people head for the country to pick mushrooms and berries. With its northern latitude, abundant forests and clean air, Sweden is a mushroom and berry-picker's paradise.
Chanterelles are favoured by many mushroom connoisseurs, and for those with a sweet tooth, wonderful jams and pies can be made from lingonberries and cloudberries. Autumn is the traditional hunting season, and game such as Elk and deer abound in the Swedish forests
The last major autumn tradition of the Swedish year is the eating of the goose on November 10, St Martin's Day, in the southernmost province of Skåne. Geese are at their fattest then, and the main meal is accompanied by a heavily spiced "black soup" made from goose blood. The main course is followed by delicious apple pie or a meringue tower called a "spettkaka".