week 13; What the hell is Midsommar?
and a recipe for a very delicious pie that will make you the star of any picnic
Hello guys and girls!
Welcome back to my weekly Substack, where I chat through all the good, bad, and very interesting (to say the least) things I’ve eaten this week.
This one’s a little special - I’ve been hanging out in the Swedish countryside for my third ever (!!) Midsommar!
If your only knowledge of Midsommar comes from that horror film - where everyone takes mushrooms and starts sacrificing each other - buckle up. We’re about to set the record straight.
And instead of listing my usual highs and lows, this is more of a blog-style write-up of the whole experience.
🌼 What is Midsommar?
Midsommar weekend is one of the biggest celebrations in Sweden. Literally meaning “mid-summer,” it marks the longest day of the year. The sun doesn’t fully set until around 10:30pm - and even then, it never really gets dark. It's easy to see why many Swedes take the entire month of July off to soak in the endless sunshine.
There’s special food, dancing, drinking, singing, games; everything you want in a holiday.
Traditionally, you spend Midsommar at your summer house (I know, right). It’s quite common, especially among middle-class families, to rent or own a cottage just for the summer. We were lucky to be invited to Seb’s sister Martina’s gorgeous rental in southern Sweden.
Also: Midsommar is usually spent with friends, not family. You celebrate it with your parents as a kid, but once you’re older, it’s all about finding the coolest group of friends to celebrate with. I’m honestly relieved I wasn’t a Swedish teen - the pressure of landing a “cool” Midsommar invite might have broken me.
Seb, of course, was a very cool 16-year-old and has no idea what I mean by social anxiety.
Luckily for me, I'm not a Swedish teen and we have even had some friends from Berlin join us too!.
🍽️ Midsommar Prep
I’ll admit, I didn’t help much with the prep this year. I arrived a bit later than usual, and since Seb was filming his Midsommar series, he and Martina had already planned the whole menu.
Luckily, the traditional Midsommar lunch is mostly cold dishes that can be prepped ahead of time - especially helpful when your cottage has no running water and minimal space.
Seb made one of the most crucial dishes of the weekend: pickled herring.
Pickled herring is a small, fatty Atlantic fish that’s cured in salt, then brined with vinegar, sugar, peppercorns, bay leaves, and onions. It’s kind of like a fattier, less salty anchovy. Seb made three versions this year: classic, mustard, and chimichurri. Last year I made a curried herring, which I still think was kind of amazing.
Once the food was packed, we loaded up the car and headed to the cabin.
🕺 Midsommar Day
There’s nothing like waking up in the middle of a forest with only the sound of birds and rustling trees. We started the day with a classic Swedish breakfast outside - Seb’s homemade sourdough, scrambled eggs, cheese, and yoghurt. Just enough to fill you up, but leave room for the main event: lunch.
We had had a bit of a cold start to the year meaning the 15°C lakes were a little too cold for my likeing, so we got dressed in our Midsommar best - light, summery clothes that feel kind of like dressing up for Christmas, but in reverse.
And then, the crowns.
Armed with our crowns, we headed to the local village for the maypole dancing. It’s a sweet little ceremony, with a giant pole in the centre of the square. Rumour has it the maypole is phallic (symbolising land fertility), but Seb says it’s decorative and based on a southern German tradition. Either way, we danced around it, completely confused but delighted, alongside lots of happy kids.
There were also village games! They call this femkamp, which translates to five challenges. Highlights included:
Spitting a gummy frog as far as possible
Cutting a string to exactly 27cm
Kicking a ball into a tent (I was somehow really good??)
Frisbee
Some towns have maypoles that are huge, with hundreds of people dancing. Ours was more intimate, but still charming.
🧡 The Feast
Back at the cabin, we poured the wine and started setting the table. On the menu:
Pickled herring (3 kinds)
Pickled herring cake ( like a savoury cheesecake with pickled fish, surprisingly good)
Gravlax (cured salmon with dill)
Västerbotten pie ( a really delicious cheese pie served with sour cream and fish roe)
Veggie pie
Swedish meatballs (obviously)
Gubbröra (roughly translates to "old man's mix") - kind of like an egg salad with fish
Boiled new potatoes
Smoked shrimp
Knäckebröd (crispbread - dry, but good with tons of butter)
We ate and sang traditional drinking songs - I didn’t know the words, but just vibed along. The schnapps (potato liquor) helped.
And then… a Midsommar miracle: we saw a moose.
Just chilling and having his own little celebration across the field.
Later, we napped in the sun, played another femcamp (throwing a boot through your legs is way harder than it sounds), and grazed on snacks instead of dinner. Honestly, no one’s ever hungry enough for a BBQ after that lunch. Big learning: just serve oysters and crisps instead.
We also had the most beautiful strawberry cake for dessert.
We danced, drank, laughed, and eventually collapsed into our tents.
🇸🇪 Other Swedish Things We Did
Fika
This is the Swedish tradition of an afternoon coffee and cake. We had Swedish princess cake (one of my all-time faves). If you have never had one, I urge you to try one. They are light and creamy, filled with fresh jam, custard and a thin layer of marzipan. Perhaps one of my favourite cakes ever, served with a hot filter coffee, it is spectacular.
Lake dip
The next day, it finally warmed up enough for a swim. Sweden has over 100,000 lakes - many are totally clean and swimmable. The UK could never.
Cinnamon + cardamom buns
We found a bakery near Martina’s place. But let’s be honest - every bakery in Sweden has these, and they are always good.
Wild strawberries
Sweden’s hidden gems! They’re tiny (pea-sized), super sweet, and taste like tutti-frutti Nerds. Traditionally, you thread them onto a straw while walking through the woods. Adorable.
That’s all for this week, folks. If you haven't already, please check out my vlog!! And Seb has recipes for most of the dishes on his page - do check them out!
Here’s the Västerbotten cheese pie recipe, which - if you ask me - is the star of Midsommar. If you can’t find Västerbotten cheese, a good sharp cheddar will do just fine.
🧀 Sebs Västerbotten Cheese Pie (aka the Midsommar treasure)
See the video here!
I have also made another version of this pie which you can check out here
Ingredients
90g whole wheat flour
90g all-purpose flour
125g cold salted butter, cubed
5 eggs, divided (1 for crust, 4 for filling)
400g Västerbotten cheese (or sharp cheddar)
300ml double cream
100ml milk
To serve
sour cream
chives, finely chopped
red onion, finely chopped
Method
1. Make the crust:
Mix both flours in a large bowl. Rub in the cold butter until you get pea-sized crumbs.
Add 1 egg and mix until the dough just comes together. Add a splash of cold water if needed.
Press into a 20–23cm pie dish. Chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Prick the base with a fork.
Line with parchment and add baking weights. Bake 15 mins until lightly golden.
2. Make the filling:
Grate the cheese. In a bowl, whisk remaining 4 eggs, cream, and milk.
Stir in cheese. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Bake the pie:
Reduce oven to 175°C (350°F).
Pour filling into crust.
Bake for ~50 mins, or until golden and just set.
Let cool 15 mins before slicing and serving with sour cream, chives and red onion
🌸 Happy Midsommar everyone!
See you next week - same time, same place.
This sounds incredible Seema thanks for sharing! I love hearing about the food people have in different countries for different traditions! It was really eye opening - and everything sounded so delicious.
I need a Swedish friend. Every year you guys make this look so damn wholesome and fun