Little frogs and Midsommer's Day/Night

[L number Banana]

Hi,
Just out of curiosity what does everyone do to celebrate this event? Or do you at all?

In parts of Canada we have a maypole dances, in less and less places these days Now it's mainly bonfires and various beverages.

Happy Midsommer!

[MatsP]

In the UK, it's not celebrated in general. There are a few people that meet up at Stonehenge and other similar places to celebrate it.

In Sweden, it is traditionally celebrated, including singing about little frogs!

--
Mats

[Chrysichthys]

There's a song by Jethro Tull about it, named 'Ring out, Solstice Bells.' It's on the album 'Songs from the Wood.'

[torbanite]

I don't know of any midsummer's day celebrations, but there are some strange traditions hereabouts come August..
e.g. South Queensferry's slightly disturbing Burry Man

http://www.ferryfair.co.uk/2008_burry_man.htm

[L number Banana]

Torbanite wrote:

I don't know of any midsummer's day celebrations, but there are some strange traditions hereabouts come August..
e.g. South Queensferry's slightly disturbing Burry Man

http://www.ferryfair.co.uk/2008_burry_man.htm

Wow, drunk and covered in burrs. I counted 28 stops for a shot of whiskey! That would make me convert from any pagan ideas I may have had. Makes you kind of wonder who the very first Burryman was and how exactly did he wander into a burr field...Humans are odd creatures, eh?

MatsP wrote:

In Sweden, it is traditionally celebrated, including singing about little frogs!

I know of the Little Frog Song, heard it last night on Radio Sweden, just don't understand a word of it Only Swedish I know is famous hockey player names. Shame really, it's a very musical language

[Mike_Noren]

I know of the Little Frog Song, heard it last night on Radio Sweden, just don't understand a word of it

Not much to understand, it's a nonsensical song about how frogs have neither ears nor tail. The midsummer celebrations are the last garbled remains of the pre-christian fertility rite "midsommarblot" (midsummer sacrifice), although by now, of course, it's just an excuse to sing, dance, drink, and eat pickled herring.

[L number Banana]

Mike_Noren wrote:

The midsummer celebrations are the last garbled remains of the pre-christian fertility rite "midsommarblot" (midsummer sacrifice),

Same meaning here and I suppose that's why so many BB's are born in March Wish my oto's would catch on. I'll show them a calendar.

although by now, of course, it's just an excuse to sing, dance, drink, and eat pickled herring.

eew.
Sounds fun except for that last part.

[MatsP]

If there is any herring to say "Eew" about, it should be the fermented variety. Pickled fish is very nice in comparison. Self-pickled herring, as in has fermented but not rotted is a different matter. It was "invented" as a method for preservation in the time when salt was an expensive material, and keeping the fish from summer onwards was hard to do due to no freezing facilities. So a small amount of salt (enough to prevent some of the bacteria to form, but not enough to prevent fermentation), and put it away in a barrel for a few weeks. Ready to eat (usually as an excuse to drink a lot of alcohol - generally the stronger and spiced varieties, such as aquavit), and added with it is raw onions (to cover the taste, I think). As you can probably tell, I do not eat this myself...

But pickled herring is quite common throughout northern European cultures, including England/Scotland (Roll mop herring) and the Netherlands (Matjessill).

--
Mats

[sidguppy]

matjessil doesn't ring a bell (maybe a local dialect), but usually we call it 'rolmops"
it's for sale everywhere in jars.

personally i find it repulsive. brrrrr
fish and vinegar shouldn't be close to each other, actually anything remotely vinegary I avoid like a vampire avoiding a binge of holy water drink fest.

salty, yes, sour, no tnx.
being a non calvinist pagan fish fryer/BBQ adept must have something to do with it.
calvinists and vinegar go hand in hand over here. I swear they drink that stuff pure every morning to get their mouth and disposition on track.
i'll stick to English tea with milk

I like my fish fried, BBQed or raw as in suchi, not raw as in Dutch fermented rotted herring (nieuwe haring or 'Hollandse Nieuwe").
the only use I can think of for such herring is to go out and cut the biggest tree in the forrest shouting "Ni!" all the time.
otherwise, pickled fish... iieew

about midsummer eve; usually I have this party with a bunch of friends who are meddling with occult stuff and it's a great excuse to drink large quantities of mead.

it's also a great excuse to chase after the girls.

[L number Banana]

Heard about that fish 'treat', it kind of hisses when you open it

about midsummer eve; usually I have this party with a bunch of friends who are meddling with occult stuff and it's a great excuse to drink large quantities of mead.

it's also a great excuse to chase after the girls.

Ha-ha! I KNEW there had to be some humans that you find likable or at least chase-able

[racoll]

I will stand up for pickled fish. Rollmop herring is good...

[Mike_Noren]

Oh, the pickled herring is one of my favorite dishes, it's very light and fresh, an unusual trait in traditional scandinavian cooking.

Mead... I'm amazed a beverage that tasty has basically disappeared. It's only occasionally available here, on the other hand it's then the excellent stuff from Gotlands brewery.

Fermented herring smells awful, to the point that eating it in an apartment complex is considered unacceptable, but the taste is just salty. Not one of my favorites, but still infinitely better than Icelandic hakarl.

[Richard B]

Not one of my favorites, but still infinitely better than Icelandic hakarl.

I drew the line at this when i was in Iceland in Novemeber! They have soooooo much other great food - Icelandic lamb, blue ling, loads of other great seafood....i'd definately recommend everyone with the slightest urge to go does as it is an utterly amazing country

[Chrysichthys]

pickled fish... iieew

I agree with Sid on this, I recently tried some for the first time. The only thing I've ever eaten that's more sickly-sweet is Branston Pickle. I'm still not British enough to like that.

[L number Banana]

I think the most evil fish-dish is Baccala - Northern Italian salt cod. Very expensive 'treat'.
It comes hard like a baseball, gets soaked overnight, cooked for about 2 hours and is so strong, the kids could smell it walking home from school.
First week of dating my hubby, "No problem, you can eat it at my house...It can't be that bad"

End of date, "Don't ever bring that to my house again, but you're welcome back."
It's never crossed the doorstep again. Hubby has to eat it at his Mom's.

I just googled for the spelling and it all comes from Norway now!

[MatsP]

It does sound like Lutfisk - dried and cured in lye (yes, Sodium Hydroxide). I quite like it, but I've never bought it dried. And we only eat it in Sweden as a traditional christmas dish.

--
Mats

[torbanite]

Kippers! (smoked herring)
Taste great But you have to burn all your possessions and redecorate the house to get rid of the stink after cooking them

[Chrysichthys]

The safest way to cook smoked cod or haddock is to barbeque it outside. Just thinking about it makes me hungry. Of course the neighbours downwind might complain.

[L number Banana]

If you want the best salmon in the world, visit the Haida First Nation people on British Columbia's coast. Melts in your mouth, I'm not kidding, it's like how good chocolate just dissolves.
Might be able to order it from the Maple Leaf pub in London. Heavenly! Some nice Ontario Ice Wine after and voila, that's eatin'

[Chrysichthys]

I once went to a salmon roast on Vancouver Island, so I know what you mean.

[Richard B]

Some nice Ontario Ice Wine

Now you're talkin'!!!

Expensive stuff though, from that i saw when i was in Toronto. Dare i even mention German Eiswein or trockenbeerenauslese? Or a french Barsac? or if you prefer red, Olivares Dulce Monastrell - yummy!

Actually the salmon is making me rather ravenous now

[Chrysichthys]

Expensive stuff though, from that i saw when i was in Toronto.

Most of it is actually exported to Japan; it's much in demand there and that drives up the price.

[L number Banana]

Richard B:
Olivares Dulce Monastrell

Hmm, haven't tried that, it's time I should I suppose, not getting any younger.

Chrysichthys is correct about our Ice Wine. Japan is the place to go to actually find some...We need more growers/vintners...anyone moving to Canada soon?
Vin Expo in Paris had to shut down the Canadian exhibit because the crowd was blocking the other stalls!
THAT'S the real secret to why Canada is cool. We've a mosaic of people from everywhere so little bites of centuries old traditions came along too. My formal Thank You to all the winemakers that brought your art from the old country

Here's a good chuckle if you like wine news:
http://www.tidingsmag.com/news/latest/l ... treal.html