How to Master the Art of Eating a Swedish Semla

Three easy ways to eat a semla

Whipped cream, almond paste and a wheat bread bun. A Swedish semla tastes as good as it’s hard to eat without making a mess. Here are three easy ways to eat a semla for three different occasions.

The average Swede eats five semlor a year and the history of the delicious little pastry stems back to the 16th century. One favourite topic among Swedes in mid-February every year is to discuss how to eat a semla properly. When you have your first, you might realise why. You are free to do just how you like and most of us eat it just like a hot dog. Here’s three other ways to choose from.

1. “At the café.” Take off the little “hat” on top of the semla and scoop away most of the cream with it. Save a thin layer on top of the almond paste. You can now safely eat your semla just like you eat a sandwich without getting whipped cream all over your face.
2. “At the café with your mother in law.” This is 100 percent safe and secure. You grab a knife and fork and use it as if the semla were a steak. The big bonus with this rather “boring” way is that you can slice through every layer (hat, cream, almond paste and bun) and get a little bit of everything on the fork.
3. “The traditional way.” This is called a “hetvägg”, literally “hot wall”, and means that you put down the semla on a soup plate and pour hot milk around it. The milk softens the bun and you can eat the semla with a spoon and a smile on your face.

How to Master the Art of Eating a Swedish Semla

Three easy ways to eat a semla

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