Thanks, thank you, tack

They are a very polite bunch, the Swedes. Not to mention grateful. Within the framework of a social life in Sweden, we must always remember to tender our thanks, and not just the once.

For example, let's take the dinner party at home. A casual dinner party can be a relaxed affair, but for the formal kind where a particular event is being celebrated, there are copious amounts of thank you's.

Starting with a chosen male guest who is assigned the honorary seat on the left of the hostess, he is expected to make the first speech of thanks. He must choose his time carefully, before the meal comes to a complete end, but not to disturb the flow of conversation. But before the guests completely empty their glasses of wine. His thanks tend to be along the lines of praising the hostess for her invitation, her menu, her table setting. He than usually toasts the hosts.

This, for the most part, is considered a mandatory speech if there are more than 8 people sat around the table. It doesn't have to be as pompous as it sounds. Most are jovial, good natured but sincere.

Afterwards, when guests are leaving the table, they usually find the host and thank them individually for the meal. Within one week of the party, guests really should write a note of thanks to the hosts, or at least call with a thank you.

And last but by no means least, next time you see or bump into the hosts while out and about, you must be sure to thank them one last time for the latest dinner party. "Tack for senast": thanks for the last time.

This is the one I'm still practising, and usually forget. And the one thing that will make me stand apart from the crowd in Sweden.

Why you should be aware of Surströmming

Why? It smells. From the minute you crack open the tin, there is no mistaking the potent odour of Surströmming. If you're a first timer, then quite likely have you never smelled anything so foul in your entire life. And to think you eat this.

Surströmming is fermented Baltic herring. The custom of eating this culinary feast occurs in August in the very northern parts of Sweden. It dates back to the time centuries ago, when only a little salt was used to preserve the herring, as salt was expensive back then. This starts the process of fermenting the fish.

The fermenting continues inside tins today, and the result is such that one year on, the smell of the fermented herring is unbelievably pungent. And not in a nice way either. If you can eventually bring yourself to taste such a foul smelling food, then it actually doesn't taste that bad.

Surströmming is produced on various islands in the Gulf of Bothnic to this day. Once a food of the poor used for survivial throughout harsh winter months, now considered a delicacy. Such are our times.

So if your new Swedish best friend challanges you to try some Surströmming, you may want to think twice. Or at the very least start with pegging your nose. Thankfully the addition of yellow potates and thin, unleavened barley bread, known as tunnbröd, helps wash everything down. That and the schnapps of course.

Crayfish in August - a Swedish Ritual

Nowhere else in the world is the crayfish so fervently worshipped than in Sweden.

In each of Sweden's three largest cities, Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö, you will find the biggest crayfish parties in the world taking place in August.

The custom, that is only about 100 years old, is born from the celebration of the returning crayfish to the Swedish table. The catching of crayfish was once prohibited during about 10 months of the year.

At one time the lakes in central Sweden were crammed full of crayfish. But over-fished as a result of high demand for this delicacy from restaurants in Paris, London and Berlin, the abundance of crayfish was suddenly threatened. To make matters was, at the beginning of the 1900's a parasite wiped out many rare species of crayfish.

Today not only local crayfish are on the menu, but Sweden is now the world's biggest importer of crayfish from Turkey, Spain and the USA.

And rightfully so.

The Swedes are not only skilled at handling the crayfish itself to ensure the best meat is totally consumed, their consumption level is impressively enormous.

The crayfish party itself is a true delight. Forced to eat using your fingers, the result is a casual, relaxed outdoor party, with plenty of fat and juicy crayfish (the stars of the show), music, singing and snapps. The latest party I attended was a real treat. The hosts divided us into teams, and each team wrote and performed a short song to a popular "schnapps" tune. Each team member wrote a line of the song, but as we weren't allowed to read what the other had written, the whole performance became comical. Coupled with the fact each of us in team represented a different country, and we wrote our own line in our native language, the song was hilariously absurd. However, it was mandatory, the schnapps was delicious, and we weren't that far off key, so who's complaining?

The shops offer just about every piece of table and party wear you can imagine for this special event - everything decorated with images of the crayfish. From napkins and plates, to crayfish knives, glasses and decanters. And last but by no means least, a full moon paper lantern is hung above the party table - in the absense of an authentic full moon, that is.

Yes, let the party last...