Swedish News

Orkla Foods stocks up on sill in time for Midsummer. Floating town comes to Gothenburg. Potato lovers pay double. Planes take flight. From Youtube to Swedish TV. Long wait for homeowners.  

  • Pickled herring, an important ingredient on the tables in Swedish homes. The most popular kind in Göteborg is this one, "löksill", pickled herring with onion.
  • Orkla Foods stocks up on sill
    With Midsommer just around the corner, Orkla Foods, the company that sells the popular Abba herring, is stocking its warehouses with the beloved fish. To say Swedes love sill would be an understatement, especially when it comes to serving it during holidays. Easter sees 1,500 tons of sill sold but that number doubles for Midsommar.

  • We can find Orkla Foods' popular Abba herring products in the U.S. at specialty stores such as Al Johnson's Restaurant and Butik in Door County, WI.
  • Floating town comes to Gothenburg
    Holding over 4,000 passengers, one of the world's largest cruise ships docked for the first time in Gothenburg on June 2. Named the Norwegian Getaway, it is the largest ship to ever dock in Gothenburg harbor. Tourists who want to see the sites will step off the boat and explore the city of Gothenburg while their “floating town,” as Cecilia Carlsson, communications manager for the Port of Gothenburg, calls this enormous ship awaits. Forty-four cruise ships in total are expected to visit the port with approximately 60,000 tourists landing in Gothenburg alone.

  • Potatoes, here with eggs and herbs, are a must-have at Midsommar.
  • Potato lovers pay double
    With the unusually cold spring, a decrease in the supply of Sweden’s beloved fresh potatoes is now causing prices to double. A staple at every Midsommar gathering, the lack of supply of potatoes means prices won’t be dropping anytime soon.

  • At 325 meters long with 18 decks, the Norwegian Getaway is the largest cruise ship to enter Göteborgs Hamn. Photo: Norwegian Cruise Line
  • Planes take flight
    In a surprise display, five JAS 39 planes flew over Gothenburg on June 2. Flying in a V-shaped formation, it was both an aeronautical exercise but also a reminder of their constant presence, said John Lidman, communications manager at Skaraborg Aerospace. Part of a major flight operation in Norrland, the pilots took a detour from their trip home to show off their splendor to the people of Gothenburg.

  • JAS 39 planes flew over Gothenburg on June 2. Photo source youtube
  • From Youtube to SVT
    Swedish brothers who make popular Youtube videos in their Uppsala apartment have been signed with Swedish TV station, SVT, to create a series of original videos. Daniel and Emil Norberg are best known for their humorous takes on Swedish life and are excited to try bringing their sense of fun to a new format at SVT. Watch some videos on their YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/norbergnorberg

  • Long wait for homeowners
    With new rules for mortgages being applied as of June 2017, many Swedes are finding they must wait years before they’ve set aside enough savings to buy a home. Banks are now requiring a 15 percent down payment of the purchase price of a home, and many now only approve mortgages based upon an individual’s income and ability to repay the loan within 50 years. With the average rate of savings set aside by Swedes each month being SEK 2000 ($221), a 750-square-foot apartment in Stockholm would require 12 years to save for the down payment.