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- Waffle Day – Våffeldagen
Waffle Day – Våffeldagen
This tradition is pretty self-explanatory. It involves waffles; wonderful jam, or 'sylt' in Swedish, and some whipped cream.
Waffles are eaten all the year round in Sweden but they are particularly popular on 25 March when we celebrate Waffle Day ('Våffeldagen'). Swedish waffles are flatter than the more well-known Belgian waffle and are normally made in a special waffle maker which makes the waffles heart-shaped.
Try our Swedish waffle recipe to make your waffles extra crispy and delicious! Serve with jam and some lightly whipped cream.
Recipe for waffles
- 1.25 cups cold water (you can use sparkling water instead to make the waffles extra crispy)
- 1.5 cups flour
- 0.8 cups of whipped cream
- 75 grams of butter for the waffle iron
- Whipping cream (to serve)
- Jam (to serve)
Method:
- Mix water, flour and salt until smooth. Whip cream until stiff and fold together with batter. Bake with butter in a waffle iron at full power and put them on a grid to cool.
- If you don’t have a waffle iron or sandwich press, cook them as you would pancakes. Beat the cream and place on waffles with raspberry, strawberry or cloudberry jam.
- A trick for making the waffles extra crispy is to use carbonated water (non-flavoured of course). The waffles are easy to make vegan by switching out the dairy-products to vegan alternatives.
Making waffles at The Edible Country in Nyköping
The Edible Country is a do-it-yourself gourmet restaurant where the visitors forage and cook their own food in Swedish nature.
Photo: Tomas Kihlman
Making waffles at The Edible Country in Nyköping
Photo: Tomas Kihlman
Waffles
Photo: Moa Karlberg/imagebank.sweden.se
When is Waffle Day ('våffeldagen')?
Våffeldagen is always on 25 March.
Where do you celebrate 'våffeldagen'?
In cafés, restaurants and at home.
How to do it like a local:
There is no trick. You just eat it. With a coffee. There is nothing done in Sweden without coffee. And especially not waffles.
How do you say 'våffla' and 'våffeldag'?
This is how you pronounce våffla [ˈvɔ́ fla] and this is how to pronounce våffeldag [ˈvɔ́ fɛlˈdɑː́ g].
Why do Swedes celebrate 'våffeldagen'?
You may wonder "what is the origin of Waffle Day"? According to the Christian gospels, 25 March is the day when the archangel Gabriel came down to earth and told Mary that she would bring birth to God's son in 9 months time. From the beginning, what was celebrated was Our Lady Day ('Vårfrudagen'), but in Swedish it kind of sounds like vorfleday, or 'våffeldagen'. Over time this tradition has become more about the waffels than about virgin birth.
