In this post, I share several snapshots of strawberries from a trip to Sweden over the Midsummer holiday. Midsummer, or Midsommar in Swedish, occurs on the June summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. While many European countries mark the solstice, Midsummer celebrations are most common in the Scandinavian countries of Northern Europe, where the extended – indeed almost constant – hours of daylight provide a welcome relief from the short and dark days of winter.
My husband and I enjoyed indulging in many slices of Midsummer cake, a staple of Midsummer celebrations. Strawberries are the star of the delectable and seemingly light dessert, set atop a simple foundation of vanilla cake and cream. The cake’s mild flavors complement the sweetness of the strawberries and allow them to shine. Indeed, the strawberry is emblematic of Midsummer itself. The fruit is rendered exceptionally sweet by the growing conditions unique to Scandinavian summers, including copious amounts of sunlight and cooler temperatures. Thus, strawberries are ubiquitous throughout Sweden’s markets in the fleeting summer months.
Admittedly, this post may have made more sense last month but then I wouldn’t have been able to submit it for The Life of B’s SimplyRed July square photo challenge! The photos were taken on a digital camera. I acknowledge the elephant in the room that the post is missing a photo of Midsummer cake. We just weren’t into taking photos of food as much back then!
The ripe and luscious fruits were sold in square containers labeled “Svenska jordgubbar” or “Swedish strawberries” in English. The blue and yellow stripe on the container reflects the colors of the Swedish flag. And for the square photo challenge, I like how the below image captures squares within a square!
We discovered the strawberries while wandering around the market at Stockholm’s Hötorget Square. The market sits in front of the bluish-hued neoclassical Stockholm Concert Hall, where the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony is held each year (with the exception of the Peace Prize ceremony, held in Norway).
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Finding Balance on the Edge: Figure Skating & Travel Journeys by Carolyn Tir 
oh wow so many strawberries – not sure I’ve ever seen so many at a market. They look delicious, and such fun your husband is in red too. Thank you for squaring again
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Thank you so much for hosting this fun and creative challenge! I, too hadn’t seen so many strawberries before, and such fresh and ripe ones at that. Sweden is definitely the place for them, even if just for a brief fleeting time.
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I never even knew they were such great strawberry growers. Love how much I learn during Squares
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Nice! Funny enough, my fiancée and I were in Sweden during Midsummer, too (albeit in a smaller city, not Stockholm). While absolutely gorgeous, it was also quite hot (high 70s) and almost nothing was open to truly enjoy the experience. All the same, Sweden is a gorgeous country, especially in warmer months, and I’m glad you got to be there during one of the nation’s most-important holidays!
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I’m sorry you had bad weather and things were closed! The weather wasn’t the greatest for us, either. It rained a lot. We got around the holiday closures by spending one day ferry hopping in the Stockholm Archipelago. The public transportation was still going. Thank you so much for stopping by!
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I forgive you about the cake, Carolyn. I’ve eaten my share this month. Such healthy looking strawberries! I’d love to ferry hop around the archipelago xx
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That’s hilarious! I thought about you right after I wrote that about the cake 🤣 The ferry hopping was great, although there weren’t a lot of people on some of the islands and we were worried we might get forgotten on the dock! I was missing the Swedish strawberries today… I had strawberries with yogurt for lunch and it just wasn’t the same.
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I love this, and very well-written! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
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Thank you so much for your kind comment 😊
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As I’ve never heard of Swedish Midsummer cake, I had to use my search engine to look it up. I wouldn’t mind a slice of two of it. I can’t think of a better combination than whipped cream and ripe summer berries. Your strawberry photos are beautiful – I love their vibrant red hue and heart shape. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 I hope your summer is going well 🙂 Aiva xx
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Thank you so much, Aiva 🙂I, too, hadn’t heard of the cake until I visited there, having only heard of the holiday. The mix of strawberries and cream was like ambrosia… such a simple yet flavorful combination. I’m a fan of those kinds of cakes, where less is more! Take care and have a great rest of the summer!
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🥰🥰🥰
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These strawberries look simply sweet and sensational! Yum! I’m now craving some fresh strawberries and a slice of Midsummer cake!
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They are indeed delicious and Midsummer cake is simply divine! I wish I could have a slice right now!
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Those strawberries look enticing. I like strawberries but here in my tropical country it is expensive as they’re mostly imported.
I am curious about the midsummer cake.
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They do indeed🍓I can imagine they must be super expensive in the tropics. There must be tons of delicious local fresh fruit there instead.
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Those strawberries look so fresh and scrumptious 😋 looks like a great market.
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Yes! We were so thrilled to have happened upon it 🍓
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Lovely post!
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Thanks, Tanja! Always great to see you.
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