Stories from the north
Fössta tossdan i mass
Mark your calendars, fika enthusiasts! Every first Thursday in March, a delicious tradition unfolds in the southern Swedish province of Småland. It’s a day dedicated to celebrating the region’s vibrant dialects and, of course, indulging in the delectable marzipan cake known as ’prinsesstårta’ (princess cake). What started as a local tradition has now spread its sweetness throughout all of Sweden!
Marsipantårta – the princess of cakes
Sweden’s unofficial Småland Day throws a spotlight on the legendary princess cake, the undisputed ruler of Swedish sweets. This iconic treat features a light and airy sponge cake layered with tangy raspberry jam, velvety vanilla custard, and light-as-air whipped cream. The pièce de résistance? A smooth blanket of marzipan adorned with a delicate rose.
Tradition dictates that only a cake clad in vibrant green marzipan earns the title of ’prinsesstårta.’ While you can find pink, blue, or even rainbow-hued marzipan versions (because, let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a bit of whimsy?), these are simply ’marsipantårta.’ It’s that enchanting green hue that truly ascends this dessert to royalty!
Why we celebrate ’fössta tossdan i mass’
This light-hearted, modern-day tradition has been rollin’ since 2010, and its roots go all the way back to the unique accents of Småland, where the letter ’R’ gets its own special treatment. See, in many Småland dialects, that tricky ’R’ sound tends to vanish when it gets stuck next to another consonant.
The first Thursday in March, or ’fössta tossdan i mass’ as they say in Småland, throws a linguistic curveball for many locals. Packed with those tricky ’R’ sounds, it’s like saying a mouthful of marbles! Even ’marsipantårta’ (marzipan cake) becomes a tongue twister. But here’s the twist: they chose this date precisely because it’s so ridiculously ’R’-heavy, a quirky celebration of their unique speech. So ditch the R’s, double the S’s, and voila! ’Fössta tossdan i mass’ emerges, smooth and Småländsk on the tongue.
