Labour Day Drink - Sima

First of may is the celebration of spring. People go out into parks and have a picknick with sparkling wine, sima, and some Finnish style donuts or similar. People were their white hats which they received at graduating from high school.

Sima is the meat of the Finn. Nowadays it is made with sugar, yeast, lemon and raisins. In the 15th century it was made with honey and yeast. It was then typically brewed by clerics, as they had bees for producing wax for the candles. Later the recipe changed and it became a 1. May specialty. 1. May is called Vappu in Finnish. But it is not unusual that some people also serve it for Easter.

On the first of May people celebrate the end of the winter and the start of the summer. In the large cities people go out into the parks to have a picknick with sparkling wine, sima and dropping bread. It does not matter what weather is, Fins will go out and party, sleet and temperatures below 10 do not stop them.

Vappu party in front of restaurant Kappeli on the Esplanadi (Helsinki), about 1970

Souce: Museovirasto, Bonin, Volker von

It is the biggest student celebration of the year. Fins are wearing their “white hats”. Those white hats Fins get, when they finish their Lyceum (i.e. after 12 yeas of school). Every larger city has their own tradition on activities for that day e.g. student groups crown a statue with a white hat or clean a statue of a famous person. Students will wear their overalls in the colours of their university department. Kids get a fancy foil ballons and many kids and adults dress up like in carnival. Unions may have some marshes and political speeches, but nowadays that is not that widely done (which can of course change, if the people are unsatisfied with the actions against the labourers). Sima and fat-fried pastry is a fundamental part of that fun. The Sima has to be prepared a couple of day in advance of the celebration.

The first of May (the Labour Day) in Helsinki in 1948.

Source: Museovirasto, Saarinen, UA,  1948

More information at: https://hotellijaravintolamuseo.fi/vappu-ja-sitruuna-ovat-historiallinen-pari/

Ingredients:

5 l Water

300 g White sugar (the ratio between white and brown sugar influences the taste & colour)

300 g Brown sugar

2-3 Organic lemons

About a pea size ball of fresh yeast

1 Tbsp Raisins

50 g White sugar

Instructions:

Wash the lemon and peel the off the yellow skin of the lemon (try to avoid the white part, which make the drink bitter). Peel then off the white part of the lemon and throw it away.

Cut the peeled lemon into slices. Add lemon slices, yellow peel and sugar into a bowl and add a liter of boiling water. Stir till the sugar dissolves and let it stand for at least 30 minutes.

Put the sugar mix into a large kettle (at least 6 liter) and add the remaining 4 liter of cold water. The mix should now be roughly lukewarm (about 37 degrees), add the yeast.

Leave the sima at room temperature under a lid for one day. It will start to ferment.

Clean some bottles and add 1 tsp of sugar and some raisins in each bottle.

Strain the sima (or at least fish out the lemon with a clean fork) and pour the liquid into the bottles with a funnel.

Do NOT put on the cap firmly. The cap should sit loosely.

Place the bottles in a cool place. Observe when the fermentation stops, then the caps can be screwed on. When the raisins raise to the surface (takes about a week in cold temperatures and three days in a warm room), then the Sima is ready.  Sima is slightly alcoholic and tastes best cooled. After closing the cap, it can be stored about a week in a cool place (aka outside).