P ~ Pålägg = sandwich topping

I bet by now you're getting pretty hungry, and you're wondering about a snack. Well you've come to the right lesson, because today we're talking food. We're talking about pålägg and the one Swedish word you might have heard before, but most likely have pronounced incorrectly: smörgåsbord, you're bonus word for today.

Pronounciation:

pole + egg = pålägg, which means sandwich topping

This is also our first encounter with bonus vowel å which is pronounced like the o in pole.

sm + err + goes + bored = smörgåsbord

This is also our first encounter with the last of the three Swedish bonus vowels, ö, which is pronounced like the e in errr, as in I'm making a speech and drawing a blank and all I can do is ummh...and errr...

With all these bonus vowels and a bonus word, it's a good thing I'm feeding you today.

You know how when you're growing up, and you watch what's happening around you, and you get to know how things are done and feel like yes, I think I'm beginning to understand what this world is like and how I should behave, and what to expect. THEN you move across the ocean to a completely new place, and your grandmother (who did not want to be called Mormor, though technically, she was) makes you a sandwich with a lid. What's this extra piece of bread for? Did you forget to put pålägg on it?

In Sweden, sandwiches are open faced. No lid. One piece of bread. Lots of toppings to choose from. The best way I can think of to describe a smörgåsbord is it's like a salad bar, only you make small sandwiches and have a few side-dishes, too. These can be anything from a simple meal at home with a few choices, to to a vast array of choices and virtually limitless combinations.

Some pålägg you might not have considered are:

kaviar

cheese and cucumber

sweet roll with ham and mustard

crisp rye bread with goose liver paté, and cucumber

lox with a fresh dill sprig

However, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, and since I strive to come in between 300-400 words, here are some shots I found on google. 

 I bet you'd be able to find something to eat from one of these spreads.  The one with the candles looks like what we serve at Christmas time.  Enjoy your meal!  See you for klass tomorrow!