A "must share" blog

I dont know if I have made a mention of this particular trait of the Swedes that I most certainly admire in any of my previous blogs. It is not about them being reserved or extremely nice and plain. Not of their love for black clothing or being most patient or tolerant. No, its not about the way they wait for buses. Its about something which is in parts related to table manners.

Let me throw in a scenario- you are at a dinner party and for dessert the Swedish host brings in a Kladdkaka. A very sticky chocolate cake with a texture gradient within its radius. The name literally translates to "messy cake". This is my most favourite of all swedish desserts, not that I ve tried many of them, but this deserves the mantle. It is always savoured with fresh whipped cream by many. Now that you have a fair idea of how good this dish may be (for those who havent gotten a chance to try), you have to believe me when I say that its never enough. Not for someone like me with very high metabolism who had  a whole cake for breakfast recently. Here comes the interesting part. In this scenario, there were just enough slices of that cake for all the guests (all Swedish, except for yourself) and one extra. That extra slice is lying there on the tray. You are waiting to see if anyone asks to have it. You are drooling, craving for it like a true chocoholic. You race towards the tray but other fellow chocoholics that you know of amongst the other guests dont seem to rush anywhere near it.

The reason is this- Swedes are taught to not take the last piece of anything on the table, no matter how much you like it. Its just a thing that you do, or dont do. I come from a culture where you gobble up most in your dessert bowl and race towards the remainder. This was fascinating. I asked some friends why they did that. Some of the answers were-

"Someone else may want it more"
"Swedes are more spiritually attainted than the rest"
"We just dont/cant do that!"
" You know we Swedes cant do that"
" Its a Swedish thing"

I asked a close friend of mine (a Swede) why he cant be a Maverick and break it. To which he said, " I ve figured out a way to beat that thing. If I really want that last piece, I halve it and leave with a piece". Smart, ingenious and genius! Very Swedish again! I dont blame it for when it comes down to Kladdkaka. Had it been the wild west, I d even get into a brawl over it.

Alright now, for those who hadnt figured it yet, sharing is caring. But, if you choose to unleash the devil in you for that last slice amongst a party of Swedes, you are forgiven. Moreover, its your duty to lap it up to avoid it from going waste. Be green, avoid food wastage!