I asked everyone what their favorite part of each dish was and how they liked to eat it. Janne, the host, loved to suck the brine out of the belly of the crayfish before eating the inside; his favorite part was the tomalley, an organ that functions as the liver and pancreas in a crustacean. The tomalley is considered a delicacy in many parts of the world. I tried tomalley from both the crab and the crayfish; it was very soft and fishy-tasting, and I was relieved to hear that other guests didn't like it, and that Janne was more than happy to eat everyone's tomalley!
I really didn't think I was going to enjoy the oysters. When they tried to describe the taste to me, they said the Swedish word for it was snor. A quick translation check confirmed that "snor" in Swedish is "snot" in English! I tried one with some red onions soaked in vinegar, Tabasco sauce, and lemon, and I really enjoyed it! I think a lot of it had to do with the atmosphere; when else am I going to get to attend a kräftskiva in Sweden?
I don't know that I'll ever eat tomalley or oysters back home in Indiana, but I'm so thankful I got out of my comfort zone here and tried everything.
The shrimp and smaller crayfish were marinated in a brine Janne made himself, using lots of fresh dill and local beer. The rest of the seafood was simply steamed and served cold. Most of the seafood plates were crowned with dill flowers, another traditional element of a kräftskiva.
