Ärtsoppa med pannkakor

The story

Yellow pea soup has been eaten in Sweden and Finland since at least the 13th century, and for generations it has belonged to Thursday. The usual explanation goes back before the Reformation: a filling bowl of peas and pork on Thursday prepared households for the Friday fast. Another explanation points to domestic maids, who traditionally had half of Thursday off, so a pot that could simmer on its own made sense. Pancakes with jam, and on special occasions a glass of warm punsch, were added later. The Swedish Armed Forces still serve their conscripts pea soup and pancakes every Thursday, and many restaurants, schools and homes keep the same routine: yellow pea soup with pork and mustard, followed by thin pancakes with jam and cream. The writer August Strindberg called pea soup food for the gods, and King Eric XIV is said to have died in 1577 after eating pea soup laced with arsenic, although no one has proven that the poison was in the soup. Put the soup on in the early afternoon, set out a jar of coarse mustard, and fry the pancakes while the soup bowls are cleared.