Sima (mead) facts for kids
Sima is a special sparkling drink from Finland. It's a type of soft drink that has a very low amount of alcohol. Sima is like a sweet, bubbly soda. It's usually enjoyed during the spring, especially for the big Finnish celebration called Vappu.
Sima is traditionally a kind of mead. Mead is an old drink made by fermenting honey and water. But today, Sima is usually made with different kinds of sugar, like syrup, instead of honey. This makes it a sweet, sparkling drink. People often add lemon to Sima to give it a fresh, zesty taste.
When you drink Sima, it's common to have it with tasty treats. These include a munkki (which is a type of donut), a tippaleipä (a special funnel cake for Vappu), or a rosetti (a pretty, crispy cookie).
The word sima is an old Finnish word for honey. A famous Finnish writer, Elias Lönnrot, used this word in his epic poem, the Kalevala, to mean a drink.
A Look at Sima's History
Mead first came to Finland in the 1500s from cities like Lübeck and Riga. The Sima we know today, which has low alcohol, started to become popular in the 1700s. People wanted a refreshing drink for summer. You can even find recipes for this type of Sima in old cookbooks, like those by Cajsa Warg.
In the 1900s, Sima became a big part of the Finnish labour movement celebrations. It also became strongly linked to the fun Walpurgis Night parties in Finland.
How Sima is Made
Making Sima is a fun process! The main things you need are lemon, active dry yeast, and raisins. You also need sugar, which can be brown sugar, white sugar, honey, or a mix of these. Some recipes even add hops.
Here's how it generally works:
- First, water, lemon (both the fruit and its peel), and sugars are mixed together.
- This mixture is boiled and then cooled down until it's at room temperature.
- Next, the yeast is added. The mixture is then left to sit overnight.
- After that, the Sima is carefully poured into bottles. A few raisins are put into each bottle.
The Role of Raisins
The raisins in the bottles are very important! They help control how much sugar is left in the drink. They also act like a little signal. As the Sima finishes fermenting, the raisins soak up the carbon dioxide gas. This makes them swell up and float to the top of the bottle. When the raisins float, it means your Sima is ready to drink!
Sima is usually ready in about three to seven days. How fast it's ready depends on the temperature. It's best served cold. Because it has very little alcohol, Sima is a drink that's safe for children to enjoy. The bubbles in Sima come from the yeast working its magic.
Traditional Sima is often a bit cloudy. It's not usually filtered or made perfectly clear. Because of this, homemade Sima is best enjoyed fresh. It doesn't store for a very long time. If you keep it too long, the fermentation can continue, and the alcohol content might go up a bit.
Sometimes, you might find a cheaper "sima" in stores that isn't made the traditional way. This kind is often just a mix of apple wine, grape juice, and flavorings with carbonated water. It doesn't taste the same as real, fermented Sima.
