Life as I know it will never be the same. There are moments in one’s life when the very fabric of your being is ripped apart, leaving you a shell of what you once were. Ok, this may not be one of those times, but I have recently learned an iconic tradition in our family is not what we have thought it to be.
Growing up in a Scandinavian household, there are Christmas traditions unique to our culture. Many of the ones we retain revolve around the food we prepare during the holiday season. One such treat is what we call rullepolsa. It is a rolled lamb and pork dish we serve as a lunchmeat.
Thanks to the internet, we have learned what we have been calling rullepolsa is actually a similar Danish dish using beef and pork. The Norwegians have their own version which is called ribberull, using lamb instead of beef. Thanks for destroying a Soberg family tradition in a few keystrokes and clicks of the mouse. I’ll let YOU tell my 88 year-old mother that she has been deceiving us by miscalling it rullepolsa all these years.
In our family, Christmas Eve is our major celebration. We eat our meal of traditional Scandinavian foods, and open our presents. Afterwards, my Mom puts out our SECOND round of food, which we call second supper. This consists of all the Christmas cookies she has been baking for weeks, her famous Cardamom Bread, pickled pigs feet, flatbread, and of course, the ribberull.
No one is hungry, as we are still digesting the dinner we just ate a couple hours earlier. That doesn’t matter, it is tradition. I bypass the cookies, leaving the little room I have in my stomach reserved for the ribberull. This consists of the initial ribberull sandwich I make and at least one pig’s foot. Then it’s another piece of ribberull on a piece of Mom’s flatbread. Ok, maybe two. I immediately pay for this with a bloated stomach, but heck, it’s tradition!
Speaking of tradition, I have been calling it ribberull in this article. Regardless of whatever Wikipedia says, it is and will forever be rullepolsa to me. Shhh…..don’t tell Mom.