Summer is the time for crayfish parties in Finland (and Sweden). There are many ways to enjoy crayfish during the season which begins on 21 July. You can either attend a special crayfish festival at some of popular island restaurants, buy frozen crayfish at a supermarket or visit a friend's summer cottage, fill a few traps with fish, go on a lake to place your traps and hope there will be some crayfish when you come back to pick them up in the morning. Then you go through the whole process of counting your catch, letting little ones go, cleaning the rest, boiling, marinating and finally, eating!
I chose the last option and spent a weekend with our Finnish friends at their summer cottage. There was not too much to count though as we only caught 12. Luckily, there was a basket filled with nettle and crayfish waiting for unlucky beginner, left by our friend's father. Thanks to him we could have experienced this lovely tradition.
