The king whom ate himself to death on Shrove Tuesday
Do you know anyone who likes semlor so much they just cannot stop eating? We do!
The Swedish King Adolf Fredrik, who ruled between 1751 and 1771, had the rumor of being a real food lover. Especially he loved sweets, and one in particular – semlor.
On the very last day of his life, which he obviously did not know in advance, he prepared a real festive meal. Since his queen was hungover from a prom the night before, he sat down by himself at the table and started with a big course of oysters. Followed by sauerkraut, some meat, lobster, caviar, and fumade which he swallowed with some real nice champagne.
But he did not stop there. When he felt satisfied with the food, he basically threw himself over the dessert. Since it was Shrove Tuesday it is obvious that it consisted of semlor and only semlor, or “hetväggar” as they called it back then. He ate and he ate and he ate. After 14 semlor he let out a giant scream, and his staff immediately put him down to bed.
That night he took his last breath and died.
Although it seems like it was the semlor that killed him, it has not been proven. But, since he died from a stroke and heart attack it is likely that it was the big meal that actually caused it.
Do you love semlor as much as the king? Read our article on where to find London’s best semla 2022 – and prepare yourself for this year’s Shrove Tuesday! This year the day goes on the 1st of March, which is a Tuesday – obviously.
