Sima (mead)
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Sima is a Finnish fermented low-alcohol drink and soft drink. It is traditionally a form of mead, an alcoholic beverage produced by fermenting a solution of honey and water, although in modern times the honey is generally replaced with different kinds of sugar, mostly syrup, which makes it a sugar wine.[1] The drink also has a very low alcohol content due to limited fermentation. Sima is therefore a sweet sparkling beverage that is mainly seasonal and connected with the Finnish Vappu festival. It is usually spiced by adding both the flesh and rind of a lemon.
Sima is usually accompanied by a munkki (donut), a tippaleipä (a special Vappu funnel cake), or a rosetti (rosette).
The Finnish word sima is an old name for honey, which Elias Lönnrot used to mean a drink in his epic poetry, the Kalevala.[2][3][4]
Mead was originally brought to Finland in the 1500s from Lübeck and Riga.[1] The modern concept of a low-alcohol sima originated in the 1700s, as it was developed to be a more refreshing summer beverage. This version of sima is found in the cookbooks of Cajsa Warg.[1] During the 1900s, the drink became associated with the Finnish labour movement and the Finnish Walpurgis Night festivities.
