Sima (mead)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (March 2008) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Sima (cognate with zymurgy^{[citation needed]}) is a sweet mead, still an essential seasonal brew connected with the Finnish Vappu festival. It is usually spiced by adding both the flesh and rind of a lemon. During secondary fermentation raisins are added to control the amount of sugars and to act as an indicator of readiness for consumption — they will rise to the top of the bottle when the drink is ready. Sima is usually accompanied by munkki (a donut), tippaleipä (a special Vappu funnel cake) or rosetti (a rosette).

Ingredients for sima include Lemon, sugar, dry yeast, and raisins. The concoction of water and the dry ingredients are mixed, boiled , and cooled to room temperature (25'C or 75'F). The yeast is added afterwards, and then left to stand overnight. The sima will be ready to drink when the raisins rise to the top of the bottles, about 3-7 days depending on the temperature of the room where they are stored. It is usually served chilled.