On Thursday, 25,000 preschool children were served in the municipality of Gothenburg Sami -inspired food to pay attention to the Sami National Day. The meat, which was deer meat from New Zealand, was purchased because reindeer meat was far too expensive.
This is something that the Gothenburg Sami does not stand behind and they do not want meat from the other side of the earth to be associated with Sápmi.
– I can understand that there is a disappointment around it. At the same time, we do our best and the most important thing here is that we pay attention to our minority days. And then we will have a dialogue with the Sami association for the next year how we want to do next year, says Mattias Asséhn, Head of Operations Preschool Administration, Gothenburg Municipality.
“The municipality’s actions are laughable”
The industry organization Slow Food Sápmi was formed in 2009 and includes the entire Sápmi. They work for sustainable resource consumption and the focus is to develop and utilize Sami food, and the Sami’s right to produce their own food.
The organization’s chairman Per-Eric Kuoljok thinks that Gothenburg municipality’s actions are laughable.
– Calling meat that doesn’t even come from Sápmi too Sami is not right. If you really want Sami food, it should be done according to Sami tradition and preferably also by Sami, says Per-Eric Kuoljok, chairman of Slow Food Sápmi.
Suovas is a presidiac product
The concept of Suovas was Sweden’s first presidency product issued by slow food with the intention of protecting endangered products for the future.
A presidia product should maintain exquisite taste and quality and are produced small -scale according to traditional methods.
– If you want to offer Sami food, there are other alternatives but it is not up to me to decide. But you can’t call meat from Australia Sami, says Per-Eric Kuoljok.