Sima (mead)

Sima is therefore a sweet sparkling beverage that is mainly seasonal and connected with the Finnish Vappu festival.

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.

Sima's usual ingredients include lemon, active dry yeast, and raisins.

Because of this, traditional sima is a fresh product that does not store for long; fermentation may continue in a bottle and the alcoholicity may rise.

Sima is often served with tippaleipä or other Vappu pastries.
Two varieties of sima : original (left) and rhubarb (right)