Stingy Swedes? Viral tale spotlights Swedish cultural quirk

A traditional Swedish dish, Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes, peas, lingonberry jam and cream sauce. A viral tale of Swedish families not offering their childrens’ friends a spot at the dinner table has captured the world’s attention. — AFP

STOCKHOLM: A sign of an inhospitable people or a view into an alien mindset: A viral tale of Swedish families not offering their children’s friends a place at the dinner table has captured the world’s attention.

The #Swedengate debate originated on a discussion forum on social media site Reddit, where a question about people’s weirdest experiences of a different culture yielded the following reply: