Let's be realistic, Swedish gastronomy has come to us through Ikea, thanks to them we tried the meatballs, salmon, marinades, various cookies and jams, but Sweden has more products to surprise us with and now I'm going to talk to you about some of its most typical dishes.
In general, the cuisine of Sweden is quite similar to Danish and Norwegian, with many dishes based on fish, potatoes, cabbages and turnips. However the best-known dish in Swedish cuisine are Meatballs, these are beef meatballs coated in brown sauce or lingonberry jam, This is very common since it is very well preserved and also has a lot of vitamin C intake.
I'll start by telling you a few things about the most traditional drinks and dishes.
Traditional Swedish drinks
Swedes drink a lot of coffee, a lotIt is one of the things that will surprise you the most in the country. And another drink that they drink a lot is beer, perhaps the best-known brand of beer there is Eriksberg, but there is a lot of variety, especially artisanal.
At Christmas the julmust, a non-alcoholic beverage that is consumed in large quantities, So much so that about 45 million liters of July are sold in December, to give you an idea in Sweden there are 9 million inhabitants. As appropriate, the original recipe is in a safe place and only one person in the world knows the exact composition of the complete recipe, we go like Coca-Cola.
Y if we talk about alcoholic beverages, the Aquavit , 40% alcohol, is the traditional drink of the holidays. Served Another traditional Swedish alcoholic drink is the Punch, that is drunk either very hot or very cold.
Hot meals
As you can imagine with the cold it is in Sweden, there are many hot dishes and soups. One of the most famous soups is pea soup (artsoppa), whose main ingredient is this vegetable that is mashed until it is pureed. According to Swedish tradition, it should be eaten every Thursday along with pancakes accompanied by jam and heavy cream.
Another traditional soup is laxsoppa, made with salmon fillets, boiled potatoes and leeks, served hot flavored with dill. The discussion is on whether or not it should take milk as one of its ingredients. The truth is, I am not able to take sides.
In the South of Sweden there is a very typical dish, la svartsoppa or black soup. Its main ingredient is goose or pig blood. It is traditionally served at dinner on November 10, the eve of the San Martín festival.
Gravad lax and other dishes with salmon and fish
The gravad lax It is one of the most internationally famous dishes of Swedish cuisine. It is eaten as an aperitif or as a first course, but not as a main, it consists of thin slices of salmon cured in salt, sugar and dill. A touch of mustard (this is of French origin) is added to the toast or bun where it is served.
Another dish made with fish, almost always cod, is traditional el stockfish made from dry white fish and caustic soda. It is usually served with a garnish such as bacon, peas, potatoes, meatballs, meat sauce, beet puree, white sauce, syrup, goat cheese, or old cheese ... which I would say “with everything”. In the popular movie Frozen, a vendor offers Elsa a plate of lutfisk.
If you are lucky enough to be in Sweden in August do not miss la kraftskiva, or festival of the crayfish. An authentic display of dishes about this animal that will surprise you. If you cannot go to Sweden, you can stop by Herrera de Pisuerga Palencia where the National Crayfish Exaltation Festival is celebrated, in which there is always a Swedish dinner, in which the Swedish tradition of dining in the street is adopted. the light of lanterns and candles in the purest kräftskiva style.
The meatballs or Köttbullar
Meatballs or Swedish meatballs are the best-selling Swedish gastronomy. And as in all cultures, what happens to us here with croquettes, there is the concept of "mom's meatballs" where many recipes are passed down from generation to generation keeping the family secret.
I will give you the basic recipe, that is, made with minced beef mixed with milk-soaked breadcrumbs and onions cut into small pieces. Everything is seasoned with white pepper and salt, and topped with meat sauce. You can find it not only in restaurants, but also in street stalls that serve them in boxes. The typical garnish is boiled or mashed potatoes and sweet cranberry sauce.
Swedish sweets and desserts
And to finish our copious meal, leave a hole for Swedish sweets, some of which are eaten on specific holidays, but others you will find at any time of the year.
For example, one of those that you will only taste in December are the lussebullar that are eaten on the feast of Saint Lucia and on the eve of Christmas. The special thing about this sweet is that it has saffron.
El semla It is a cardamom bun filled with cream and almond paste, sprinkled with icing sugar, associated with Lent and Shrove Tuesday.
On November 6, the anniversary of the death of King Gustav II, in the city of Gothenburg (which was founded by this king) the Gustavo Adolfo cake is usually eaten. The cake consists of two rectangular pieces of thin baked dough, which is filled with currant jelly, with a cream top adorned with a chocolate figure with the silhouette of the king.
These are some of the sweets that have a designated date, but there are more, but something you can always find is the princess cake or princess cake, a traditional Swedish cake consisting of alternating layers of sponge cake, thick pastry cream and jam, topped with a thick layer of green marzipan. The original recipe is from the 1930s. El cinnamon roll or cinnamon roll is the most common sweet to accompany the coffee. In some cases it has raisins.
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