Countries like Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark are known for their simple, vitamin-rich and flavourful cuisine. Most of the ingredients of what they eat are fresh, natural or straight from the sea. No Scandinavian smörgåsbord would be complete without these popular dishes. Don’t forget to wash these items down with a cool beer or a hot cup of Glögg.
Gravet Laks/ Gravlax
A popular and tasty Nordic dish- Gravlax consists of raw salmon cured with salt, dill and sugar. It’s usually served as an appetizer. Traditionally, this is eaten with rye bread, boiled potatoes and mustard. In the Middle Ages, fishermen used to salt the salmon and ferment it by burying it in the sand above high-tide. The word gräva means “to dig” or “to cure” in modern times, giving the word Gravlax it’s name.
Köttbullar/ Swedish Meatballs
We’re huge fans of ground of minced meat rolled into a small ball of meaty goodness. In Sweden, meatballs are served by themselves as a snack, with mashed potatoes with lingonberry jam, or with creamy gravy. Köttbullar are made with pork and veal and are smaller than the American size. If you want a quick way to try these Swedish delights, head over to your nearest IKEA or find a great recipe online.
Ärtsoppa/Pea Soup
Scandinavians still love food traditions that date as far back as the Viking era and Middle Ages- for example, pea soup. Ärtsoppa, a split pea soup with smoked ham or salted pork belly, is a popular Swedish staple. Comforting, hearty and simply delicious- this may be why it was meant for eating before religious fasting in the old days.
Smorrebrod/Open Sandwich
Chowing down on delicious local #smorrebrod with #herring and #salmon at the funkiest spot in the city A photo posted by Drink The Wild Air (@drinkthewildairblog) on
As soon as you step off the plane in Denmark, you won’t have any difficulty finding one of these because they’re everywhere you look. This open-faced sandwich on dark, dense rye can be stacked with seafood, fresh greens, tangy horseradish or mustard. When you dive right in, just make sure you follow etiquette and eat it with a knife and fork.
Surströmming/Pickled Herring
Otherwise known as glasmastarsill or “glassblower’s herring” plays a major role in Scandinavian cuisine- especially in Denmark. Pickling the herring in salt and vinegar brine dates back to the Vikings as a way to preserve fish from spoiling. Much like the Vikings, the herring is still prepared by being dried, salted, pickled, and smoked. Typically the base ingredients are salt, vinegar, sugar, onion, bay leaves and mustard.
Lingonberries
Laga lingonketchup från förra årets frysta lingon. Snart på en korv i vår truck! Making lingonberry ketchup out of my frosen lingonberries from last year. Soon on a Nordic street hot dog in our truck! lingon # #lingonberries #ketchup #nordicstreetfood #nordicfood #nordiskmat A photo posted by Nordic Street Food® (@nordicstreetfood) on
Swedish forests are bursting with these and so lingonberries are found in many Scandinavian dishes. Otherwise known as mountain cranberries or partridge berries, they’re used to produce jam for potato pancakes or as relish for a stew or pickled herring dish. Lingonberries keep well without any sugar or preservatives because of the benzoic acid, so you can keep them handy around the house for a while.
Raggmunk/Pancake
These Swedish potato pancakes are enjoyed by everyone and at all times of day. Typically, these are eaten with salted pork and sweet lingonberry jam. You can top your Raggmunk off with anything from sour cream (our personal fave), cottage cheese to applesauce. All-day breakfast lovers rejoice!
