Swedish Recipes – A Bus On A Dusty Road

It has been interesting to surf the Internet and see many people comment on how bland or terrible Swedish food is. I find this very interesting, and I feel like many of these people have never been to Sweden and maybe only eaten Swedish food at IKEA. Swedes have always embraced foods from other cultures and places. Like most parts of the world, the Swedes used local ingredients to spice up and flavor their food. Swedish food is a northern European food, so if you know how and what to eat, it is rich and full of unique flavors. My favorite Swedish dishes are Swedish Meatballs, Potatoes, Gravy With lingonberries, Janssonsfrestele, Pannkakor, And Pyttipanna. Swedish Food Today Food in Sweden today is not the same as it once was. Even though Sweden has your typical Northern European food today, there are a lot of foods. With a large immigrant population, you can now find all kinds of restaurants in Sweden. Not only are these restaurants thriving, but they are popular among many Swedes. I have had delicious Thai curries, middle eastern food, and other foods in Sweden; my Swedish friends also love all kinds of food from all over the world. It shows that Sweden today is a very multicultural place for all kinds of cuisines. You can find all kinds of foods not just in the major cities, but also in some smaller cities. Traditionally Swedes have always been very open to foreign influences in their foods. During the 17th and 18th centuries, they started to eat many French foods; that is why today, you will find a love of everything from sushi to curry. About Swedish Cuisine As in most parts of the world, the Swedes traditionally used the foods they could grow and had readily available. Sweden is a long, relatively skinny county. There is some food difference between the north and southern parts of Sweden due to the weather. So even within Sweden, you will find a lot of differences in what people eat and what they prefer to eat. For example, when I was in High School in Sweden, I lived in Sundsvall. A fish that many people liked there was called Surstromming. You could always tell if the neighbors were eating ças; the fish could almost smell up an entire neighborhood block. That is because Surstromming is essentially a fermented Herring fish. But if you ask my mother, from Stockholm, to eat it, she will not touch Surstromming and prefers another kind of herring fish. Even within Sweden, the tastes and what people will eat change from location to location. Another example of this is reindeer meat which is popular in Northern Sweden. I have never had reindeer meat as it is not something my family would ever eat. As Sweden has a lot of dairy products, you will find a lot of cheese, dairy, and cream in Swedish food. Bread, butter, and cheese are served at most meals. Another staple in Swedish food is potatoes. This is because it was one vegetable that would last through most winters. My Favorite Swedish Foods - Reasons They Are Not Bland Swedish cuisine could often be described as unbearably bland; however, if you look closely enough, you will find a delicious variety of traditional Swedish dishes that prove to be anything but dull! From hearty soups and stews to meatballs and pancakes – there is something for everyone’s taste buds. Here are my absolute favorite Swedish foods and why they are far from boring or flavorless. Meatballs, Potatoes, Gravy, and Lingonberries Koettbullar in a pan with a Swedish flag The correct way to eat Swedish meatballs is with potatoes (either roasted, boiled, or mashed), Swedish cream gravy, and lingonberries. Anyone who has eaten at any IKEA worldwide knows this is one of IKEA’s main meals always served in their stores. I love the fact that the Swedish meatballs are always served with lingonberries. A lingonberry jam or sauce is an essential ingredient in many Swedish dishes and is similar to a US cranberry sauce. Lingonberry is used together with meat dishes and also in desserts. To properly eat the meatballs, you should eat them together with the lingonberries and the gravy sauce. It makes for a fantastic taste between sweetness and creamy gravy, meat, and potatoes. Janssonsfrestele -Or Janssons Temptation Homemade Jansson's Temptation Every Christmas, we make a potato casserole of grated potatoes, onions, anchovies, and cream. Many of my sisters do not like this – but I have always enjoyed it because I love anchovies. I love how the anchovies can give a slightly salted taste together with the potatoes and the cream. I do not consider this bland, but I find the potatoes full of flavor and delicious. This is a potato dish you will enjoy if you are a fan of anchovies. Pannkakor Or Swedish Pancakes Pannkakor Or Swedish Pancakes The Swedish pancake is similar to a French crêpe but is not served the same. I like the American pancake, which is very thick and almost fluffy, but the Swedish pancake is my favorite. It is the opposite of the American pancake, as the Swedish pancake is very thin. The Swedes will usually roll the pancake up and eat it with some lingonberry or fruit and, of course, cream. Besides lingonberry, other popular fruit would be strawberries, blackberries, or blueberries. The Swedes love to put cream on many things, and one of those is pancakes. Some Swedes may sprinkle powdered sugar or add butter. But in my experience, most Swedes do not want their pancakes to be too sweet as we like in America. Most of my American nieces and nephews like to pour American maple syrup on top of the pancake. A real Swede would never put that sweet maple syrup on their pancake; they would see it as way too sweet and unhealthy. Pyttipanna - Swedish Potato Hash Pyttipanna - Swedish Potato Hash Pyttipanna translates to “small pieces in the pan,” which is why pyttipanna is; another of my favorite Swedish foods. Pyttipanna is best described as a potato hash with fried meat (usually leftover roast beef), onion, and boiled potatoes that are all fried together. We will eat it with a fried egg on top. Pyttipanna is one of my favorite Swedish meals. We eat it with lingonberry jam and often red beets on the side. Ärtsoppa - Swedish Pea Soup Ärtsoppa - Swedish Pea Soup Pea soup or ärtsoppa is another Swedish favorite. I love all kinds of pea soup, and Swedish pea soup is no exception. This soup is traditionally served on Thursday in Sweden and is often eaten together with Swedish pancakes for dessert. Ärtsoppa or pea soup is a comforting and gratifying soup. This soup is so hearty because it is made from dried yellow peas and uses a meaty ham bone, so there are bits of ham in the soup. Like most Swedish food, if you want to add flavor, you can always add it. If you feel the soup is a bit too bland, put a spoonful of Swedish mustard on top to add flavoring. We love to eat this with Swedish multigrain knäckebröd, Swedish rye, or multigrain bread and cheese. Swedish food is not bland, especially if you know what food to eat, and it can be exciting and tasty. Try to eat like the Swedes do with the lingonberry on your meatballs, fruit on your pancakes, make the fantastic Swedish Pyttipanna potato hash, or try a yellow pea soup. At A Bus On A Dusty Road, we talk about everything about travel, life, and ex-pat living. We are all about “Living Life As A Global Citizen.” We explore social, cultural, and economic issues and website publishing. We would love to have you be part of our community. Sign up for our newsletter to keep up-to-date by clicking here. If you have any questions, you can welcome to contact me, Anita, by clicking here. Listen to our Podcast called Dusty Roads. You can find it on all major podcast platforms. Try out listening to one of our podcasts by clicking here. Subscribe to our A Bus On A Dusty Road YouTube Channel filled with great videos and information by clicking here. Related Questions Lapland Or Sapmi - In Norway, Sweden, Finland, And Russia The Sami are indigenous people who live in northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia, known as Lapland or Sapmi. Most Sami people live in Norway and Sweden, some in Northern Finland and a few in Russia. To learn more, you can read our blog on Lapland Or Sapmi - In Norway, Sweden, Finland, And Russia by clicking here. What Is It Like To Live In Sweden Without Knowing Any Swedish? In Sweden, most of the population can’t speak fluent English. But even if they can not speak English, the Swedish government has many courses they offer to immigrants and professionals who will live and work in Sweden. They offer these courses because they believe that learning Swedish will help you integrate into Swedish society. To learn more, you can read our blog on What Is It Like To Live In Sweden Without Knowing Any Swedish? by clicking here.