Swedish food recipes with pictures. National cuisine of Sweden. National Swedish cuisine

Swedish culinary traditions find a lively response in the broad Slavic soul. Nourishing, abundance and healthy peasant simplicity, the national cuisine of Sweden is somewhat reminiscent of Russian. The restaurant menus include cutlets, meatballs, potato salads and pork roll, and cabbage rolls have long been considered a court dish.

What dishes do they like in Sweden

Gourmet tours to Sweden have become fashionable as a tribute to the passion for ecological lifestyle and organic food that does not contain artificial flavors. Swedish chefs are very careful with spices and appreciate the natural flavors of the products.

However, traditional Swedish cuisine is notable for the fact that many European delicacies are included in the daily diet of the masses. The classic "sandwich table", which we call Swedish, includes not only all kinds of salads, slices, toasts and canapes: the Swedes are in high esteem for red fish, seafood, lobster, eels, crayfish, and one of the favorite national dishes in Sweden is salmon smoked on fresh juniper twigs.

Herring is used with mustard, lemon or white sauce, and also in the form of a steak (zilbutar mid korintzos). Sundays and holidays boiled sea pike (lyuftisk), potato casserole with sprats and spring fish - mackerel with mayonnaise and cream, seasoned with herbs are served.

Many of Sweden's everyday dishes have been known since the days of the Vikings. The morning begins with welling milk porridge, and for lunch, grutta is usually prepared - dishes of boiled meat and vegetables: beef with beans, lamb with stewed cabbage, peas with pork, corned beef with turnips and so on.

Probably, grutt recipes have come down to us from deep centuries only because the Swedish hinterland for a long time did not know either gas or electric stoves... Until the middle of the 19th century, all products were cooked in one pot above the hearth.

Game features prominently in rural Swedish cuisine - fried venison and elk, elk liver pate, chopped reindeer cutlets and moose meatball soup. Meat, fish and root vegetables are complemented by homemade dairy products - yogurt and soft goat cheese “Greve” and “Västerbotten”.

As in other Nordic countries, traditional Swedish cuisine is high in calories. Meat dishes are fried in lard or lard, and zrazy, cutlets, meatballs, sausages and sausages are usually served with a side dish of boiled potatoes, beets or turnips.

The village habit is widespread to flavor any dish with bread, which is baked differently in each region. In Norrland, bread with the addition of barley flour (tunnbred) is loved, and in the central flax, they prefer aromatic crispy bread (knekøbred).

Despite the high cost of alcohol, strong drinks in Sweden are invariably at the center of the festive feast. Christmas is not a joy without arak punch, and on gloomy winter evenings, glögg appears on the tables - mulled wine with cloves, cardamom, almonds and cinnamon, diluted with vodka. Swedish liqueurs Branvin and Aquavit on aromatic herbs are ideal as gifts for family and friends: the luxurious bouquet of aromas is verified to the last grain.

In Skåne, good wine is made from local grapes, and beer and whiskey are produced in the northern regions, rich in barley. The dark roasted Swedish Zoegas and the hazelnut Gevalia may not sound strong enough, but the locals love them: Sweden has the second largest coffee consumption per capita in Europe.

The passion of the harsh Swedes with all kinds of sweets and pastries sometimes shocks tourists. The bread has a distinct sweetish flavor, the meat is generously poured with jam, and the blood sausage is covered with sugar.

During a trip to Sweden, all diets are canceled: it is impossible to resist when waffles with jam, chocolate, rhubarb pie, gooseberry soufflé, gingerbread and buns with cream and cinnamon constantly flash before your eyes. As souvenirs from Sweden they bring chocolate candies handmade and natural marmalade.

Restaurant menu: what to choose?

Currently, the national cuisine of Sweden is slowly growing out of the peasant role and actively absorbs the achievements of culinary schools. different countries... Leading cities in other major cities have mastered Italian, Chinese and French cuisine, and numerous fast food chains are actively promoting an international fast food menu.

Look to home food restaurants (husmanskost) for an introduction. Here tourists are offered to taste Easterband spicy pork sausages, flaskrulader pork roll, leverpash liver pâté, Swedish cottbullar dumplings, blood sausage, potato pancakes, blood pudding and chicken baked in clay - delicious, just like in childhood with a grandmother!

If you are used to starting your meal with a hot, rich soup, a rich selection of first courses will not leave you indifferent. Along with the usual soups with noodles, peas and beans, the menu includes real delicacies - beer soup, crayfish neck soup, soup with liqueur or cognac. Mushroom sauce, dumplings and meatballs are often added to the broth.

The average bill for a dinner for two at a Swedish restaurant will be around SEK 580. Some of the delicacies can also be tasted for free during the numerous food festivals that have made Sweden an outpost of gourmet tourism.

In addition to the famous “Try Stockholm” culinary week in June, traditional gastronomic holidays of the country deserve no less attention. In February, Linkoping celebrates the Chocolate Festival, on Fat Tuesday, vanilla buns with cream are handed out on the streets of tourist cities, and on Waffle Day, March 25, the country enthusiastically relishes syult with jam and chocolate. In Malmö, gourmet freshly caught crayfish are enjoyed in August, the first catches of eels are welcomed in September, and cinnamon rolls turn up on October 4th.

Taking part in a food festival can be an exciting adventure, but be aware that some of Sweden's national dishes have more than a specific flavor. A tasting of fried herring, surstroemming (lightly salted herring fermenting in its own juice) or trout in a grove marinade promises extreme sensations on the verge of failure!

TOP 7 Swedish Foods to Try

• Puttipanna - stew of finely chopped potatoes mixed with slices of pork and beef fried in lard.
• Lindström steak is a small beef chop with finely chopped beets.
• Bleak caviar - a favorite delicacy of the coast of the Kalix River.
• Nasselsuppa Lead Yegg - cream soup with oysters.
• Egg pancakes - fried biscuit dough cakes, which are usually served with cabbage salad, fried pork or jam.
• Sylt - Swedish waffles with jam, hot chocolate and whipped cream.
• - whipped dessert egg whites with the addition of jam, chocolate and berries.

National cuisine Sweden is influenced by Scandinavian culinary traditions, in which proximity to the sea and harsh cold climate play a key role. Swedish dishes, as a rule, are without any special frills, easy to prepare, hearty and tasty. Since ancient times, Sweden has been using products that can be stored for a long time in winter period... Therefore, all kinds of marinades, pickles, smoking, canning, drying, pickling are widely used. In local cuisine, you will not find restaurant delights, exotic dishes, or complex combinations of ingredients. Rather, it is country and home cuisine.

Basis of Swedish cuisine , make up fish and seafood dishes. Herring comes first. The Swedes have salted herring, in mustard, with onions, with a "smell", in wine, grilled, baked, fried, smoked, with white sauce, with lemon, in a special marinade ... A special delicacy is "surstroemming" - fermented sour herring (though not everyone will like the smell of this dish). Also, try:

• "Grav" - salmon in a special marinade;
• "Lutfisk" - boiled sea pike;
• « zilbular honey corintzes»- herring steak with sauce;
• » fish in spring»- mackerel with mayonnaise sauce, cream and herbs;
• "Fish cakes";
• "Potato casserole with sprats".

Dishes from crabs, crayfish, squid, mussels and other inhabitants of coastal waters.

Meat dishes, in the national cuisine of Sweden, are prepared from game, pork, venison, poultry. Of interest are such dishes as:

• Easterband - pork sausages with a spicy taste;
• "Renstek" - chopped venison;
• "Flaskrulader" - pork roll;
• "Leverpashtey" - meat paste;
• "Unstekt alg" - fried elk meat;
• "Cottbullar" - large Swedish dumplings;
• "Game bits";
• “Chicken baked in clay”;
• "meat balls" ;
• « swedish meatballs»From ground beef;
• "Cutlets" made from beef, potatoes, beets and onions;
• "Fried pork with beans".

If you are used to starting your lunch with the first course, then in this case, the local cuisine will delight you with various hot soups:

• "Pea soup", with pork, onions and spices;
• Ёlebrod - beer soup;
• « nasselsuppa-lid-yegg»- oyster soup;
• “Tokmag” - noodle soup;
• "bean soup";
• Oatmeal soup;
• "Mushroom soup with chicken broth";
• "Original soup with cognac or liqueur".
  Dumplings are often added to many soups.

Among the side dishes, the first place is occupied by potatoes (boiled, baked, fried). Often, mushrooms are an addition to meat, especially delicious - fried with cream and onions. Although, often fried mushrooms are a separate dish. Also, on the buffet, you can see pasta and rice that came here from neighboring countries.

The national cuisine of Sweden, sweet lovers will delight. For dessert, the Swedes prefer:

• « rice pudding with almonds ",
• Gooseberry soufflé,
• "Apple cinnamon Swedish cake",
• "Pancakes with jam or jam",
• "Waffles with ice cream or various jams",
• "Chocolate cakes",
• "Pudding with saffron and whipped cream",
• "Blueberry pie",
• Rhubarb pie.

The Swedes' favorite drink is coffee. Sweden ranks second in the world, after Finland, in terms of coffee consumption per capita. In addition, mineral water, lemonade, lingonberry drink, fruit juices, and light beer are popular. Strong drinks include vodka, various liqueurs, whiskey, liqueurs based on local herbs and berries, punch and grog.
Welcome to hospitable Sweden and bon appetit to everyone!

National cuisine of Sweden

In the old days, when there was only one pot in the family, they prepared classic and typically Swedish dishes - salted pork with turnip puree, lamb with cabbage, and pea soup with pork (artsoppa). In this cauldron, I had to cook meat, vegetables, and root vegetables. Fried food could be enjoyed only in the high strata of society.

In the mid-19th century, a revolution took place in Swedish cuisine when the open hearth was replaced with an iron stove that was stoked with wood.
Then there were new home-cooked dishes - fried meatballs, fried salted herring, pork in onion sauce and cabbage rolls. Cabbage rolls were borrowed from Turkish cuisine about 300 years ago, during the reign of King Charles XII, who was in Turkey for several years, where he got acquainted with this dish, made from minced meat and wrapped in grape leaves.

Culinary borrowing is the world famous smörgosburd (sandwich table) - a buffet consisting of a variety of different dishes. Typically Swedish form of treat.

The national dish is also a festive dish - salmon marinated "grav" (gavlax). "Grave" in Swedish means "pit". The name of the dish is due to the fact that before the beginning of the summer season, so many salmon were caught in the rivers that it was not possible to preserve the entire catch. Salt was very expensive, so they dug a deep hole and put the fish in it, sprinkling it with salt in such an amount that the salmon did not deteriorate, but only soured and began to ferment. In this form, salmon could be stored for a long time.
In the 16th century, chefs serving on wealthy estates discovered that salmon was treated with salt, sugar and spices to prevent spoilage and even get rid of the taste of "raw" fish. This dish inherited the old peasant name "fish with a smell", but it no longer had a specific unpleasant smell.
Grave-marinated salmon is one of the few Swedish dishes that are now popular in other countries.

Swedish cuisine traditionally uses few fresh ingredients and is palpably heavy.

They like to cook in butter and eat a lot of sugar. Sugar is even included in pickled herring and plain bread recipes. In the 19th century, Sakha was expensive, so sweetened dishes had a high status. When the common people had the means to sweeten food, then sugar began to be used unreasonably much, and this habit took root for a long time.

The Swedish national dish is pea soup with pork. This soup is made from dried yellow peas. Pea soup is served only on Thursdays, in memory of the medieval past, when Friday was a fast day and the day before it had to be hearty.
After the Reformation, the direct religious connection between pea soup and Thursday was completely lost, but today Swedes still eat this soup on Thursdays with hot punch, which is also an old Swedish drink.

Arak sweet punch is Sweden's unique contribution to Western European liquor culture and is a reminder of the 18th century Swedish trade with China and Indonesia. Large quantities of arak were brought from the island of Java by ships, which became popular in Sweden.
At that time, the Swedes produced vodka as their own alcoholic drink. However, until the 70s of the 19th century, vodka had an unpleasant taste of fusel oil. Swedish punch was invented thanks to the inexpensive arak and the use of Anglo-Saxon experience in making rum punch.

But the most famous of the various Swedish drinks is vodka made from grain.

In ancient times, Sweden had three geographic areas, each with its own type of bread baking.
In the north, bread was baked with flat thin cakes made of barley flour and this bread was called "thin" because the climate of the area did not allow growing other types of grain, and the dough from barley flour could not be kneaded with yeast.
To the south, the classic Swedish "crunchy" bread, knackebrod, is popular. The rivers driving the millstones were covered with ice. The lack of wind prevented the use of windmills, so it was impossible to grind the grain. Therefore, thin crispy bread was prepared from flour in advance.
In the southernmost part of Sweden, which once belonged to Denmark, windmills were built already in the Middle Ages. There they could grind grain practically all year round and bake soft bread without worrying about preserving it for future use.

Nothing less than the need to preserve large stocks of perishable foodstuffs to last a whole year has largely determined the foundations of Swedish food culture, that is, the foundations of today's home cooking. This applied not only to the products of agriculture, animal husbandry, hunting and fishing, but also milk. Milk in northern Sweden was only available in summer, when the cows were driven to graze in the meadows. Then butter was knocked out of cream, and cheese was made from milk.
So that nothing was wasted in Northern Scandinavia, a special kind of cheese was cooked from whey - mesost. This cheese and his soft option under the name "messmer" is still produced.

In the 19th century, a new form of Swedish table communication was born, when guests were invited to "have a coffee" (kafferep).
Over time, coffee has significantly replaced homemade vodka, which was made until the middle of the last century.
Today, this tradition of inviting to coffee has survived primarily in rural areas, and also as a form of treat at birthday or name days.

According to statistics, Sweden is firmly in the second place in the world in terms of coffee consumption per capita. It is often drunk at breakfast, during work breaks in production, or at the end of lunch or dinner.

Sweden's national spirit is vodka, which is made from potatoes. It is very strong and is drunk chilled.
On ordinary days, Swedes avoid drinking alcoholic beverages, preferring milk, water, lingondricka, and light beer.

First meal:

• Engamat soup
• Finnish dairy cabbage soup
• Salmon soup (Laxsoppa)
• Beer soup in Swedish
• Tokmach (noodle soup)
• Pea soup with bacon and ham
• Rosehip soup

Main dishes:

• Wallenberg cutlets
• Meatballs with lingonberry sauce, pickled cucumber and brown sauce
• "The temptation of Janson"
• Swedish meatballs
• Swedish Christmas meatballs
• Swedish meatballs with Brunsås sauce
• Salmon in creamy sauce
• Guinea fowl escabeche
• Chicken with star anise and stewed onions
• Homemade meatballs
• Venison terrine with currant sauce
• Horseradish Potato Casserole
• Meatballs with creamy sauce (Kottbullar)
• Baked potatoes with cheese in the oven
• Blood sausage in the oven
• Potato Pork Dumplings (Kroppkakor)
• Meatballs with rice in tomato sauce
• Swedish salmon with mustard sauce
• Fried bacon with quince and apples
• Shink-loda (potato casserole)
• Stewed red cabbage with apples (Rodkal)
• Stewed meat in beer
• Salted herring (Inlagd sill)

Salads:

• Liver salad
• Swedish potato salad

Snacks:

• SOS: herring, cheese and snaps
• Smörgostorta
• Gravlax with potato salad
• Toast "Skagen" with shrimps
• Gravlax
• Swedish bread appetizer
• Cheese fondue patties
• Cheese fondue in pumpkin
• Meatloaf
• Baked potato hassel with dill
• Baltic herring in Swedish

Dough dishes and desserts:

• Swedish cinnamon buns
• Lussebullar
• Cake "Princess"
• Gingerbread cookie with icing
• Swedish Christmas cookies
• Cinnamon bun
• Swedish chocolate cake
• Wickets (Karelian pies) with filling
• Chocolate fondue with fruit kebabs
• Chokladsnitt (Chocolate Chip Cookies)
• Puff pastry almond cake
• Kanelbullar (Cinnamon rolls)
• Sokercaca (biscuit)
• Colasnitt (Butterscotch Cookies)
• Dremmar (Dream Cookie)
• Brusselkekes (Brussels biscuits)
• Finnska-pinnar (Finnish sticks)
• Shakrutor (Checkers Cookies)
• Skurna-syultkakor (Squares with jam)

National drinks:

• Laid with almonds, raisins and spices
• Rhubarb compote
• Rhubarb juice

Little is known about the history of modern Swedish cuisine.

And the reason for this is not only the rich past of this country, which is a series of endless wars and confrontations for territory and power. But also the harsh weather conditions, which significantly narrowed the range of ingredients used in cooking. And, as a result, they forced the inhabitants of Sweden to be content with little. However, despite all these obstacles, today this state can boast of an exquisite, hearty and distinctive cuisine based on nutritious and incredibly tasty dishes.

It is worth noting that Swedish culinary traditions were formed mainly under the influence of Denmark and Norway. However, later, France, Germany and Turkey played a huge role in their development, thanks to which the Swedes began to pay attention not only to the taste and nutritional properties of dishes, but also to their appearance.

Initially, Swedish cuisine was not very diverse. It was based only on products subject to long-term storage. First of all, these are pickles, marinades, dried and smoked meats. By the way, in the old days, turnips were widely used here. The beloved potato appeared on the territory of Sweden only in the 18th century and later successfully replaced it.

Besides it, meat and fish are very popular here. The Swedes have been preparing dishes from them for centuries, which is not surprising. After all, cattle breeding and fishing were the main types of fishing for them. And only over time agriculture was added to them. Herring is considered the favorite type of fish in Sweden. Not a single feast is complete without her. Moreover, the Swedes know a huge number of recipes for its preparation. It is salted, marinated in mustard or wine, fermented, stewed, baked in the oven or grilled, made from it sandwiches and all kinds of fish dishes. Of particular note is the Swedish herring delicacy, once one of the world's worst dishes.

Pork, venison and game are preferred in Sweden. In addition, dairy products are held in high esteem among the Swedes, in particular milk, cheese, butter, kefir, yogurt or yogurt. Cereals, mushrooms, as well as vegetables, fruits and berries are loved here. But they practically do not use spices, successfully replacing them with delicious sauces.

By the way, the concept of "buffet" really came from Sweden. The fact is that in the old days guests gathered for various events for a long time. Therefore, they were offered dishes for long-term storage, which were taken out into a cool room and left on a long table. Thus, each newcomer could take as much food as he needed on his own, without bothering either the hosts or other guests

True Swedish cuisine differs from the cuisines of other Scandinavian countries by the presence of a bright, sweetish flavor in the dishes. After all, the Swedes love to add sugar everywhere and everywhere and are sincerely proud of it. However, this is far from the only feature of Sweden. After all, only in this kingdom they prepare not just gourmet dishes of haute cuisine, but truly unique or even exotic ones. Like chicken baked in clay. It is worth noting that before cooking it is not plucked, but simply gutted, washed and coated with clay. And then they are baked on stones in order to subsequently enjoy the unique taste of the most delicate roast. In this case, all non-plucked feathers remain on the clay. This recipe has been known since the days of the Vikings.

Among the drinks, the Swedes, like many Europeans, choose coffee, and from fortified ones - vodka, whiskey, beer. In terms of coffee consumption, the Swedes are second only to the Finns - this is the second country in the world for coffee consumption.

Simply step outside your comfort zone and sample a different cuisine is the most exciting part of the journey! If you're still not happy with the idea of \u200b\u200btrying something new, remember that it will help you learn more about a different culture, expand your understanding of food, and perhaps even inspire you to culinary feats.

Despite the fact that the national cuisine of Sweden does not differ in a wide variety of dishes, the Swedes always zealously serve fresh and healthy food to the table. Many traditional dishes are seasonal or served only on holidays and are generally hearty, tasty and healthy. In general, simple and elegant aromas are guessed, and the kitchen itself is based on easily digestible dairy products, different types bread, fruit, meat and seafood.

Since the Swedes have always been open to new things, this has led to a huge variety of products on supermarket shelves. In particular, fast food from abroad, pizza and hot dogs have become an integral part of Swedish youth culture. If you are an international student in Sweden, experiment with all the dishes Swedish cuisine has to offer!

Swedish meatballs (Kottbullar)

Yes, those who know little about Sweden have probably heard about Swedish meatballs, especially since IKEA stores are now at every step in every corner of the world. Together with mashed potatoes, cranberry jam and gravy, you get a delicious and satisfying dish.

Swedish meatballs are easy to prepare and inexpensive, making them a favorite meal of students. Although Swedes eat meatballs all year round, it is especially pleasant to enjoy this dish on a cold winter day.

Swedish crayfish (Kraftor)

As the summer draws to a close in Sweden, it's the crayfish party season. As an international student, I was invited to one of these parties, and I got an unforgettable experience - not only because of the food, but because here you have the opportunity to sing, drink schnapps and enjoy warm summer evenings with friends.

Raki is a national dish. They were first tasted in Sweden in the 16th century. Although crayfish are on sale here all year round, few Swedes will give up this tradition.

Sandwich cake (Smorgastarta)

Yes, that's right ... Sandwich and cake at the same time. Firstly, the sandwich cake looks just like a regular cake, but upon closer examination, you realize that it is decorated with shrimp, smoked salmon, chopped meat, vegetables and other spicy things.

A thick layer of bread is put in the base, and instead of glaze, a mixture of cream cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream is used. It may sound strange, but this is a really great sandwich with your favorite ingredients. In Sweden, the sandwich is usually served at christenings, funerals and other family celebrations.

Pea soup with pancakes (artsoppa och pannkakor)

You know, you will feel like a true Swede when you associate this dish with a certain day of the week. According to Swedish tradition, pea soup and pancakes are eaten on Thursdays. They say that this tradition appeared before the revolution as a preparation for Friday fasting. Usually the soup is served with Swedish mustard, followed by pancakes with cream and jam.

This dish is popular both in restaurants and in everyday life, it is a simple, but integral part of Swedish life. Pea soup and pancakes are easy to prepare and a favorite food for adults and children all over Sweden.

Surstromming

I left the best or perhaps the worst for some) for last.

Pickled herring is a delicacy in northern Sweden that is definitely aimed at the hobbyist. Small Baltic herring is caught in spring, salted and fermented in barrels for one / two months before canning, where the fermentation process continues. Somewhere between 6 months and a year, gases are formed, so that the cylindrical jars take on an increasingly rounded shape.

The finished product is a sour salty fish with a pungent odor. In fact, the smell is so strong that surstroemming has rightfully earned the title of "the most vile-smelling food you can imagine." As a result, pickled herring has been banned in many homes in Sweden and is almost always eaten outdoors.

Herring is often served with thin slices of bread, potatoes, chopped onions, dill and sour cream. As with crayfish, herring is eaten in late summer at holiday parties. Of course, we do not hope that you will fall in love with this dish, but you will definitely have an experience and experience that you will not forget.

I would be interested to know what you think of Swedish cuisine. What is your favorite Swedish food? Perhaps you know the dishes to include on this list? Do not forget to share your impressions in the comments.