World Class Swedish Cuisine Posted by Transparent Language on Aug 3, 2008 in Culture
Last week when I read about the Swedish agriculture minister Eskil Erlandsson‘s statement that he hopes to establish Sweden as haute cuisine leader of the world, I naturally assumed it was a joke. Or maybe that the venerable government official had one too many shots of Absolut. Because c’mon now, “Sweden” and “world-class” cuisine in the same sentence? I’m trying not to laugh too hard as I’m chewing on a bit of falukrov while eating in front of the computer. Yet it seems Mr. Erlandsson was totally serious.
Sweden may be famous for many things. Elks (yes, you can call them “moose” if you want), buxom blondes, gender equality, state-provided welfare, pop music, Saabs, Volvos (even though both are now technically American), Ikea and so on. But food? Nah, never heard of it. Unless we’re talking about the Swedish Chef here. Bork, bork, bork!
Actually, no, Sweden has a few celebrity chefs, but as soon as they attain a certain level of fame they run to New York, or to other places, where people appreciate truly good food. Marcus Samuelsson and his “Aquavit” restaurant immediately come to mind. I was just reading the “Aquavit” site, and I don’t know about you, but when a restaurant’s website in the very first sentence chooses to praise its interior décor and furniture, something seems amiss to me. I was going to peruse the menu as well, but when a famous restaurant still uses pdfs for its menus, which additionally open in a new pop-up window, I kind of lose interest. Maybe they are so focused on their celebrated interior décor, sorry, I meant food, they didn’t get the memo that most people these days use pop-up blockers.
But let’s get back to our misguided minister of agriculture. He reportedly likes simple home cooking, like meatballs, potatoes and pancakes accompanied by a glass of cold milk. Hey, sounds like a perfect example of world-class haute cuisine to me.
Really… When thinking about countries famous for their gastronomic achievements, places like France and Italy and Japan come to mind. Sweden? Nah! When thinking about Swedish gastronomic achievements, meatballs, pickled herring, fish eggs (called here “kaviar”, but trust me, it’s as close to real caviar as I am to Miss Universe) in a tube, falukorv, gravadlax and pytt i panna come to mind.
From left to right: oxpytt (potatoes in pieces with bits of meat and onion, a variety on pytt i panna), gravadlax (raw salmon cured in salt, sugar and dill), sill (pickled herring in a jar), falukorv (not exactly sure what it is, but it purports to be a big fat pink sausage), Kalles kaviar in a tube, and typical northern flatbread.
And oh yeah, don’t forget surströmming!
Surströmming can be considered many things. It can be an explosive, or a biological weapon, or an instrument of torture, but to think of it as food is a bit of a stretch. Because the season for surströmming is approaching, I will prepare a separate post about it soon – I even found a willing victim, err, I mean a taster, to demonstrate this delicacy for you.
Here I suppose would be a good time to declare that I do like most Swedish food. After all, I bought all of the stuff in the photo above. High-class cuisine it’s definitely not, but it’s simple, easy to make, convenient and very utilitarian.
And if there’s one Swedish dish that I’m a huge fan of, it would be souvas. Technically, “souvas” is a Sami word meaning “rökt” (smoked) in Swedish. And that’s exactly what it is – thinly sliced smoked reindeer meat, which can be later stir fried and eaten fajita-style wrapped in a typically northern sheet of flatbread. So you could say, it’s an Arctic kebab, or a polar fajita. Oh yeah, now I guess I need to tell you about the Sami. OK, I will. Wait for the next post.
Making souvas at the Gammlia Christmas market last year.
Here’s how I make my souvas:
A couple of slices of reindeer meat, cut up in strips
A handful of shredded cabbage (yes, I know it’s not traditional, but you need to get your nutrition from somewhere)
A handful of sliced mushrooms
Some shredded carrot if you like
A bit of sliced onion
Stir fry everything with a bit of oil, add salt and pepper to taste. Or be unorthodox and use soy sauce.
Add some parsley if you like the taste.
Slice a couple of tomatoes.
Prepare some sour cream or yogurt dressing.
Get a pita bread, or even a tortilla, if you don’t have Nordic flatbread handy and stuff if all up, roll it up and enjoy!
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Comments:
Sherry Shedenhelm:
I was in Sweden twice in 2007 in Falun visiting my cousin. So I think I know what falukorv is. I think it’s horse meat. The sausage started with the copper mine, in that they would lower horses down into the mine to work, and they would not come out till they died. Therefore, horse removal somehow became sausage. Actually, it tastes quite good even though I’m still squeamish over it.
Arsh Jami:
Hej Anna! First I would like to express my BIG THANKS to you for your Swedish cultural and linguistic blog which is educational and also puts a smile on our faces! You are doing a tremendous service to us `Swedophiles’ who do not live there.
I truly look forward to your new blog entries and have shared it with my frieds in the Community of Sweden.
Keep up the great work you are doing!
Tack sa mycket.
Arsh
Anna:
Hi Sherry!
Falukorv is not horse meat, never was. Actually, it used to be ox, but these days it’s processed pork and potato flour. It’s so processed that it doesn’t taste like anything really, just fatty salt, or salty fat. 😉 I had some for dinner last night. LOL!
Hi Arsh!
Thanks for your comment! I hope I will get to educate and entertain you and your friends for many moons to come! 🙂
Sherry Shedenhelm:
Oh my gosh, Anna, falukorv sounds even WORSE than horse meat! There must be yet another sausage that is the horse – probably if I contacted the Copper Mine they could tell me what it is.
I LOVE your blog – thank you so much for it. I also ordered it for my husband, and he is as devoted as me. Please keep it up!! We very much appreciate the information we get from you.
Sherry
Anna:
Hi Sherry!
I think you were thinking about the deceptively named “hamburgerkött”, which is in fact horse meat. Very tricky if you don’t know Swedish and buy it thinking it was beef! 😉 There are also other types of horse meat sausages, some are similar to salami, and some are more like a beer-snack sausage type.Very tasty! 🙂
David:
G/day Anna, from Sydney, I enjoy your blog greatly, Iam new to Swedish, and this blog is helping me no end, I look forward to reading it when I see it in my inbox, There is a Swedish course in Sydney run by a woman named Marianne her contact is fancelli@optusnet.com.au this may help some readers as Swedish is not part of any TAFE or night school in NSW,
Thanks for the great blog and all the extra info,
Kind Regards David
Beti:
Hi Anna!
How about björnkorv? Isn’t it also typical Swedish sausage? I tried that one in Sweden (however, sounded scary!) and really liked it. I even played tricks with my family back in Poland, not telling them what kind of sausage it was. But they liked it as well 🙂
Oh! And Polarbröd! I know they have different types of it but my favourite is the round one… well, I call it “the brainy bread” cause it kind of looks like that organ 😉
Still, the best thing about eg. Stockholm is that you can eat there whatever you wish. Whatever cuisine you like. However, it’s kind of difficult with the tzpical Swedish one (potatis, potatis, potatis!)
Margaret Aston:
Hi Anna, I am new to your Swedish Blog and love it. I married just over two years ago to a wonderful Swedish man named Gosta. Your blog has certainly helped me understand a few ‘mysteries’ surrounding your language. There are Swedish classes in Edinburgh run by Stuart can be googled SNEL Edinburgh. I love when I see Swedish Blog in my in box, and have been able to surprise Gosta with some new phrases. Thank you so much for all the help.
Greetings from Scotland
Margaret
David:
How did you miss blodpudding med lingonsylt as world class Swedish cuisine? Ummm great stuff!!
Anna:
Hi David,
Oh blood pudding! Oh yes! But you know what? It’s not unique to Swedish cuisine, and just between us – the Germans make it much better. Yum! 🙂
Hi Margaret,
thanks so much for your comment! I’m really glad you enjoy the blog. Let’s hope I can help you surprise your husband with even more new phrases in the future.
Hi Beti!
Your comment made me HUNGRY! LOL! Need to rummage in the fridge now and make me a brainy bread sandwich! 😉
Hi David from Sydney,
(you lucky you, living in SYDNEY!!!) Thank you for sharing the class info, I know there are other Aussies on here, and I’m sure they appreciate the tip.
Rebekah:
That picture only made me hungry…I’d in fact forgotten about Oxpytt and how much I liked it. Let alone the korv/sausage — I miss that one the most because it’s so handy. I now have two bottles of senapssill in the fridge. Someone went to Ikea in Montral.
I’ve been to Gammlia…but forget the name of the, rather posh, restaurant they had there… Källaren-something?
ceci:
a very nice way od teaching about food, with pictures!!! so ones can have an idea of…thanks, ceci ( arsh s friend on community of sweden!)
Natasha:
Hi Anna! Great article! I didn’t realize that Swedish people like so many things that Russians like. “gravadlax” made my mouth water…
Arsh:
Hej Anna!
Judging from the comments your food blog has received, food seems to be one topic to get all of us excited!
Talking of Swedish foods, did you partake in kräftskivafest this month? If you did, please share your experience with us in your typical wonderful witty way!!!
Tack så mycket