Sweden is not noted as a country of the finest cuisine, yet Swedish foods have much to offer the traveler. The do tend to be fairly plain and practical, sturdy and nourishing, but they can also be surprisingly tasty too.
The most recognizable thing concerning Swedish foods is the smörgåsbord. The literal meaning of this strange word is something along the lines of "an open sandwich table." This is misleading though as a typical smörgåsbord will not be a table littered with sandwiches.
The smörgåsbord is a table holding a large number of small dishes. You are not expected to eat them all, or even from them all, but rather you can pick some of what you fancy. It's a bit like a buffet in a sense.
A good smörgåsbord is likely to have herring dishes. People who have not sampled herring prepared in its many varieties will never appreciate how delicious it can be. Sweet pickled herring, perhaps with onions or dill, or perhaps mustard, is a delight to the senses. No wonder that this fish has been responsible for the making of many fortunes over the centuries, both within Sweden and elsewhere.
Salmon is another delicacy to be found on a good smörgåsbord. Salmon bred in northern waters have a taste that is simply out of this world when prepared properly. The Swedes know exactly how to prepare salmon! The smörgåsbord may also contain dishes prepared using potato, onion, bread and much more.
Crayfish are very popular among Swedish foods. Crayfish parties are held all over Sweden in August. The most common way to prepare the crayfish is to boil them with sugar, salt and dill. Eating the crayfish is usually achieved by breaking open the claws and tail where the meat is with your hands.
Surströmming is possibly the most unusual of all the Swedish foods available. It is fermented herring from the Baltic. Surströmming is definitely an acquired taste. It is quite unlike anything else in Sweden, and many people cannot take to it.
The fermented herrings come canned. On opening the can you will swear that something is well and truly off, but it isn't. It actually tastes a lot better than the smell suggests. Surströmming, like many of the Swedish foods served as a main meal, is served with boiled potatoes and sometimes onions as well.
Swedish foods have several staples that you can more or less depend on. The kålrot variety of turnip, appropriately called a swede in Britain, is a hardy turnip with a distinctive flavor. It grows well in colder climates and is well suited to Sweden.
Swedish foods include a hardy type of cabbage, often used to produce sauerkraut and also as a vegetable side dish. Fresh vegetables can be a problem in Sweden in winter and these two tenacious vegetable plants work well there.
Swedish foods also include sweet dishes. They are not all plain and practical by any means. Kanelbulle is a delicious cinnamon roll, Prinsesstårta is a type of sponge cake, Polkagris is a peppermint-flavored sweet, and Biskvi is pastry made of almonds and sugar with butter cream and chocolate. Swedish foods can be very exciting too!
