Swedish cuisine - Definition and Overview

Swedish cuisine, like that in the other Scandinavian countries (Denmark and Norway), is traditionally rich in fat. Due to long winters, the ability to store food for a long time was important, which explains the lack of fresh vegetables in many traditional recipes. Various turnips were common in older cooking, but these were largely supplanted by the potato when it was introduced in the 18th century.

Fish and meat play a prominent role in any traditional Swedish dish, vegetarianism being historically non-existent.

Breakfasts

• Sandwiches
• Knäckebröd -- traditional Swedish bread
• Milk or Filmjölk -- In a glass
• Juice
• Milk or yoghurt or filmjölk (soured milk) -- In a bowl with sugar and often cereals (corn flakes / muesli)

Dishes

• Smörgåsbord -- Smorgasbord
• Köttbullar -- Swedish meatballs
• Julskinka -- Christmas ham
• Inlagd sill -- Pickled herring
• Surströmming -- Fermented Baltic herring
• Gravad lax -- Salmon, salted, cured and cold smoked
• Kåldolmar -- Cabbage rolls
• Pannkakor -- Pancakes
• Ärtsoppa -- Peasoup
• Kroppkakor/palt -- Cooked potato-dumplings, filled with pork
• Fläsk och bruna bönor -- Pork rinds and brown beans
• Kräftor -- Crayfish
• Julbord -- Christmas smorgasbord
• Blodpudding -- Black pudding
• Pölsa -- Hash
• Palt -- Blood bread
• Pyttipanna -- Pyttipanna
• Falukorv -- Sausage originating from Falun

In the new Swedish kitchen, dishes are lighter, smaller and generally contains several different vegetables. This mode of cooking is highly influenced by French and Italian cuisine. Other types of food which have influenced and are a part of the modern Swedish cuisine is Asian and Tex-Mex.

Drinks

• Coffee (drink)
• Milk -- Sweden is the most milk drinking country in the world!
• Juice
• Julmust -- Traditional stout-like, very sweet seasonal soft drink (jul means christmas in swedish)
• Enbärsdricka -- Traditional juniper berry soft drink
• Sockerdricka -- Traditional sweet-sour soft drink
• Fruktsoda -- Traditional lemon-lime soft drink
• Champis -- Soft drink alternative to sparkling wine
• Pommac -- Soft drink alternative to sparkling wine
• Glögg -- Mulled wine
• Akvavit

Treats

• Knäck -- Christmas toffee
• Semla -- Cream-filled wheat bun

See also: Soft drink, Culture of Sweden, List of Christmas dishes, Systembolaget