Sweden - Becky Ohlsen [23]
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Swedes buy more cookbooks per capita than any other nation, and guzzle more coffee than anywhere bar Finland.
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The prevalence of preserved grub harks back to a time when Swedes had little choice but to store their spring and summer harvests for the long, icy winter. Arguably, the most contentious of these long-lasting staples is the incredibly pungent, surströmming (fermented Baltic herring), traditionally eaten in August and September and served in a slice of tunnbröd (thin, unleavened bread) with boiled potato and onions and ample amounts of snaps (a distilled alcoholic beverage). It may be an acquired taste, but it has a legion of hardcore fans, mostly in northern Sweden. It even boasts its own festival in the village of Alfta.
Less divisive are Sweden’s sweet treats, the most ubiquitous being the kanelbullar (cinnamon bun). Several gourmet konditori (old-fashioned bakery-cafes) and cafes offer slight variations on the bun, lacing it with anything from chocolate to crushed pistachios. Soft and doughy (at their best), they’re a popular staple for fika, the Swedes’ much-loved afternoon ritual of ‘coffee and cake’.
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FESTIVE FLAVOURS
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FOODIE GEMS
The following are five foodie gems you really shouldn’t miss, for both atmosphere and flavour:
Edsbacka Krog (see boxed text) is Sweden’s only two-starred Michelin restaurant, with a cheaper spin-off across the road.
Mathias Dahlgren does obscenely fine things to local produce at what has become Stockholm’s new epicurean mecca.
Krakas Krog blends simplicity and elegance with tremendous gourmet creations made with brilliant Gotland produce.
Da Aldo is arguably Sweden’s finest spot for Roman-style gelato.
Publik peddles tasty, honest grub with a side serve of indie cool.
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Christmas cranks out the julbord, a particularly gluttonous version of Sweden’s world-famous smörgåsbord buffet. Among the usual delicacies of herring, gravlax, meatballs, short ribs and blodpudding (blood pudding) are seasonal gems like baked ham with mustard sauce, and Janssons frestelse, a hearty casserole of sweet cream, potato, onion and anchovy. Julmust, a sweet dark-brown soft drink that foams like a beer when poured, and glögg, warm spiced wine, are also Yuletide staples. The best accompaniment to a warm cup of glögg, available at kiosks everywhere in winter, is a pepparkaka (gingerbread biscuit).
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DOS & DON’TS
On formal occasions, do wait for the host or hostess to welcome you to the table before eating or drinking. Aside from formal ‘skåls’, don’t clink glasses (it’s considered vulgar) and never sip until the host or hostess says, ‘Now everyone may drink when he or she likes.’ Don some decent socks when dining in someone’s home, as you’ll generally be expected to take off your shoes in the foyer. And don’t go empty handed; a bottle of wine or flowers will make the right impression.
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Sweden’s short, intense summers see many hit the countryside for lazy holidays and alfresco noshing. Summer lunch favourites include various inlagd sill (pickled herring) with knäckebröd (crispbread), strong cheese like the crumbly Västerbottens ost, boiled potatoes, diced chives and cream, strawberries, plus a finger or two of snaps and some light beer ‘to help the fish swim down to the stomach’. Towards the end of summer, Swedes celebrate (or commiserate) its passing with Kräftskivor (crayfish parties) where people wearing bibs and party hats get together to eat kräftor boiled with dill, drink snaps and sing snapsvisor (drinking songs).
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Conscientious food shoppers should look out for the KRAV label, which denotes that the produce in question is certified organic, non-GMO and ethically grown or raised. For more information visit www.krav.se.
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For sweet tooths, the lead-up to Lent means one thing: the semla bun. A wickedly decadent concoction of a wheat-flour bun crammed with whipped cream and almond paste, it was traditionally eaten on fettisdagen (Fat