Swedish countryside will often lead to a picnic on some ancient king’s burial mound. Cycling routes frequently pass through fields crowned with ship-shaped stone graves. In cities and alongside roadways, rune stones staunchly declare the historical equivalent of ‘Ingmar was here’. But Sweden’s days as a warlike nation are long gone. Instead, its domestic and international policies serve as models of neutrality and consensus-building. This is, after all, the birthplace of the Nobel Peace Prize. Travellers today are more likely to be slayed by visions of pastoral beauty – intense green countryside, impenetrable forests, little red cottages atop remote islands and, everywhere, Sweden’s famously clear blue water.
That’s not to say all the excitement ended thousands of years ago – far from it. While tradition reigns in places like Dalarna in the Swedish heartland and the Sami territory up north, much of Sweden today buzzes with a more contemporary energy. A wave of immigration in recent years has added spark and variety to the cultural milieu. Urban centres like Stockholm, Göteborg (otherwise known as Gothenburg) and Malmö consistently churn out cultural artefacts for an international audience (think IKEA, H&M, Absolut Vodka). The Island of Gotland, lying roughly equidistant between Sweden and Latvia, is Sweden’s most richly historical area but also has a hip party vibe. Travellers come to Sweden as much for the flash clubs and ground-breaking new restaurants as they do for wilderness hikes and visits to wooden-horse factories.
The Foods of Sweden
The famous Sweden smörgåsbord is known throughout the world. It is a grand array of wonderful colors and delicious flavors. The smörgåsbord allows guests to visit the richly laid table many times and it is known that you do not hurry through a smörgåsbord. The first trip to the smörgåsbord always consists of herring, prepared in a variety of ways. There are various other courses which consist of cheeses, a variety of fish, potatoes, vegetables, salads, meatballs, eggs and don’t forget the desserts.
Consider making the Swedish smörgåsbord a theme for one of your Christmas get-togethers. To offer some vegetarian alternatives we have included a recipe for Swedish meatballs without any meat. Most local grocery stores now offer a good variety of many vegetarian style cheeses and cold meat substitutes if you prefer not to eat meat. When we had our family Swedish smörgåsbord we had a wonderful time learning about the Swedish culture and tasting the many wonderful flavors from this rich country.
