13 Delicious Foods to Try in Sweden
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Loading... - Sharon Lambert
- 11 May 2022
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After spending a few weeks in Stockholm and Malmo, in the south of Sweden, tasting my way around the countryside, I now have a much better grasp of Swedish food. It is always my aim to try as many different foods as possible when I’m visiting a country that is new to me and Sweden didn’t disappoint.
One of the best ways to do that is to go on an organized food tour. The 5-hour food tour I went on with Food Tours Stockholm was a perfect way to become acquainted with a lot of foods I hadn’t tasted before. Another great way to find foods to try in Sweden is to take the advice of others who have already been there.
I’ve put together a list of my favorites of the foods I tried in Sweden, and I’ve included where you can find these foods, too. Of course, there are dozens of others besides these 13 foods to try in Sweden I’ve listed here. I make no claim that this is a comprehensive list or that it comprises the most popular. But I do think that you’ll get a pretty good idea of Swedish food from tracking these down. So let’s get started.
Swedish Meatballs (Köttbullar)
Obviously, you can’t go to Sweden and not try the quintensential Swedish dish: Swedish Meatballs. Whether or not this dish was intended to become the icon of all things Swedish, it is probably the first dish that comes to mind for many of us. I had to try them, even though I’m not a huge fan of meatballs.
They are often made with a mixture of beef and pork, but can be made up of different meats. The sauce is a deep, flavorful gravy. And the dish is always served with potatoes (usually mashed), a bowl of lingenberries and pickled cucumbers.
I found this highly recommended and delicious plate of Swedish meatballs at: Bakfickan, Jakobs torg 12, 111 52 Stockholm, Sweden
Fermented Herring (Surströmming)
After a few days, I started to lose track of how much herring I’d tried and in how many different ways it was prepared. Typically, you’ll find it as the main component of an entree, served with boiled potatoes, or on top of a piece of rye bread as a snack.
Surströmming is a bit different than the others. It’s fermented and the herring has a meatier consistency than fish usually does. It’s actually pretty good once you get used to it.
I had these tasty herring snack in Malmo at an outposting of a popular deli and restaurant in the Malmo train station: Salt & Sill Deli, Centralstationen | Centralhallen, Malmo 21120, Sweden
Reindeer Paté
You have to get over a few things when eating in Stockholm, one of which is eating Reindeer. If you think of it as the cute red-nosed guy who delivers Christmas packages, you will miss out of the pleasure of eating reindeer meat and, especially, reindeer paté.
The pate is very spreadable and can be enjoyed on crackers or bread. It’s really creaming and flavorful. I could have eaten a lot of it! The pate is pictured at the forefront of the picture, alongside other popular meats that you can get cut fresh at the delis in any market.
The reindeer pate I had came from a deli with tons of great cured and smoked meat options, and the pate is one of their top sellers: Hellbergs Fågel & Vilt in Hötorgshallen 46, 111 57 Stockholm, Sweden
Swedish Fish Soup (Svenska fisksoppa)
It’s not surprising that a popular dish in Sweden is fish soup. All of that fresh and wonderful fish they’re so well known for cooked in a tasty broth to make a filling and soul-satisfying bowl of fish soup. I found this amazing bowl of fisksoppa at a restaurant in Hotorgshallen, that has been run by multiple generations.
It is incredibly popular for its fish soup, and you’ll understand why after just one small sip of broth. It is seasoned and flavored to perfection.
Kajsas Fisk, Hotorgshallen 3, Stockholm 111 57, Sweden
Cured Salmon (Gravadlax)
In Sweden, a very common way to make salmon is to cure it with a mix of dill, salt and sugar, which gives it a very distinct flavor. It’s much sweeter than we’d find in the states. It is then served in thin, silky strips that can be layered on bread or crispbread, or it might be lightly cooked and served as the main component of an entree, with a side of potatoes.
I tasted many version of cured salmon in Sweden, but one of my favorites was this cured salmon salad from an archipelago hotel I visited: Djuronaset Conference & Hotel, Seregårdsvägen 1, 139 02 Djurhamn, Sweden
