Swedish snacking – a culinary
journey from south to north
Sweden, Europe’s fifth largest
country, extends over 1,000 miles from south to north. Anna Maria Espsäter
takes on an epic journey from Skåne to Lapland to sample the nation’s
cuisine.
In
recent years, Nordic food has gone from culinary strength to strength, with
Sweden, Norway and Finland joining Danish initiatives to create a fresh
approach to gastronomy, firmly placing the countries on the foodie map. The
focus is on making the most of local produce and seasonal cooking, often with
an innovative, international twist. What better time to undertake a journey
through my native Sweden to check out the food scene.
Malmö and the south
Malmö,
Sweden’s third city, just across the strait from Danish capital Copenhagen, has
evolved into Sweden’s most diverse city ethnically. This is reflected in its
restaurant scene, making it a great place to try Middle Eastern, Sicilian or
pan-Asian cuisines, to name a few. That said, Malmö and the southern county of
Skåne (also known as Scania), of which Malmö is capital, are also both known
for excellent traditional Swedish home-cooking. Southern hospitality
Swedish-style might include eel or goose and the dishes tend to be substantial
in both size and calories. Perhaps surprisingly, this part of Sweden is also
leading the way in terms of sustainability, green technology and organic food,
something that’s easily spotted when wandering around the city streets – all
the buses are “green”, using renewable energy. There are also numerous delis
and markets selling local products, including cheeses and chocolate. Although there are many places to sample great
food, there’s hardly anywhere better than in someone’s home and luckily a
scheme in Skåne offers just that – A slice of Swedish hospitality (http://www.asliceofswedishhospitality.com/)
has families across the county opening their homes to visitors for home-cooked
Swedish meals, a wonderful way to connect with people and enjoy food in an
informal setting.
Gothenburg and the West Coast
Having
started off with cheeses, chocolates and organic, home-baked bread in Malmö, I
continued north along the coast towards Gothenburg, Sweden’s second city and a
major port. Gothenburg is the gateway to the thousands of islands, islets and
skerries that dot the West Coast county of Bohuslän, summer holiday getaway
no.1 for many Swedes, best known for its seafood. The city has several Michelin-starred restaurants and plenty of lunchtime and dining options, often
with beautiful waterfront views. For an unusual setting, Feskekörka, aka the
Fish Church, a fish market with eateries, set inside a converted church, is
hard to beat for authentic, fresh-off-the-boat lunch. Heading north out of
Gothenburg, the big city rapidly changes into tiny fishing villages and low-key
holiday resorts, very busy Jun – Aug, but pleasantly quieter at other times of
year. About an hour north, on Klädesholmen Peninsula, lies one of Sweden’s most
unusual hotels, Salt & Sill floating hotel (www.saltosill.se), also home to an excellent
restaurant, specialising in herring. This tiny fish is ever-popular across
Sweden and here it’s prepared to perfection in a variety of ways. Then there’s
crayfish, local lobster and that favourite of tipples, Swedish schnapps, to
wash it all down. Further north still, on the borders of Norway, lie the two
tiny islands of North and South Koster, part of Sweden’s only marine national
park, Kosterhavet. Staying a few days by the sea provided some of my most
memorable meals of the journey – the picnic of freshly caught North Atlantic
shrimp accompanied by a bottle of crisp white wine stands out as one of the
best, for all its simplicity. Sustainability and organic food are high on the
agenda in these coastal communities as well, with places such as Kosters
Trädgårdar (www.kosterstradgardar.se)
leading the way and creating excellent culinary experiences for visitors to
these mostly car-free islands, reached by boat from nearby Strömstad on the
mainland.
Värmland – land of lakes and
forests
After
the abundant fish and seafood on the West Coast, I was ready for a bit of
forest fare. Leaving Bohuslän and heading northeast, inland, I reached my home
county of Värmland, one of the most rural in Sweden, replete with lakes and
forests. Värmland is a great place to experience both rustic cooking and rustic
living, a place to really get off the beaten track, commune with nature, spend
time in the sauna or go skinny-dipping – just don’t frighten the elks. Although
busier in summer than at other times of year, there is still a great sense of
spaciousness about the place and nowhere is this more apparent than in the
forest. I opted to spend one night sleeping in a forest hut, built to resemble
the hut a charcoal maker would use in the olden days, living alone out in the
forest (ww.larstomta.se organises hut stays).
After a peaceful night, only occasionally interrupted by wild animals, probably
elk, munching on my grass roof, it was time to try some suitably rustic
cooking. Scenically located, well-back-of-beyond, Tvällen Inn (www.tvallen.com) serves up the finest of
country cooking with an emphasis on local game dishes. If fish and seafood rule
the day in Bohuslän, unsurprisingly, Värmland is home to some of Sweden’s best
cuisine for carnivores. At Tvällen there is everything from elk and venison to
partridge and wild boar – there’s even bear on the menu, on occasion. They also
make ample use of the forest’s resources, with seasonal berries and mushrooms
featuring heavily.
Lapland and the far north
Running
out of steam with over half the country to go I had to have a little break and
return in winter, in my opinion the best time to visit Lapland in the far north.
The 17-hour train journey from Stockholm dropped me off in Lapland’s main hub,
Kiruna, a short drive from what is undoubtedly one of Sweden’s best-known
sights, the Ice Hotel, in the small community of Jukkasjärvi (www.icehotel.com). This fantastic abode of
ice that springs up every winter is also a culinary haven with the finest of
Arctic cuisine. Even if not staying the night, it’s worth a visit for the
spectacular surroundings and the excellent nosh – Arctic char sashimi,
ptarmigan soup, reindeer chops and crowberry sorbet all made for a very
memorable meal. The Ice bar also rounded off the evening nicely with a Wolf’s
Paw cocktail (vodka and lingonberry juice). Continuing northwest by train along
one of Sweden’s largest lakes, Torne Träsk, I stayed in several beautiful ski
resorts, including Europe’s northernmost, Riksgränsen (www.riksgränsen.se) and visited nearby
Låktatjåkko mountain lodge, recently celebrating 75 years. Incidentally,
waffles are a firm favourite up north and said lodge does some of the best
waffles I’ve ever encountered, served piping hot with a gorgeous helping of
cloudberry jam and a dollop of sweet, whipped cream – truly a winter snack to
keep you warm in the cold.
Further
info:
Getting
there:
Several
low-cost and national carriers fly to Sweden, including Norwegian.com, SAS,
Ryanair, British Airways and others. Sweden is easy to get around by car, train
or bus (ferries on the West Coast), there are also excellent cycle and hiking
routes.
No comments:
Post a Comment