SCANDINAVIAN FOOD

Scandinavia is a big place and to file our whole food culture in a box marked “pickled herring” isn’t going to cut the mustard.

There’s a lot of talk in the press about something called Nordic Diet.  This all stems from a study about eating the Nordic way and how this can be very beneficial for your whole being.  Read more about the actual Nordic Diet here (Link coming)

In essence, Scandinavian food is straight forward.  A bit like us, really:  no nonsense, direct and in your face at times.  It is what it is.   Each region has different flavours and ingredients, but the basics are the same:

    Grain and cereal such as rye and oats

    Seafood and fish - mainly prawns, salmon, mackerel and  herring

    Meat - such as smoked and cured meats, including lots of game (sorry, Rudolf)

    Stuff from trees and bushes - such as wild berries and mushrooms

Due to the distinct lack of sunlight and very long cold winters, we quickly got used to the idea of pickling stuff to preserve it as well as smoking and curing meats to make sure we had enough to last the winter months.  Popping over to England to do some plundering wasn’t a day-trip:  the ride lasted weeks and the Vikings needed enough food to sustain those journeys and even back then we were finding ways of preserving food for long periods of time.

                                             But seriously, look at that big spoon?  It's massive.

                                               Or maybe viking ladies were just really small?

Scandinavian food is simple.  We call it “husmanskost” – basically, farmer’s food.  It is supposed to be simple, made with the staple goods found on the land.  In our opinion, trying to turn our traditional dishes into fancy-pancy food is not being true to what we are:  when you work with amazing produce, there is no need to be fancy about it:  pick, serve, eat.

If you want a good introduction to the basics of what we like to eat, have a look at some of our top sellers here:

Leksands Crispbread:  big, round wholesome slices of crisp bread.  Once you have tried proper crisp bread, you can’t go back.

Swedish Mustard Herring – the good beginner’s herring.  Pickled and marinated in a sweet mustard dressing, it’s a winner even for people who are scared of herring.

Scandinavian cheeses: first timers, go for the brown cheese from Norway, the Vasterbotten from Sweden or the stinky Gamle Ole from Denmark

Rye bread mix:  make your own dark rye bread at home – just add water and fresh yeast.  Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Easy salad:  beetroot and apple salad.  Chop pickled beetroot, mix with apple and add crème fraiche and season.  Voila.  Traditional and quick and so very nice

In our store you will always find our team is there to help you out if you want to learn more about Scandinavian food.  We also stock recipe books about Nordic food – and have handy hints to help you get started.