There’s a Kind of Longing Only the Sea Can Answer

If you grew up in Sweden or even just spent a few golden summers there chances are, the sea lives in you. Not in some dramatic way, but quietly. Subtly. It’s there in your senses. The scent of saltwater and sunscreen. The texture of smooth, warm rocks under your back. The silence before a morning swim. Or the way a breeze from the coast can stir something inside you even years after you’ve moved away.

At Swedishness, we speak to that longing. Not just because we love Swedish food, but because we understand what it stands for. A jar of herring or a packet of smoked salmon isn’t just dinner. It’s a reminder of where you come from. It’s a slice of home you can taste wherever you are in the world.

The Sea Shapes the Swedish Way of Life

In Sweden, the sea is more than geography it’s rhythm.

It’s the rhythm of generations of fishermen rising early along the Bohuslän coast. The rhythm of ferries gliding between the Stockholm archipelago’s thousands of islands. The rhythm of tides that have taught us patience, resilience, and respect for nature.

We don’t just visit the sea. We build our lives around it.

It gives us food, peace, connection. We go there to swim, to think, to celebrate, to rest. For many, summer doesn’t begin until that first chilly dip. The dock, the thermos coffee, the boiled eggs with Kalles these are the rituals that make us feel whole.

Even when we live abroad, the sea shows up in our habits our need for space, for calm, for simple meals that mean more than they look.

Our Food Traditions Come Straight from the Water

Swedish cuisine has always been defined by what the land and sea offer.

From the beginning, we’ve relied on preservation methods to make the most of what nature gives us curing, salting, smoking, pickling. Not just because it was practical, but because it became delicious. Over time, necessity turned into national identity.

Now, dishes like pickled herring, gravad lax, and shrimp toast aren’t just traditional they’re iconic. And they still appear on our tables, from Midsummer to Christmas to any random Tuesday abroad when we’re feeling a little homesick.

At Swedishness, we’ve built our sea product range around the flavours that matter most to Swedes not just the holiday staples, but the everyday favourites too. Here's what makes them so beloved:

Herring: The Unofficial National Fish

It’s impossible to imagine a Swedish holiday table without sill.

Whether it’s Easter, Midsummer or Christmas, there it is perfectly chilled, marinated in mustard, onion, dill, or garlic.

Mustard herring is creamy and sweet, with that unmistakable tang that pairs so well with knäckebröd or potatoes.

Matjes herring, with its rich spice blend, is a summer classic especially with sour cream, red onion and chives.

Archipelago herring mixes the old and the new creamy, with caviar and herbs, fresh enough to feel festive.

Each variety has its place, and every Swede has a favourite.

Gravad Lax & Smoked Salmon: The Elegance of Simplicity

No one does cured salmon like Sweden.

Gravad lax is delicate, silky, and seasoned with just dill, sugar, and salt. Serve it with hovmästarsås (a sweet mustard-dill sauce), and you have something simple but unforgettable. It’s not just food it’s a cultural symbol.

Our smoked salmon, whether hot or cold-smoked, carries that pure, clean taste that reflects our clean waters and minimalistic approach to seasoning. Add it to a brunch spread or layer it on a sandwich, and you’re instantly transported back to a Swedish kitchen table.

Shrimp, Skagen, and the Joy of the Sea in a Bowl

There’s something luxurious about shrimp in Sweden — not in the fancy sense, but in the this-is-what-summer-tastes-like sense.

Whether you’re piling fresh shrimp on toast or scooping up a spoonful of skagenröra (shrimp salad with mayo, dill and lemon), it’s a comfort food that also feels a bit celebratory.

In Sweden, you don’t need a reason to have shrimp. It’s for lunch, it’s for Friday night, it’s for when you just need to feel like you’re back by the sea, even if your window looks out on a rainy London street.

Canned Fish, Kaviar, and the Flavours We Don’t Explain We Just Know

Some foods are hard to describe to non-Swedes.

Makrill i tomatsås canned mackerel in tomato sauce is a lunchbox legend, a staple for busy weekdays and camping trips. It’s filling, full of protein, and unmistakably Swedish.

Kalles Kaviar that famous blue tube is another one. Spread it on boiled eggs, on crispbread, or just straight from the tube if you’re brave. It’s salty, fishy, and oddly addictive — and for many, it’s pure nostalgia.

These aren’t gourmet items. They’re everyday foods that carry meaning. They’re the tastes of home you can keep in the cupboard — always ready for when the craving hits.

🧑‍🍳 Here Are Our Top 2 Recipes You Need to Make This Week

We love keeping things simple, Swedish, and satisfying. Here are two go-to recipes featuring the best from the sea, easy to make, full of flavour, and guaranteed to bring that coastal feeling home !

🐟 Not Sure Which Herring to Choose? Take Our Quiz!

Swedes love sill but have you ever wondered which sill you actually are? Are you a creamy classic like mustard herring? Or a bold summer favourite like matjes? Maybe something a bit unexpected...

🎣 Take our lighthearted quiz and discover your inner herring it’s quick, fun, and deliciously accurate.

Shipping the Sea, with Love

We know how it feels to crave those flavours when you’re far from Sweden. That’s why at Swedishness, we take real care in choosing the sea products we stock focusing on quality, tradition, and that familiar taste that says: yes, this is the real thing.

Our mission is simple: to deliver a piece of the Swedish coast to your door, wherever you are. Whether you’re in a big city or a small village, you should be able to open your kitchen cupboard and feel a bit closer to home.

The Sea Lives On... In All of Us

Swedes don’t just love the sea. We carry it with us.

It shows up in the way we crave quiet. In the foods we miss. In our love of clean flavours, light meals, and long summer evenings that never quite get dark.

The sea lives on in the traditions we pass down, in the herring jars we open, in the first crisp sandwich we make on a lazy Sunday abroad.

You don’t have to be near the coast to remember where you’re from.

You just need a taste.