Swedishness Blog - All about Scandinavian Food

The word fika actually derives from the 19t century slang word for coffee, "kaffi". Throw the letters around and you get.....fika. Fika is a Swedish tradition although Norwegians and Danes indulge in it as well. They just don't call it fika. Scandinavians drink the most coffee in the world so it's not so strange that we have this tradition based around something so simple as coffee.

The Ice Hotel Jukkasjärvi is located in the village of Jukkasjärvi a little east of Kiruna, about 20 miles above the Arctic Circle. Ishotellet, or Ice Hotel as it is also known, was founded in 1989. The Ice Hotel came to be because of local entrepreneur Yngve Bergqvist who was looking for a way to offer winter experiences in Northern Sweden where visitors could experience the midnight sun, the northern lights and the unique culture of the Sami people.

Drömtårtan, the Dream Cake is a type of what we in Sweden call “rulltårta” which is similar a Swiss Roll. You can make rulltårta with many different fillings: with chocolate, buttercream, vanilla cream, berries, lemon curd, Nutella, you name it. One of the more popular ones is rulltårta filled with buttercream, this is what the Swedes call drömtårta, dream cake.

It's the middle of winter and you're probably reading this in a warm room indoors but don't you miss being outside? Let’s talk about winter picnics. Luckily, you don't have to wait until summer for your next picnic. Going on a winter picnic is a great way to get outside, breathe the fresh air and enjoy a beautiful winter day. One of the best ways to stay warm while exploring your surroundings in winter is to fill a thermos with delicious hot chocolate.
Lofoten is the magnificent Norwegian island group that stretches westward in the Atlantic north of the Arctic Circle. Thanks to the warm Gulf Stream, Lofoten has a significantly milder climate than other parts of the world at the same latitude, such as Alaska and Greenland. This coastal climate on Lofoten means that the winters are mild and the summers relatively cool. 
We’ve all heard of the question “Is the glass half full or half empty?”. For the Swedes it’s none of those. The glass is simply…lagom. Lagom is the most important Swedish word you will ever learn, but what is “lagom”? Lagom builds on the concept of minimalism and finding joy in your possessions. The word itself means just right.
Åre, the Swedish alps, is Sweden's largest and most famous ski resort but is also a popular destination during the summer because of its tremendous beauty and there is a wide range of hiking and biking trails to enjoy. Åre is a popular ski resort but also a cozy village with proximity to many excursion destinations and there are also spa facilities for those who want to relax. 
Kladdkakan has taken the Swedish people by storm and it’s commonly served for fika and parties. The cake is easy to love and it can be served with various sides such as cream, ice cream, meringues or berries, which gives a wonderful variety of both taste and texture.
Kiruna, Sweden’s northernmost city, has a lot to offer. This is where to see the Northern Lights and experience the Midnight Sun. Nestling some 200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle in the Norrbotten province, Kiruna is a gem of a city that forms part of Swedish Lapland. This vast area covers about a quarter of Sweden and stretches across the very north of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia.

Kalix löjrom (Caviar of Kalix) is the king of Swedish caviars. It is one of very few Swedish products with the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, issued by the European Union. It is a prized delicacy which is served at special occasions such as nobel banquets, royal weddings and other celebrations.It is also not a secret that Kalix löjrom is one of our absolute favourite Swedish products. It is widely known for its outstanding combination of texture, colour and taste.

Carbon offsetting for the months of September-December. We had 15 deliveries to offset for Septem until including end of December, each producing close to 2 tons of CO2 emissions, so we offset 30 tons on the 400MW Solar Power Project at Bhadla, Rajasthan, India. In addition, we are enrolled on a monthly subscription to remove 100 kg CO2 directly from the air with the Swiss company Climeworks.
Nothing is more important on the Swedish Christmas table than the julskinka (the Christmas ham). It is what separates the Christmas table from Easter and Midsummer. At Christmas, Midsummer and Easter, herring, salmon, meatballs, prince sausages and potatoes are served. At Easter, the eggs are in focus, at Midsummer, strawberry cake plays a big role but at Christmas, it’s the Christmas ham that is the star. 
It may be the darkest of times outside but today on Sunday November 27 we light the first candle and celebrate First Advent and the days are getting a bit lighter (at least inside). On Advent Sundays we like to have a bit of fika and get cosy with near and dear ones and every Sunday leading up to Christmas we will light a new candle until we've lit all four.

Some dishes that we eat and love in Scandinavia have rather “weird” names, but it’s very rare that we stop to think “hmm, where does this name come from?” Prinskorv (Prince Sausage) is one of those. The most common way to have this Prince of Sausages, which basically is a shorter version of wiener sausage, is to fry it in a pan and serve it with different small sides.

The herring, some can’t stand it and some think it’s the best thing in the world but even if you like it or not, what would a Christmas be without herring? It has a given place on any Christmas table.  Herring was once considered a poor man's food but is nowadays one of our most beloved delicacies and something we like to introduce friends from other countries and cultures to whenever we get a chance.

Midsummer, Easter and Christmas, these are all beloved traditions that are celebrated yearly but in Scandinavia there is one tradition that has really skyrocketed in the past three decades. The best part about it is that it's not celebrated just once a year, it's celebrated weekly! Every Friday as a matter of fact. “Cozy Friday” or Fredagsmys, Fredagskos or Fredagshygge as it’s called in Sweden, Norway and Denmark is an activity where family and/or friends gather on Friday night to mark the end of the work/school week to sit down and recharge together before the weekend.

Beer and nubbe are given products for the Swedish Christmas table and come in all sorts, brands, shapes and sizes,...

Skagen, the delicious and creamy seafood dish that has been around for six decades, but where does it come from? Surely it must be Danish you think, because, well Skagen is in Denmark, right? Yes, the name does indeed refer to the Danish port town, but despite that, Skagen as a dish is relatively unknown in Denmark and it doesn’t have a Danish origin like the name suggests.
The meaning of autumn cosiness is different for everyone but we would say that for us it's to create a warm and comfortable atmosphere in your home and enjoy every day, even if summer is over and the days are grey. Now is the time to turn to self-care and all that it means for you. Free time, family, friends, funny series, interesting books, cosy evenings on the sofa and of course GOOD FOOD.