Know before you go: 10 Scandinavian dishes you might want to avoid
Do you want to take your experience with Scandinavian cuisine beyond the good old Swedish meatballs from IKEA? A trip to the far north is the perfect way to get acquainted with classic Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and Finnish dishes. But consider yourself warned: things can turn out quite… surprising. Here are 10 Scandinavian dishes you might prefer to avoid.
Surströmming
Sometimes a dish that doesn’t look very appetizing can still smell pretty good. Or look appealing. Swedish surströmming is definitely not one of those dishes. The smell it gives off is, to put it mildly, unbearable: rotten fish to the max. How come? Surströmming is Baltic herring that has been deliberately spoiled, or fermented. After the initial fermentation process, the fish is canned and stored for a month before it is eaten. And yes, it really does stink terribly. Incidentally, the taste of surströmming turns out not to be all that awful. Anyone who hasn’t passed out after opening a can will know.
Pölsa
What do you get on your plate when you order pölsa? Ground meat seasoned with onions, stock and pepper. Nothing wrong with that in itself, you might think. But pölsa obviously wouldn’t be on this list if there weren’t at least something… special to note about it. And there certainly is. The ground meat consists of liver and heart. It can be delicious, of course – fans of offal will probably love it. But forewarned is forearmed, right?
Blodpudding
Anyone who sees blodpudding on a Swedish menu will probably already have a dark-brown suspicion of what they are about to be served. And yes, it is indeed a dish made with blood (blod). But not blood pudding. No way, imagine! So what do you actually see on your plate? Blood sausage, made from pork blood, milk, rye and beer. A treat for some, for others… worst case scenario.
Lutefisk
Norwegian lutefisk doesn’t exactly win any beauty contests when it comes to attractive food, either. This fish is completely translucent. How come? Lutefisk is whitefish or cod that is soaked in lye for an extended period. This is an alkaline (non-acidic) liquid created by soaking the white ash of burned wood in soft rainwater. The water then absorbs the potassium present in the wood. This makes the fish keep for longer – the reason for the whole process – and gives it that strange, transparent ‘look’. The taste of this dish is not bad, by the way. Traditionally served with smoked bacon, mashed peas and boiled potatoes, lutefisk is actually quite tasty.
Flygande Jakob
Warning: this is for anyone who hates hot fruit. Actually, for anyone on team Pineapple Does Not Belong on Pizza. Flygande Jakob, or Flying Jakob, is best avoided if you hate hot fruit. This Swedish casserole consists of chicken, cream, chili sauce, roasted peanuts, bacon and… banana. A classic case of you hate it or you love it, I think. In any case, Flygande Jakob proves that there are more dishes made with banana than banana bread or banana pancakes. And that even in cold Sweden, they sometimes find themselves in tropical moods.
Vilt korv
Scandinavia is known for its beautiful nature and impressive wildlife. And that wildlife could just as easily end up on your plate if you go to a Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian or Danish restaurant later in the day. In Sweden, for example, they eat vilt korv: moose sausage. Often simply served with potatoes and vegetables, but sometimes also used in a quiche. Do you eat meat? Then be sure to try this deliciously spiced sausage! Vegetarians, consider yourselves warned.
Smalahove
You don’t eat only with your mouth and nose, but with your eyes too. Well, anyone who can eat this Norwegian dish without closing their eyes is (in my opinion) a real hero. Smalahove is nothing less than a salted, smoked and then steamed sheep’s head. And yes, there’s really no mistaking what it is when you see this dish on your plate. If you want to (and dare to), you can eat every single part of the head, except the bones. Norwegians consider smalahove a great delicacy and mainly eat it on festive occasions. Will you go all in or give it a miss?
Räkost
I’m about to combine two words you’ve probably never seen together before: shrimp cheese. Meet räkost: soft cheese with small pieces of shrimp in a tube. An absolute favorite in Sweden that supposedly tastes fantastic on crispbread. To Swedes, räkost is a little like Vegemite is to Australians: a national favorite. I do know one thing: I simply have to try this. I see it’s available from Amazon, among others, so my order is on its way.
Sill inlagd
Not a fan of herring and/or pickled foods? Then you and sill inlagd are not a match. Sill inlagd is a traditional Swedish appetizer consisting of herring marinated in salt and vinegar, onion and carrot. Quite a mouthful; we also simply call it pickled herring. Still curious? You can buy a jar of sill inlagd at IKEA. So be sure to pick some up if you were heading that way anyway for a bag of Daim.
Kalakukko
Scandinavians like experimenting with fish. By fermenting it, for example, or putting it in a tube of spreadable cheese – just to name a couple of things. Another popular option: fish in bread. This is mainly eaten in Finland, where it is called kalakukko. People take around 20 small fish and some pork, wrap bread dough around them and bake the whole thing in the oven for several hours. When the kalakukko is done and you cut it open, you see all the fish and pork stacked on top of one another. An unusual sight, but according to the Finns, incredibly delicious.
