ExploFood · Europe
What to eat in Sweden
Five dishes to try in Sweden, the most typical first. One is vegetarian.
Five dishes to try in Sweden
Köttbullar
Small meatballs with cream sauce, lingonberries and mashed potatoes.
How to have it: A staple of the lunch dagens rätt menu; also served at Christmas smörgåsbord.
Gravlax Gravad lax
Raw salmon cured with salt, sugar and dill, thinly sliced.
How to have it: Eaten with hovmästarsås mustard-dill sauce and boiled potatoes.
Pickled herring Inlagd sill
Herring pickled in sweet vinegar, mustard or dill sauce.
How to have it: Central at Midsummer and Christmas; take it with new potatoes and a snaps.
Ärtsoppa
Yellow pea soup with pork, served with mustard.
How to have it: Traditionally eaten on Thursdays with pancakes and jam for dessert.
Kanelbulle
Cardamom-scented bun with cinnamon filling and pearl sugar.
How to have it: Order it at fika with coffee; Cinnamon Bun Day is 4 October.
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Questions
What food is Sweden famous for?
Köttbullar (small meatballs with cream sauce, lingonberries and mashed potatoes) comes first on our list, followed by Gravlax, Pickled herring, Ärtsoppa and Kanelbulle.
What is the national dish of Sweden?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for Sweden is Köttbullar: small meatballs with cream sauce, lingonberries and mashed potatoes. A staple of the lunch dagens rätt menu; also served at Christmas smörgåsbord.
Which dishes in Sweden are vegetarian?
One of the five on this page is vegetarian as usually made: Kanelbulle. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.
How reliable is this list?
The dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, where you can also tick off the ones you have tried. Recipes vary by region and by family, so take it as a starting point.
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Tick off every dish you try in Sweden
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Get ExploDishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.