Before cooking food from Sweden, I already knew I would be making Swedish meatballs. However, I was less familiar with Sweden’s elaborate sandwich cakes and fast food favorites, which turned out to be very interesting!
Sweden is located in northern Europe, sharing the Scandinavian Peninsula with Norway. It also borders Finland, while the Baltic Sea lies to the east. Sweden is the largest of the Nordic countries by land area, and although it has several cities, much of the country is covered by forests and lakes. In fact, there are nearly 100,000 lakes and more than two-thirds of the land is forested.
During the Viking Age, people from what is now Sweden traveled widely, particularly east through the Baltic region and into present-day Russia. In 1397, Sweden joined Denmark and Norway under a single monarch as part of the Kalmar Union. The relationship was not always peaceful, and Sweden eventually left the union after Gustav Vasa was elected king in 1523. Sweden later became one of Europe’s major powers during the 17th century, controlling territory around much of the Baltic Sea before losing most of it during a series of wars.
Sweden remained neutral during both World Wars and maintained a policy of military non-alignment for much of its modern history. It joined the European Union in 1995 and, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, became a member of NATO in 2024.
One particularly interesting part of Swedish culture is allemansrätten, or the right of public access, which allows people to hike, camp and forage in the countryside—even on some privately owned land—as long as they respect the environment and anyone living nearby. This access to nature helps explain why foraged foods such as lingonberries and mushrooms remain part of Swedish food culture.
What Do People Eat in Sweden?
Swedish cuisine varies greatly, from traditional home-cooked meals made with local ingredients to modern fast food influenced by other countries. Sandwiches are popular too, though they are usually served open-faced. There are also regional differences: reindeer and other game are particularly associated with northern Sweden, while the milder climate and farmland of the south allow for a greater variety of fresh produce.
Other common ingredients include dairy products, pork, beef, chicken, lamb, berries, stone fruits, mushrooms, eggs, and seafood. Potatoes are an especially popular accompaniment, often boiled or mashed. Bread comes in many forms, from crispbread and rye bread to softer flatbreads, while pastries and other baked goods are widely enjoyed.
Historically, preserving food was essential for making it through the long Swedish winter. Fish was salted, cured, or smoked; vegetables were fermented or pickled; and berries and other fruits were made into jams. Many of these traditions remain part of Swedish cuisine today. Lingonberry jam, for example, is commonly served with rich savory dishes, where its sweet, tart flavor provides a welcome contrast.
What I Made
- Pressgurka (Pressed Cucumber Salad)
- Köttbullar med Potatismos (Swedish Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes)
- Tunnbrödsrulle (Hotdog Wrap)
- Räksmörgås (Open-Faced Shrimp Sandwich)
- Smörgåstårta (Sandwich Cake)
- Kebab Pizza (Pizza with Kebab Meat and Garlic Sauce)
Scroll down to read about other popular Swedish dishes I didn’t make!
Pressgurka (Pressed Cucumber Salad)
The cucumbers in this salad are lightly pickled, making this a great accompaniment to heavier dishes.
I began by thinly slicing an English cucumber with my cheese slicer. This was the first time I’d heard of my cheese slicer being referred to as a ‘Swedish cheese slicer’. It actually worked really well! I put the cucumber slices on a plate, sprinkled them with salt, and added a stack of plates on top.
I let the cucumbers sit for a while, then drained away the liquid they released. I combined the cucumber with white wine vinegar, water, sugar, and parsley, and chilled it in the fridge before serving.
The website this recipe is from doesn’t seem to be available at the moment, but in case that’s just temporary, I’ll still include the link. This recipe was from Swedish Food.
Köttbullar med Potatismos (Swedish Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes)
This is probably one of the foods most commonly associated with Sweden—Swedish meatballs! The meatballs are usually seasoned simply and served in a creamy gravy alongside potatoes and lingonberry preserves.
I made my meatballs by combining pork, beef, grated onion, breadcrumbs, egg, salt, pepper, and a little allspice and nutmeg. I browned the meatballs in butter, then removed them from the pan.
I added butter to the pan and whisked in flour to make a roux. Then, I added beef stock (made with beef Better Than Bouillon) and simmered for a few minutes before adding heavy cream. I seasoned the gravy with salt and pepper.
I didn’t use a recipe for the mashed potatoes; I just boiled Russet potatoes and mashed them with butter, heavy cream, salt, and pepper.
I served my meatballs with the gravy alongside mashed potatoes, lingonberry jam, and the pressed cucumber salad I made earlier. I loved this meal! I especially liked how well the lingonberry jam went with the meatballs. I was glad I’d made the effort to order some!
This recipe is also from Swedish Food; hopefully it isn’t gone forever!
Tunnbrödsrulle (Hotdog Wrap)
I was really intrigued by this street food dish! It consists of flatbread topped with mashed potatoes, two hot dogs, shrimp salad, fried onions, ketchup, and mustard. I really liked the idea of the lomper (potato flatbread) included in the recipe I chose, so I decided to make that too even though it’s actually Norwegian. Usually, the flatbread would be made of wheat; I would imagine something similar to a tortilla.
First, I made the lomper out of mashed potatoes, all-purpose flour, rye flour, and salt. I had to add extra flour to get a dough I could knead without it sticking and coming apart everywhere. I rolled the dough out into discs and cooked them in a dry pan.
Next, I made the skagenröra (shrimp salad). I cooked some shrimp and chopped them up. Then, I combined them with dill, chives, lemon juice and zest, sour cream, and mayonnaise. I refrigerated this until I needed it.
I made mashed potatoes by mashing boiled Russet potatoes with salt, pepper, butter, and heavy cream. Then, I sautéed sliced onion until it was beginning to caramelize. Meanwhile, I cooked a couple of Polish sausages to serve as my hot dogs, since I already had them in the freezer.
Now, it was time to assemble! I put some mashed potato on a lomper, sprinkled with parsley, then topped with the sausages. I added shrimp salad, onions, ketchup, and mustard.
This was actually amazing. Definitely a strange combination, but it somehow worked. I really like the lomper too!
The recipe I used is from Scandinavian Cookbook; you can also find the lomper and skagenröra linked there as they’re on the same website.
Räksmörgås (Open-Faced Shrimp Sandwich)
Sandwiches are usually served open-faced in Sweden (and in other Scandinavian countries). This shrimp and egg version is pretty popular, and it sounded good to me.
I toasted some sourdough bread and added butter. Then, I topped it with lettuce, sliced boiled egg, and cooked shrimp. I added a sauce made from mayonnaise, sour cream, salt, pepper, and dill. To finish, I added tomatoes and a sprig of dill.
This was messy to eat, but it tasted really good! The recipe I used is from Hi Cookery.
Smörgåstårta (Sandwich Cake)
This sandwich cake really intrigued me, so I decided to give it a try. The filling combinations vary, but they usually involve something creamy, like mayonnaise or cream cheese. My smörgåstårta had a creamy smoked salmon and arugula filling, an egg salad filling, and a creamy shrimp and arugula filling. Then, the whole thing was covered in a mix of cream cheese and crème fraîche and decorated.
I actually used homemade bread for this, because I wanted to make sure the bread would be sturdy enough to not get soggy over the few days it would take me to finish eating this. I made two loaves and used all of one and a bit of the other. I did also scale the recipe down a bit.
First, I sliced the bread and removed the crusts (which I used to make breadcrumbs). Then, I arranged four slices of bread for the base of my sandwich cake. I mixed together crème fraîche and Dijon mustard and spread that over the bread. I topped it with smoked salmon and arugula, followed by another layer of bread.
For the next layer, I made an egg salad out of boiled eggs, crème fraîche, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and dill. I topped that with another layer of bread.
For the last filling, I combined cream cheese with crème fraîche and spread the mixture over the bread. I topped it with chopped shrimp and arugula, then added the final layer of bread.
For the ‘frosting’, I mixed together cream cheese and crème fraîche. I spread this over the top and sides of the cake. Then, I covered the cake and put it in the fridge.
After the smörgåstårta had chilled for a while, I decorated it with boiled egg, cucumber, radishes, smoked salmon, shrimp, and dill.
This is what it looked like on the inside after cutting:
None of my slices came out looking very neat, but that didn’t matter, since I really enjoyed this. It also held up well in the fridge for the next couple of days.
The recipe I used is from Scandinavian Cookbook.
Kebab Pizza (Pizza with Kebab Meat and Garlic Sauce)
This dish is a fusion of Italian and Middle Eastern cuisine: a pizza topped with doner kebab meat, garlic sauce, and often salad. It’s a popular fast-food dish in Sweden!
I began by making the pizza dough, using my own regular recipe. I mixed yeast with lukewarm water and a little sugar and let it sit until foamy. Then, I combined it with all-purpose flour, salt, and a little olive oil. I kneaded it to form a dough and let it rest for an hour. Then it was ready to stretch into rounds for my pizza bases.
The kebab pizza recipe I used included an interesting method for making imitation doner kebab meat at home. I pulsed some onion in my food processor, and combined it with ground beef, olive oil, yogurt, paprika, chili flakes, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. I mixed everything really well, then spread portions thinly over pieces of parchment paper. I rolled each piece of parchment tightly into logs, and placed them all on a baking sheet. Then, I baked them in the oven for around 20 minutes. At that point, I drained off the fat that had accumulated on the baking sheet, and baked for another 15 minutes or so.
When I unrolled the parchment, I squeezed lemon juice over the meat. I tore the thin pieces of meat into strips, which did resemble doner kebab meat! It tasted really good too.
I topped my pizza base with a tomato pizza sauce (I used my own recipe, which has tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic salt, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian herbs, a little balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of chili flakes). Then, I sprinkled over some mozzarella cheese and added some of the kebab meat.
While the pizza was in the oven, I made a white garlic sauce out of sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, white pepper, and salt.
When the pizza finished baking, I topped it with red onion, tomato, shredded lettuce, pepperoncinis, and the garlic sauce.
This made for a great combination of flavors! I loved everything about it.
The recipe I used is from The Nordic Dish.
Other Popular Swedish Dishes
- Kanelbullar – Swedish cinnamon buns, with a cardamom-flavored dough.
- Prinsesstårta – a layered sponge cake with jam and pastry cream fillings, topped with a dome of whipped cream and covered in green marzipan. I really wanted to make this but couldn’t find time. Some day!
- Jansson’s temptation – a potato and pickled sprat/anchovy casserole, traditionally served at Christmas.
- Renskavsgryta – a traditional reindeer stew, which usually includes onions, mushrooms, cream, juniper berries, and blackcurrant jelly.
- Pyttipanna – this is a great way to use up leftovers. It typically consists of small pieces of potato, onions, and leftover meat pan-fried together. It’s served with a fried egg on top and cold pickled beetroot on the side.
Final Thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed all the food from Sweden I tried this week. Choosing a favorite is difficult, but I think I’ll go with the smörgåstårta!
Next time, I will be cooking food from Switzerland.