Most of the classic Swedish foods we see today are due to what was able to grow in the climate for the various seasons. Common foods that grew and were abundant were root vegetables (beets, turnips and onions), cucumbers, milk, cheese, fish, and meat like pork and reindeer. Today, all of these foods are still popular and still a part of a typical Swedish diet.
Preservation methods such as pickling or fermentation can be traced back to the Viking age – to have food last for long journeys and the winters. Therefore, this is where foods like pickled cucumber and pickled herring came about. The air drying of crisp bread was also a great preservation method for food back in the day.
Today, Sweden has food from all over the world. They are very environmentally conscious with food today and prioritize local ingredients with both farm-to-table and forest-to-table sourcing. The zero waste philosophy is also gaining traction in Sweden to ensure full utilization of every ingredient used.
Read more about Swedish food
15 Unique Foods You Can Find in Any Swedish Grocery Store
21 Foods I Can’t Find in Swedish Grocery Stores (As an American)
Crisp bread
Crisp bread is a type of bread that is more like a cracker due to the lack of moisture. It is commonly made with rye flour, seeds, salt, and water. Swedes have been making crispbread for centuries as it can be kept for a long time without molding. Since it’s so dry, eating it with jam or butter is common to bring some moisture back. It’s a pantry staple to the Swedes as around 85% of Swedish households have this.
Lingonberries
A classic Swedish food. These berries grow wild in Sweden and are an essential part of most Swedish dishes like meatballs and potato pancakes. They are both tart and sweet – bringing brightness to any meal. Making them into a jam is a common way to make them last longer.
Semla
Similar to a creme puff, these desserts were eaten on Fat Tuesday before lent as a decedent treat before fasting. It is two wheat buns filled with whipped cream and flavored with cardamom and almond. They are usually only at bakeries around Christmas – so grab one when you can.
Rhubarb pie
Sweden summers provide the ideal conditions for rhubarb as the days are long with sunshine coupled with still cool temperatures. Making rhubarb pies were some of the best ways to bring out their sweetness and balance the sourness.
Pickled herring (Surströmming)
As mentioned, pickled herring was a way to preserve the abundance of these fish. You can mostly find these at the grocery store and not at many restaurants.
Potato dumplings (Kroppkaka)
Kroppkaka are made by boiling potatoes, then mashing them and mixing them with flour to form a dough. They are then typically filled with pork and onions, wrapped into a dumpling ball and then boiled and pan fried. Lingonberries are usually served on top.
Yellow pea soup
Pea soup dates back to the Middle Ages in Sweden. This dish was specifically eaten on Thursdays with pancakes as many Swedes were a part of the Roman Catholic Church and fasted on Fridays. This was supposed to be a hearty and luxurious dish to tide them over for the fasting day. The soup has pork in it to make it a bit more filling. Today, you can still find yellow pea soup on most menus.
Shrimp toast (toast Skagen)
Shrimp toast can be found at most Swedish restaurants. It is cold shrimp mixed with mayo, onions, dill, and lemon on a piece of bread. It is similar to pasta or potato salad.
Sausage (Falukorv)
These Swedish sausages can be found at most Swedish grocery stores. What makes them different than any other sausage is that they are long tubes that consist of pork sausage, beef, onions, and potatoes.
Chocolate biskvi
These are little chocolate cookies that have a chewy almond base and then topped with chocolate buttercream (almost like a mousse) and then dipped in dark chocolate. They are popular for Swedish fika and you can find them at almost every Swedish bakery.
Potato pancakes (raggmunk)
Raggmunk can be traced back to the 20th century. They are shredded potatoes that are pan fried into a pancake and served with bacon and lingonberries.
Meatballs (köttbullar)
Swedish meatballs were actually brought over by the French in the 16th century. However, the Swedes used their own ingredients as sides such as lingonberries and pickled cucumbers.
Cinnamon buns (kanelbullar)
You will find these in about every Swedish bakery and what I think of as a classic Swedish food. They are much more bready and less sweet than your American cinnamon rolls, but delicious nonetheless. Try the cardamom ones, they aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I think they are delicious and unique.
Swedish pancakes
Swedish pancakes are much thinner than your typical American pancake. They are egg dense and look like a crepe. The typical ways to eat them is spreading jam or butter on them then rolling them or folding them into triangles and eating them with jam and whipped cream.
Blood pudding
In any culture, blood pudding was a way of utilizing all parts of the animal. I haven’t seen this at any restaurants here in Sweden, but it is a common item to find at any grocery store.
Chocolate balls (Chokladbollar)
These chocolate balls are found all over Sweden. They don’t require any baking and simply consist of oats, cacao, sugar, butter, vanilla, and then rolled in coconut flakes and pearl sugar. So all the delicious things combined, these are another typical sweet with fika.
Sticky chocolate cake (kladdkaka)
This is just like a molten lava cake, it is so delicious and decadent. Kladdkaka is hugely popular in Sweden and won’t have to look hard to find it.
Prinsesstårta or Princess cake
This is a simple white sponge cake with layers of pastry cream, raspberry jam, and then covered with a light green marzipan. It got its name as Swedish princesses were known to love the cake.
Out of these classic Swedish foods, which do you want to try the most?
