Mat

I remember reading once that you can learn a lot about a country based on their food. I'm sure Sweden is no different, but I'm not sure what the food is trying to tell me. I mean, what does surströmming, lingonsylt, knäckebröd, and köttbullar say?

I guess you could say they're of a social type with their smörgåsbordar and fika. They're a bit traditional with julbordar and kräftskivar and the Thursday pannkakor/ärtsoppor. But these aren't really foods so much as ways to consume the food. There is one thing that I've seen in almost all traditional Swedish plates, though. Potatoes.

Boiled new potatoes with dill, mashed, boiled with cream sauce, dumplings, mixed in with meats, made into pancakes. If you can do something with a potato, Sweden has done it. A direct quote from wikipedia*, "Potatoes are eaten all year around." This wouldn't be funny if that line wasn't standing alone as it's own paragraph. At least I got a chuckle out of it.

Meat also seems to be a big part of their diet, but there's not one meat that stands alone. It seems that every animal has a place on the table changed into nearly every shape. Balls, sausages, steaks, pate, chunks, patties, etc etc. Hell, even feet are welcomed.

As a vegan I'm faced with quite the challenge. I've found some vegan Swedish recipes, mainly meatballs, but for the most part I'm on my own. I'm fine with that. It's fun converting old favorite recipes into new vegan ones. I imagine it will be just as fun finding new and exciting ways to make rotmos med fläsk as a vegan entree. I'll be sure to share what I find.

Until next time
Tack så mycket
Erik

*I, by no means think that wikipedia has all of the answers, but it's a nice and quick go-to guide for basic information.