Explore More - 2019

SCANDINAVIAN food Some

SCANDINAVIAN food Some of the most delicious and healthy cuisine in the world hails from the fjords of Norway and the Swedish archipelago

SCANDINAVIAN FOOD The heritage of Scandinavian food dates back to the time of the Vikings, who sourced many of their ingredients from the North Sea and were particularly fond of mussels, cod, trout and cured salmon. Their diet was designed to sustain their lifestyle. At sea, they would eat dried or salted meat or fish, washed down with beer or sour milk. At home, they farmed crops and raised animals. On a typical day, the Viking people would eat two meals. The dagmal, or “day meal,” was served an hour after rising. They might have some stew left over from the night before, served with bread and milk; porridge with dried fruit and buttermilk with bread were also popular. The nattmal, or “night meal,” was eaten at the end of the working day, and would be fish or meat stewed with vegetables. For a sweet treat, the Vikings might have had dried fruit with honey. And they drank mead (a strong, fermented drink made from honey), björr (a strong fruit wine), and buttermilk daily. Today, several dishes and ingredients link all the regions of Scandinavia together, bringing the Nordic food experience to life. Scandinavian cooking is all about quality ingredients and simplicity, where the main ingredient flavors the dish. Hearty dishes, such as pork and meatballs, contrast with exquisitely presented openfaced sandwiches. Cured fish and herring are also popular, as are berries, including lingonberries, cloudberries and blueberries. A shot of aquavit, a distinct and potent eau-de-vie flavored with caraway, is an important part of Scandinavian culinary culture. With its spectacular mountains, wilderness and coast, and an abundance of fresh produce including seafood and game, Norwegian cuisine is diverse and usually quite unfussy, letting natural ingredients speak for themselves. Swedish cuisine is centered around fish, cheese, sourdough bread, meatballs (served with lingonberry jam) and potatoes, usually mashed or boiled. Whatever they are doing, the Swedes make time to stop for a coffee and sweet roll once or twice daily in a tradition known as fika, and they invented smörgåsbord, the delicious buffet of hot and cold dishes, which has become popular around the world. Danish cuisine has its roots in peasant traditions; rustic dishes made with potatoes, fish and pork sausages are always popular, and the country is Clockwise, from facing page: A typical openfaced sandwich; Karine helps in the kitchen; a shot of aquavit; a sweet roll, part of the fika tradition known worldwide for its excellent cheeses and smørrebrød, a piece of buttered rye bread topped with a slice of fish, meat or cheese. In Finland, salmon and herring are staple foods, along with deer and moose. Arctic wild berries, including cloudberries, are often featured in jams and desserts. EXPLORE MORE 2019 VIKING.COM 33