Swedish Food: Beyond the Meatballs

Yes, Sweden has meatballs with lingonberries. But Swedish food is having a moment. Traditions: Köttbullar should be eaten at proper restaurants; Jansson’s Temptation is potato gratin with anchovies that sounds wrong and tastes right; surströmming (fermented herring) is so pungent it’s banned from most buildings — approach with caution and open air. Modern Swedish food: Restaurants like Frantzen (three Michelin stars) represent the high end; mid-range places like Pelikan and Oaxen Krog make Nordic cuisine accessible. Sweet stuff: The kanelbulle is Sweden’s most important cultural export after ABBA. And semlor — cream-filled cardamom buns in February — inspire heated debate.