Scandinavian Cuisine Research

Scandinavia's Cuisine: Food in Scandinavia

Scandinavian Food - What to Expect

By Terri Mapes, About.com Guide

See More About:

• dining in scandinavia
• cuisine
• fishing

Fiskepudding

TAM2006

What exactly is Scandinavian cuisine and what is typical food in Scandinavia? No, it's not just plain old fish. It’s a wide variety of fish and meats, like pork and poultry, as well as beets, potatoes, cucumbers, broiled, baked, and smoked apples, and much more food. Just like Scandinavian design, the Scandinavian cuisine sticks to basics.

In Scandinavia, many food ingredients come from the sea (e.g. a Norwegian whale steak), a fresh-water lake, or even the earth. There's even a bit of Scandinavian history behind Scandinavian food: The Vikings' meals always contained oysters or mussels, sometimes with some mutton, cheese, cabbage, apples, onions, berries and nuts.

When you're ordering food in Scandinavia, fish is usually least expensive. In regards to meat, there is a lot to choose from as well. Deer, elk, and bear meat is always available. If you're traveling throughSweden and suddenly feel both hungry and adventurous, try some smoked horsemeat innocently called "hamburger".

Or, take a look at Thorrablot: Iceland's Midwinter Feast, for the more courageous eaters among us.

If you're visiting Norway or Denmark, have some cured salmon in a good restaurant. Smoked salmon is a popular Scandinavian delicacy. Try some Fiskepudding for dessert (Recipe: Norwegian Fiskefarse/Fiskepudding)!

It is very common in Scandinavia to eat a little more salty than in other parts of the world. Keep this in mind when ordering food in Scandinavia. Salted or smoked meat and fish were the two ways to keep meat fresh during long, dark Scandinavian winters, and the tradition has survived to this day