Smörgåsbord & Beyond: 10 delicious Facts about Swedish Cuisine

Welcome back, it's been three weeks that we've been writing and publishing every single day! Let's celebrate and have lunch!

I've been talking a lot about bakeries and cinnamon rolls, but of course the Swedes aren't living off fika all day. Here's a list of cherished dishes:

1. Köttbullar ≠ IKEA Meatballs
The famous Swedish meatballs (köttbullar) do have an Ottoman origin, brought back by King Charles XII in the 18th century after exile in Turkey. But the Swedish version evolved with its own twist: smaller, often served with cream sauce, lingonberry jam, and boiled or mashed potatoes.

2. Smörgåsbord: The OG Buffet
The smörgåsbord (literally “buttered bread table”) is a Swedish tradition dating back to the 16th century. It became internationally known thanks to the 1939 New York World’s Fair, where the Swedish Pavilion featured a smorgasbord restaurant. The idea was to allow guests to mingle and snack before the main meal, hence, pre-dinner grazing is basically a Swedish invention.

3. Potatoes are practically sacred
Swedes eat potatoes with almost everything. Mashed, boiled, gratinated (Janssons frestelse, a creamy potato-and-anchovy casserole), or even in salad form at Midsummer. They're often the quiet star of the plate.

4. Gravlax: Cured in Tradition
Gravlax means “buried salmon.” It harks back to when fishermen would salt and bury the fish in the sand to ferment slightly. Modern versions are cured with salt, sugar, and dill; no digging required!

5. Pickled Herring comes in Flavors!
From mustard to onion to garlic to curry, pickled herring isn’t just one taste. It’s a staple at every holiday and part of the classic smörgåsbord, often chased with a shot of snaps (flavored aquavit), accompanied by a drinking song. Yes, there are songs for that.

6. Reindeer & Moose: Not just for Lapland
In the north, reindeer and moose are traditional proteins, often smoked or turned into stews. Reindeer is lean, slightly gamey, and a point of pride in Sami cuisine — the Indigenous food culture of northern Sweden.

7. Falukorv: The Sausage with a Backstory
This large, mild sausage traces its roots to the copper mines of Falun. It was created as a way to use ox hides for ropes, and the leftover meat for food! It’s now a beloved everyday food, especially sliced and pan-fried for kids.

8. Pea Soup Thursdays (Yes, It's a Thing)
Swedes traditionally eat yellow pea soup (ärtsoppa) with pancakes on Thursdays. This custom dates back to Catholic times, when Friday was a meatless day — so Thursday was the time to bulk up with protein.

9. Cinnamon Buns… But only at the right Time
As suspected: Swedes don’t just live off kanelbullar, even though they’re iconic. In fact, they have a specific Kanelbullens dag (Cinnamon Bun Day) on October 4th. Fika is sacred, yes, but it’s usually just once or twice a day, and often involves coffee with a small pastry or biscuit (bulle, kaka, mazarin... take your pick).

10. Sweets on Saturdays only (in Theory)
Swedish kids grow up with the lördagsgodis (Saturday candy) tradition, where sweets are only eaten on Saturdays. Originally introduced as a dental health campaign. Of course, many adults still stick to this… or try to.

Global Flavors, with a Swedish Twist

Sweden doesn’t just preserve its food traditions, it playfully reinvents global ones, too. Take kebab pizza, for example: A wildly popular fusion of döner meat, fresh cucumber wedges, and a generous drizzle of creamy, spicy "kebabsås," kind of a mystery sauce. It’s beloved late-night fare and a staple on pizzeria menus across the country. Then there’s banana curry pizza (yes, really), topped with banana slices, curry powder, and sometimes peanuts or chicken, often under the name Pizza Africana. 

Both are prime examples of how Sweden takes international influences and gives them a distinctly local flavor. You’ll find similar Swedish spins on tacos, sushi, and Thai food, always a little milder, often creamier, and occasionally surprising.

I couldn’t find a license-free photo of Swedish kebab pizza, so here’s pide, basically kebab pizza’s slightly more sophisticated cousin from Turkey. Same idea: dough, meat, veggies. Different shape, but equally delicious. Think of it as kebab pizza in a fancy boat. Close enough, right?

Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

Wait… What about Vegetarians?

Sure, between all the meatballs, pickled fish, and game meats, this list might sound like a horror story for vegetarians, let alone vegans. But don’t despair! Sweden is surprisingly progressive when it comes to plant-based eating. In Stockholm especially, I spotted niche vegan restaurants, oat milk as the default in cafés, and entire supermarket aisles dedicated to meat substitutes and dairy-free alternatives.

And just to prove how normalized it is: Before flying back home, I bought a vegan cheese sandwich at the airport without even realizing it.

In Sweden, tradition and innovation happily share a plate, sometimes with a spoonful of lingonberry jam, sometimes with kebab sauce, and occasionally both on a pizza you didn’t see coming.

Have you ever tried a surprising food combo while traveling? What dish caught you off guard (in the best or worst way)? I'd love to hear your culinary meat - I mean curveballs!