“The discovery of a new dish does more for the happiness of the human race than the discovery of a star.”
– Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin
I wouldn’t call myself a culinary traveler.
Don’t get me wrong – I love food (as anyone who knows me will attest), but getting to know a country’s flavors isn’t usually my top priority when I’m on the road. That all changed in Åre, Sweden. My time in this far northern destination was supposed to be about skiing – but what I found myself exploring with as much energy as the piste was the Swedish cuisine of the Jämtland region.
And what I discovered was this: Savory reindeer meet. Little red jewels of lingonberries. Tangy pink cloudberries worth trying because of their name alone. The country’s infamous meatballs were nowhere to be found. Here are a few of the dishes I’m still dreaming about, organized in a kind of ‘day in the culinary life of Åre.’ Read on at your own risk…it might just make you hungry:
Breakfast: pancakes with jam and cream.
Otherwise known as pannkakor m sylt o gradde, this was my first meal in Stockholm back in 2008. So when they appeared on our breakfast buffet the last morning, thin as crêpes and warm from the kitchen, there was no choice but to have some…even if I had already filled up on bacon and eggs.
Where to have it in Åre: Check out the restaurant inside the Tott Hotel, where Sunday brunch is offered at 195 SEK (or about $30).
Lunch: meat stew with potatoes and carrots.
At lunch one day, our Swedish ski guide Jasper explained that a sign reading Dagens husman is another way of saying, “Today’s special.” My favorite special in Åre was kalops, a thick meat stew served with soft, warm potatoes and carrots.
Where to have it in Åre: There’s nothing quite like skiing to your lunch. Leave your skis at the door and cozy up inside Buustamon Fjällgård, located 732 meters above sea level right on the slopes of Mount Åre.
Pre-dinner cocktail: sparkling birch sap wine.
Don’t let the name deceive you – Sav is definitely not short for sauvignon blanc. Rather it’s a sparkling wine made from birch sap, based on an original recipe from 1785. With a hint of whiskey to it and a most peculiar aftertaste, I wouldn’t say it’s for everyone.
To learn more about Sav, visit the company’s website.
Dinner: starter of elk carpaccio.
Raw elk anyone? I wasn’t exactly dying to try these paper-thin slices of elk meat, but surprisingly loved it. Dots of juniper berry mayonnaise and mustard cress added the perfect balance of flavors…and the gin-marinated lingon berries didn’t hurt either.
Where to have it in Åre: The lakeside village is home to over 50 restaurants, including the historic Villa Tottebo. The actual home in which the restaurant is housed was built in 1897, but it was moved from the slopes to the shoreline in 1993….I can’t imagine this being an easy feat on the side of a mountain.
Main: seared haunches of reindeer.
I’m no stranger to fondue – dipping delightful skewers of fruit, brownies and pound cake into melted chocolate – but cooking your own meat at your table, too? I had my first introduction to a hot stone restaurant in Åre, where blocks of black soapstone heated to 350°F are placed before you. Slices of beef and reindeer then need a quick sixty seconds on each side to sizzle their way to perfection.
Where to have it in Åre: Also located in Åre village, Wersén:s brasserie and bar have a specific hot stone menu starting at 455 SEK ($63).
Dessert: warm cloudberries with yoghurt ice cream.
It sounds like something from a fairy world, doesn’t it? Cloudberries with cream. Thankfully, these are straight from the real world of Scandinavia, served with a couple of cardamom crisps and a tiny glass bottle of traditional punsch liqueur to pour on top.
Where to have it in Åre: There was hardly a restaurant we visited that didn’t feature cloudberries on their dessert menu. Villa Tottebo and Wersén’s are good places to start.
Disclosure: I’m grateful to VisitSweden and Neilson Holidays for the chance to explore Åre’s culinary side, but all opinions (and love affairs with lingonberries) are my own.
Wow after 6 months in Asia, you don’t know how much I’m craving a steak! Your photos have definitely made me drool all over my desk and fantasizing about how that seared reindeer would taste in my mouth. Yumm…
Ah, I can definitely imagine! I felt the exact same way after my time in India last year – Sweden was the opposite, definitely a carnivore’s delight. I’m guessing your first meal back in Spain will be a massive steak then? 🙂
Gosh, I shouldn’t have read this on an empty stomach! Everything looks delicious! How was the reindeer? Looks pretty tasty!
Hey Natalie! It’s great to hear from you, how’ve you been? The reindeer – especially what we cooked in the hot stone restaurant – was fantastic, much to my surprise 🙂 Hope you’re well, where are you off to next?
Ooooh, sounds yummy! ‘Try Swedish cuisine’ is on the list now! 🙂
Thanks, Abhijit! I’m sure you’ll love it, very savory and perfect for cold weather (presuming you visit in winter, of course 🙂
Oh yum! I like to think I wouldn’t eat elk and reindeer but who am I kidding? I’ve eaten springbok, kudu and ostrich. But you photos are excellent and you are right – my mouth is indeed watering!
Hey Emm! Great to hear from you, hope you’re having a lovely summer so far. I definitely thought I was right there with you on not eating reindeer or elk. I even tried a few slices of reindeer in Finland back in 2008 and couldn’t manage it. But for whatever reason, I got past my mental block and really enjoyed them this trip – perhaps because they’d been cooked so well! And who knows, maybe they’ve given me the courage to try springbok and ostrich one day 🙂
That reindeer looks delicious. I chose a bad day to read this post. Skipped lunch and now my stomach is doing somersaults!
Oh, no 🙂 Definitely didn’t intend to inspire any stomach-somersaults, haha. The reindeer was delicious, though. I was a little afraid I’d feel like I was “eating Rudolph,” but it tasted great–and was fun to cook too!
This sounds delicious – I’m so excited to be visiting Sweden in just a few days! I’m writing down all your recommendations…
Ah, that’s fantastic, Katherina! Where will you be visiting in Sweden? Have a wonderful time, I love it there.
At Christmas I went to the local Norwegian (or was it Fnnish?) church and had reindeer chilli. it was incredible and i loved it. and also, i always love ikea food.
would you recommend a visit to sweden, finland, or norway?
Whoa, reindeer chili…now I’d definitely be up for trying that. Hm, it’s a hard call about where to go – I think it depends on what you want to see and do. I love Stockholm simply for its beautiful old town quarter, Gamla Stan. It’s also built on an archipelago and I’d love to go back and do an islands cruise through it (http://www.stromma.se/en/Skargard/Stromma-Kanalbolaget/Day-cruises/Thousand-Island-Cruise/). What I’m dying to see in Norway are the fjords, which aren’t exactly easy to get to from Oslo, but look incredible. I’d say Norway if you’re looking for a natural adventure, Sweden for more city life. I’m not too familiar with Finland as we only stayed with a friend outside Helsinki and didn’t explore the capital too much. Really, though, you can’t go wrong with Scandinavia 🙂
Wow, all of that looks delicious. I just realized that prior to reading this post I had no idea what type of food constituted being Swedish cuisine. Already wanted to go there – now I really do!
Thanks so much for your comment, Gina, and for visiting The Great Affair! I would happily spend another weekend in Sweden doing nothing but eating 🙂 I can’t recommend it enough. By the way, I’ve just checked out your blog and love your premise. I look forward to following along!