I recently had the opportunity to contribute a food-related article to http://www.thelocal.se/, which covers the Swedish news in English. My topic was ten Swedish foods I would miss if I moved. In general I tried to stick to things that would be difficult to get, or make, outside of Sweden with the exception of the kanelbullar (cinnamon rolls) which are on the list partly for their sheer omnipresence here. The Local didn’t run all of the photos that went along with the article so you can click here for a link to the article, and you can see all of the photos below.
It’s fun to think about what foods you would miss if you moved. It’s not always easy to know what you might be able to find in a new place, but at least you can give some thought to your current favorites. Or perhaps you have already left somewhere and have a list from that memorable place and time in your life. So…..what’s on your list?
Räkor (shrimp)
Prinsesstårta (princess cake)
Nyponsoppa (rose hip soup)
Kanelbullar (cinnamon rolls)
Varmrökt lax (warm-smoked salmon)
Filmjölk (soured milk)
Jordgubbar (jordgubbar literally means earth men, a very interesting name indeed for strawberries)
Semlor
Lingonberries
Spettkaka (literally ‘spit cake’, because it’s baked on a spit. Click here for details about history and how it’s made)
semiswede 
I miss the soured milk/yogurt and the cinnamon rolls! I was only visiting Sweden for a couple weeks, but I often think of the great food 🙂
Yes, I feel the same living partly in Brighton, UK the things I miss most is the filmjölk-Afil and of course Kanelbullar, Princess tårta, “svenskt kaffe” , Kalles Kaviar, Wasa Knäckebröd and Nyponsoppa.
I have tried to write to a dairy company to suggest they intoduce Filmjölk, this excellent product to the UK market, but no positive answer. Found something similar to Filmjölk in”Polski Smaki” a Polish shop in Brighton, they call it Kefir and is very similar to Filmjölk.
The other thing I miss (not to eat) is Grön Såpa (liquid pine oil soap) to clean the wooden floors-owen etc with..nothing can beat that fresh smell.
Well, maybe beeing abroad makes you appreciate these food more when you now visit
Sweden. This made me starting my webshop http://www.ohsoswedish.com….homesick and urging for the Swedsih delights,
Eva, are you Swedish, or did you live here for a period of time and now you miss some of the foods and products?
I have actually converted from Grön Såpa to their other product, Citron Såpa. For some reasons the smell of the citron one appeals to me more, but they are both great products.
I checked out your site. I’ve never heard of the wood tar soap before and I have some family members with severe eczema. Maybe I’ll have to send them a bar.
Nice to hear that you have good food memories of Sweden. Often people don’t realize how many wonderful foods there are here, but there are several people out there tyring to change that. Me included. 🙂
Yes, I’m Swedish and been living in UK during periods since 2000, now sharing my time between Brighton and Stockholm since 2008.
Are you living in UK or Sweden.
Never heard of Citron Såpa, will try that next time I,m in Stockholm. Just finished cleaning some old wooden floor from in Brighton house..smells very good and good for the wood, gets a certain shine after that.
Happy to hear you went into my web site http://www.ohsoswedish.com and interested in the wood tar soap. Your welcome to order some for a very modest price. Soon launching a new website and web shop.
I live in Sweden, Malmö actually. What part of Sweden are you from and do you make the wood tar soap yourself or import it? What does it smell like?
Hej mb
Sorry, didn’t realize you were the web host and that you are living in Malmö…
Not easy to learn Swedish-Skånska, have a bit of trouble my self when I visiting. Good Luck!! (used to work as a teacher in Swedish for immigrants, so I know the hard work learning Swedish.) Now I’m struggling to improve my English…
I’m born in Södertälje,the town with the canal / sluice locks, between lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. And where ladies used to sell “Tälje kringlor”(sort off pretzlers) on the railway station.
Famous for, Astra Zeneca, SaabScania, Björn Borg etc.
Moved to Stockholm in the mid 70s and now reside in a small flat in a wooden house in a city park *listed buildings
Saw your post about Drumbar’s pork knuckles, which my partner Ken loves. Will pass on that post to my brother Per, custom officer in Malmö but lives in Ystad. My sister Kärstin also lives in Malmö, in Kircheberga, she’s a textil artist, making some art on my web shop.
Lovely Swedish dish from Öland, “Kroppkakor med lingonsylt” (sort of potatoe dumplings filled with onion and bacon, Add melted butter as well…heavenly yummy and very filling!! Have you tried it?
I can recommend a very good book with Swedish recipies, “Served from the Swedish Kitchen”/ICA publisher-bokförlag as well ICAs cook book Svenska landskapsrätter(modern versions of traditional regional dishes)
Hey Eva,
Interesting you were an SFI teacher. I finished SFI this past June and will be taking Svenska A at Malmö Högskola this fall. I keep hoping it will get easier, but it hasn’t yet. At least I can understand a good bit.
I do love the Drumbar pork knuckles. I have been back there twice more since making that post and still haven’t been able to bring myself to order anything else but the knuckle. I really do recommend it. Nice that you have family in Skåne.
I haven’t tried the kroppkakor but they sound delicious. You’ve peaked my interest so I’ll have to look it up. And thank you for the cookbook recommendation. I am a cookbook junkie and it’s always nice to have suggestions. I just purchased the 4 book set of Prinsessornas Kokbok from 1931. So interesting to look at the historic recipes. I’ll have to give some of them a try too.
Hej mb,
Good luck with Svenska A.. have you tried this link with news in Swedish for SFI- Sv2 students -http://www.kreativpedagogik.se/
And hope you yo will enjoy “Öländska Kroppkakor” as well as the historic recipies from Prinessornas Kokbok.
Tonight I will make Falukorv i ugn med tomater-senap plus rotmos (Swede mash), brought a whole ring of Falukorv from Stockholm… will suprise Mr K with a very Swedish dish on the dinner table
Have Good Day
Eva
Great blog! I just discovered it through Amateur Gourmet’s posting on Why Cookbooks Are Here to Stay. I miss so many things from Sweden: the special nordic waffles (flat, crispy, and flower-shaped), mandelmassa, the special sweet loaf of spiced bread that you can get in ica or hemkop. Jordgrubb filmjölk or the banana and lime filmjölk! Blåbarsoppa. I even miss Bregott. Oh nostalgia..
Hey Katina. Thanks for stopping by. Are you Swedish, or did you live in Sweden for a while? Of course you are welcome back any time. 🙂
Ok,here are my thoughts on the “body cakes”: http://leswandese.wordpress.com/2011/10/14/body-cakes/
You really must try “Kålpudding”! No, i’m serious! Google it NOW! 😀
I really like your blog! Keep up the good work!
Cheers!
Thanks leswandese. I’ve never heard of kålpudding, but it does look tasty, and easy to do which is a big thumbs up.