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Food in Sweden: The Incredible Dishes We Ate in Skåne.

Food in Sweden is amazing. And the Skåne region is no exception. Here you will find great restaurants and can enjoy some of the best traditional food of Sweden.


Oyster ceviche in Sweden.
Oyster ceviche.

I never knew that Sweden, and especially the Skåne region, would have such an abundance of amazing food. I had grown up eating a few Swedish staples, like pickled herring and buttered flatbread and the meatballs you’ll find at the IKEA Museum, but I had no idea what they could do with these ordinary ingredients or how beautifully it could be presented.

So, if you’re visiting Malmo, Luleå, or parts of the Skåne region and beyond, use this amazing guide to food in Sweden to decide exactly what to eat.

In this world food guide to Sweden, you’ll learn about:

Tastes from the Sea

We were only in Skåne for a couple of days, during that time we ate our way completely around  the county. As you might imagine, fish plays a major role in the Swedish diet.

We tried fish dish after fish dish, and it was all delicious. We started in a small harbor at a fish shop called Blâ Hoddans Fisk, where we met up with Tobias and tried some of their home-smoked salmon as well as hearing a little about the fishing history of the area.

Salmon spread with rye bread in Sweden.

Amazing fish dishes can be found just about everywhere, and believe it or not our next stop was the Malmö train station. Inside we visited the Salt and Sill restaurant where they gifted us with oysters, pickled herring, and deep-fried herring fingers. Each melted in our mouths.

It was at this point in the day when I realized I must be a reincarnated Swede, because I was in herring heaven. The next time I’m in Malmö, mark my words, I won’t be leaving the station until I stop and have a herring fix, that’s for sure.

Pieces of fresh herring with dill atop rye bread.
Fired appetizers in Skåne, Sweden.
This monkfish and greens is a work of art.
This monkfish and greens is a work of art.

Another memorable fish dish was had that evening at Ambiance à Vindåkra, a Michelin star restaurant located outside of Malmö. This delectable greens and monkfish dish tantalized us with the subtle flavors of summer.

Tastes from the Pastures

Not that I was so inclined, but we did have much more than fish. During our stay in Skåne, we had a variety of meat dishes as well. Our very first lunch, in Svaneholm Castle, started us off with a working man’s lunch of pork, salad, and potatoes giving us a glimpse of everyday life in Skåne.

The food in Sweden we ate is hearty, like this plate of fried potatoes, fish, and fresh salad.
A hearty lunch for the working man, or woman!

Plenty of our stops showed us the elevated side of the meats as well. Every type of meat, from beef to lamb, found its way to our table.

An exquisite plate of succulent lamb with sauce and puree.
This succulent lamb just melts in your mouth.

One of the places where the meat was the absolute best was at Ängavallen, a farm that raises all its own meats. It leaves nothing to the outside world as it grows its own grains to feed the animals, which are in fenced pastures, not confined to small compartments, and free to roam around and enjoy life. They then butcher the animals and either serve the meat at their amazing on-site restaurant or sell it in their shop.  

Smoky pork and mashed potatoes with foie gras foam from Ängavallen farm.
Smoky pork and mashed potatoes with foie gras foam from Ängavallen farm.

We even had one of the simplest of dishes at the most common places to eat lunch, at the Green Marmarknad, a grocery store located next to the iconic twisted building in Malmö. We were treated to a turkey patty on a bed of bulgur and greens, which I must say rivaled the more refined dining places we stopped on our tour.  

We also stopped at Gastronomi & Harmoni where Paul, the owner and chef, served us up a variety of local salamis and cheeses.

Turkey burger served with bulgar and sweet potato and root vegetable medley with fresh greens.
Turkey burger served with bulgar and sweet potato and root vegetable medley with fresh greens.
Local salamis and cheeses were on at Gastronomi & Harmoni located in Malmö.
Local salamis and cheeses were on at Gastronomi & Harmoni located in Malmö.

Disclaimer: Traveling and eating our way through Skane was hosted by the friendly folks at Visit Skane. Thanks go out to them for all of their support!

Traditional Food in Sweden – Fika!

As we ate and ate, we learned of what is probably my favorite Swedish tradition – the fika. Somewhat like a coffee break in mid-morning, fika is a sacred time set away for everyone to just take a few minutes and have a cup of coffee and a snack. Our fika was taken at the Kaka på Kaka where they served us some scrumptious cookies.

Chocolate and vanilla shortbreads for Swedish fika.
Chocolate and vanilla shortbreads for Swedish fika.
Roasted coconut topped chocolate triangles, another fika specialty.
Roasted coconut topped chocolate triangles, another fika specialty.
Thumbprint fika cookies.
Thumbprint fika cookies.

Traditional Food in Sweden – Cheese and Dessert Courses

To top off all these amazing meals we had some fantastic cheese courses as well as the most delectable desserts.

A lot of food in Sweden consists of decadent cheese and salami boards.
A decadent cheese board to rival those of Paris.
An opulent cheese plate with six different cheeses.
Just like a book, work left to right across the plate.
Sparkling wine and a rhubarb sorbet .
Sparkling wine and a rhubarb sorbet to round out the meal.

There is no doubt that our Gastronomy Tour provided by TBEX and Visit Sweden provided us with a memorable taste of Skåne, Sweden. If you are visiting this amazing country, take time to look up some of these eateries and enjoy. Here’s a few other memorable dishes that we were treated to:

Foie gras creme brûlée.
Foie gras creme brûlée.
Foie gras stuffed cherries with crispy kale chips.
Foie gras stuffed cherries with crispy kale chips.
Crunchy pork meatball poppers.
Crunchy pork meatball poppers.

Here is the complete list of places that sponsored us on this fantastic food tour:

  1. Svaneholm Castle
  2. Ängavallen
  3. Ambiance à Vindåkra
  4. Blâ Hoddans Fisk
  5. Kaka på Kaka
  6. Gastronomi & Harmoni
  7. Salt and Sill
  8. Green Matmarknad

Conclusion

Thanks once again to all of the above-mentioned restaurants for giving us a true taste of Sweden. It’s one of those fabulous countries that you’ll love exploring, especially if you’re foodies like us, since traditional food in Sweden is a beautifully complex mixture of iconic Swedish dishes like meatballs, pickled herring, falukorv sausage, and more. So, what would you like to taste in Sweden?

Author Bio: Corinne Vail is a travel photographer, food lover, and a perpetual traveler who has been travel writing for over 14 years. For many years she lived overseas in Germany, Japan, Turkey, South Korea, and the Netherlands teaching the children of the US. military. She’s visited over 90 countries, and she’s not stopping anytime soon.

Pin Skåne for later!
From gourmet to cheap lunch, click here to find out where to eat in Skåne, Sweden.
From gourmet to cheap lunch, click here to find out where to eat in Skåne, Sweden.
From gourmet to cheap lunch, click here to find out where to eat in Skåne, Sweden.
From gourmet to cheap lunch, click here to find out where to eat in Skåne, Sweden.

Jesper, The Biveros Effect

Wednesday 14th of June 2017

Looks delicious, a few interesting things to do with our traditional food as well. :)

Corinne Vail

Thursday 15th of June 2017

Jesper, I was so impressed with the food. I love, love, love herring!

Rhonda Albom

Sunday 20th of November 2016

The fish and meat dishes look divine. I am a sucker for smoked salmon.

Corinne Vail

Sunday 20th of November 2016

Rhonda, Me too. After living in Alaska, I can't get enough smoked salmon.

Andrew Cariboni

Friday 18th of November 2016

JEEZ!! Looks insane.

Corinne Vail

Friday 18th of November 2016

Andrew, Deliciously insane!

Rachael@safari254

Tuesday 15th of November 2016

Not the ideal post to read on an empty stomach. Everything looks delicious.

Corinne Vail

Tuesday 15th of November 2016

Rachael, It was. It was. All delicious.

Erin Klema | The Epicurean Traveler

Tuesday 15th of November 2016

I just watched Emeril Lagasse's documentary series where he traveled to other countries to explore their culinary scenes with other chefs. The Sweden episode was really interesting, especially the focus on New Nordic cuisine. All the food you've shared in this post looks so thoughtfully and beautifully plated. It also sounds like it was delicious. I really wish I had gone to TBEX in Sweden now!

Corinne Vail

Tuesday 15th of November 2016

Erin, It was an amazing tour. I couldn't believe what they did with all of their local ingredients. If you go to Sweden, you can still try the foods, though.