My Favorite Meals In Scandinavia

To be honest, I didn’t have any preparation for the greatness that is Scandinavian cuisine. And how can you blame me when my only exposure is IKEA’s Swedish meatballs and watching History Channels “Vikings” as they scarf down freshly caught wildlife? I am here to tell you that you should experience the local cuisines even if you aren’t a risk taker when it comes to food. Below I highlight my favorite meals and honorable mentions in some of the major cities a visited.

Stockholm, Sweden

Some of you worldly folk may have heard of the wondrous fruit known as the lingonberry. If you are naïve like me, then the first time you will try it is in Stockholm where they put it on everything and in every course. And,  if you give them a try, there is no wonder in the world why these sweet little berries are a great addition to meats or veggies! My favorite meal may come as a surprise to many, but it wasn’t seafood. It was a Veal cutlet from Backfickan Operakallaren. The veal itself was the most tender, well-prepared meat I had on the trip. The combination of the veal, peas, potatoes, and lingonberries was both mouthwatering and filling. I have attached the picture of all of our respective meals including the classic Swedish meatballs, sausage, and beef tenderloin.

 

Honorable Mention: Vete-Katten Pastries
I’d be kidding myself if I said there weren’t good pastries sprinkled all throughout Scandinavia. The most memorable, however, was located in Stockholm. With too many options to choose from, we each picked out one that intrigued us and they all passed the test! Different cream filled doughnuts, croissants, and little fruit-flavored cookies sent us too soft-baked heaven.

 

 

Honorable Mention Beverage: Oatly

If you don’t know me very well, I am very attracted to products in unique and different packaging. When I first set my eyes on an Oatly container I thought it was a push-up, like the old Flinstones ones I had as a child. Not reading anything about it I purchased it and took a swig. To my surprise, it was actually good! It is made mostly out of Oats, giving it a one-of-a-kind texture and great fruit flavoring.

 

 

 

 

Stavanger, Norway

Our main reason for going to Stavanger was the hike to Pulpit Rock, but they definitely left me satisfied in the food department as well. Although it is a very small city, it is filled with a plethora of different bars and restaurants right on the waterfront. We decided to pick Fisketorget, which parks itself right on the waterfront between Old Town Stavanger and the main part of the city. This location has astonishing views of the water and landscape along with traditional Norwegian food options. Everyone in our group chose their classic seafood soup and it was the right choice. The combination of salmon, shrimp, and white fish was fantastic. Those fantastic seafood heroes come drowned in a cream based soup with French bread and green onions. You can’t pass this up.

 

 

Honorable mention: DØGNVILLS CHIPOTLE
I know I said stay away from chains when traveling, but when it is a local chain that has glorious burgers and shakes I say go for it. The Norwegian chain Dognvill has fantastic burger options, and the Chipotle option was able to fill my need for spice as well. It tasted like Mexico on a medium well burger, and I enjoyed every bite of it.

 

 

Reykjavik, Iceland

My favorite food endeavor in Iceland was Hot Dogs. You may be saying “How lame is Evan,” but you would be completely wrong in every sense of the word. Although we don’t truly know what type of meat lies in between these glorious buns, I can assure you your taste buds won’t mind. Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur started back in 1937 and is still hailed as Iceland’s best hot dogs. For a very affordable price of 420 krónur ($3.12), you get a steamed sausage (lamb-based, with pork and beef) served in a bun with your choice of ketchup, sweet mustard, remoulade, crisp fried onion and raw onion. I recommend ordering the “eina með öllu” meaning the one with everything. You won’t be disappointed.

 

 

I hope you enjoyed all of my food recommendations and dare to try them if you make it over to our friends in Scandinavia. If the amazing views, awesome culture and history, and beautiful people don’t draw you in I hope the local delicatessen does!

 

Feel free to ask me questions about these wonderful dishes on twitter @evbtuesdays or leave a comment below. If you would like to hear from EVB right in your inbox, please sign up for the weekly newsletter on my home page.

 

Stay casual until next Tuesday!

 

EVB