Scandinavian cuisine

[Doctor Amadeus]

Ohhhh, Norwegian burkas and flags! My two favourites

That reminds me, there is a video of the masters enjoying Norwegian cuisine:

[video=youtube;8U2tQCWCErM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8U2tQCWCE]

I was hoping that image stayed on the first page. But you helped it migrate to page 3.

[tankbug]

Everyone who has pork or access to cod makes those two dishes. Now the last one is a bit more unique since you are mincing reindeer meat.

Perhaps, but I've tried it a couple of times abroad, and they fail with the crackling big time.
Anyway, nordics aren't coming up with anything brand new, they just take things and make a nordic version, like this:



Belgian waffle with a topping of crispy bits of salted/cured mutton, Daim (caramel & milk chocolate) and brown cheese.

[Danner]

What are your experiences from the Scandinavian kitchen?

As a norwegian...

The defining trait of norwegian cooking is that is is entirely spiceless. Apart from salt, spices are absent from cooking. This has led to norwegian culinary experiences like... dried and salted fish. Served with potatoes, using gravy for "spice". There really isn't much more to it, and most norwegians are entirely fed up with it. The norwegian national dish is a particularly bad brand of frozen pizza, no italians would agree that it qualifies as pizza (few norwegians do either). Norwegian restaurants are of the chinese, thai, indian, italian pizzeria, hamburger or sushi variety - palely mimicing the cuisine of those countries (because after all, spices are scary stuff the customers might not like). When you find a place selling "norwegian food" it usually means it is selling "biffsnadder" - beef strips coated with Béarnaise sauce and served with fries.

I am of course exaggerating slightly. But only slightly. There are however some peculiar dishes worth talking about.

Fårikål (Translated: Sheep-in-cabbage)
A seasonal dish for the autumn. It's mutton and cabbage, slow-cooked sous-vide style until both ingredients melt on your tongue. Often including apples. Serve with potatoes. Taste: excellent.


Fiskekaker (Translated: Fish Cakes)
Basically a fish burger made with fish paste, flour and egg. But there are lots of variety based on consistency and taste depending on ingredients. Serve with potatoes. Taste: varies from amazing through garbage.



Raspeball (Translated: grated ball)
The balls are basically boiled potato flour balls, surrounding a core or side dish of salt meat, often bacon. It's a very massive dish that really takes up stomach space - you will have trouble eating two. Sometimes served with potatoes, because that potato ball isn't enough potato. Taste: so-so.


Pinnekjøtt (Translated: stick meat)
A traditional christmas dinner, it's smoked and salted lamb ribs, steamed and served with a stew of swedish turnip and (you guessed it) potatoes. Taste: Amazing.


Lapskaus (untranslatable)
A stew of salt meat, carrots and potatoes. Taste: okay.

[Blade Wolf]

4 pages and nobody posted the obligatory Surstömming.

[zealo]

4 pages and nobody posted the obligatory Surstömming.

It's not that bad if you don't try to eat it directly out of the can, but I suppose people ordering one on the internet have no nearby Swede to inform them of that.

[Zelk]

Very nice food. I think the cold winters have pushed them to create some wonderful preservation methods. Very good bakers too.

[Najnaj]

Most of Scandinavia has amazing summer food and really boring winter food. You can tell that winters traditionally were just about still being alive when April finally comes with what ever would keep for that long.

[Khaza-R]

Nearly impossible to find by me. The only time I’ve ever had it is when my Norwegian coworker brought food for a “diversity day”.

It was some type of giant meatball / pattie thing. Not bad at all. It was at least well seasoned, something I can’t say about most European food outside of the Mediterranean countries

[Deathknightish]

Nearly impossible to find by me. The only time I’ve ever had it is when my Norwegian coworker brought food for a “diversity day”.

It was some type of giant meatball / pattie thing. Not bad at all. It was at least well seasoned, something I can’t say about most European food outside of the Mediterranean countries

Sounds like "kjöttkaker". We have them in Sweden as well, but we call them pannbiff.

[Mifuyne]

Spinaziestampot.

[Will]

I actually prefer Italian and more southern European cuisine. It's got more flavour to my taste buds. As an English person I find that most central or northern European food is really bland, they seem to love mild, creamy flavours. The French in particular are madly obsessed with the mild and creamy palette, it's in their chocolate, their snacks, their main dishes, you name it, they don't seem big on powerful flavours that kick you. It's for that reason that I also love American food. Sure it's usually high in calories but MMM the tastes just smack into your buds like a freight train. Asian food is also lovely but central Asians do tend to go a bit crazy with the spices sometimes.

I don't have a lot of experience with Scandinavian food but from what I'm led to believe, it also follows the 'mild' archetype of central European food.

- - - Updated - - -

It was at least well seasoned, something I can’t say about most European food outside of the Mediterranean countries

I see you agree with me that most European food is quite bland :P

[Unalorian]

As a Latin person who spent 9 of last 14 years of my life in Scandinavia, I am sorry to bring this to you guys: even poor people in 3rd world countries has a better cuisine than you.

apart from Ribbe, which is really good, but that is hardly Scandinavian: only difference is the fact that you only eat on Christmas while we eat it whenever we want.

[Xarkan]

Raspeball (Translated: grated ball)
The balls are basically boiled potato flour balls, surrounding a core or side dish of salt meat, often bacon. It's a very massive dish that really takes up stomach space - you will have trouble eating two. Sometimes served with potatoes, because that potato ball isn't enough potato. Taste: so-so.

This reminds me of something.. possibly

https://satwcomic.com/potato-shaped-like-a-potato

Never tasted it but the comic is vaguely funny

[Stelio Kontos]

I won't knock it, but I'll stick with my own Greek food.

[Cruor]

Hated it when I tried it years ago. About 15 years ago I went to this place in NYC Manhattan that was Scandinavian. It's apparently well known and a very high tier restaurant. If memory serves, there was not a single beef or chicken item on the menu, it was all fish and game. I tried the closest thing I could find to real food (cows and chickens) and hated it.... to this day, the only meal in my life I didn't clean my plate at a restaurant. Needless to say, I have no interest in trying again. French, Italian, American and Asian recipes for beef chicken and veggies all the way.

[Shelly]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVYa5tqGf00

Baby Seal and Whale Ass, in the summer.

[Danner]

This reminds me of something.. possibly

https://satwcomic.com/potato-shaped-like-a-potato

Never tasted it but the comic is vaguely funny

That's the very same thing
I love SATWcomic by the way.

[Blobfish]

Scandos love eating Rotten Fish..their farts must smell really bad

Rakfish is the Norwegian stinky fish favorite

https://thornews.com/2012/01/11/rakf...fish-delicacy/

Rakfisk (Norwegian pronunciation: [rɑːkˈfisk]). Norwegian fish dish made from trout or sometimes char, salted and fermented for two to three months, or even up to a year, then eaten without cooking.

Rakfisk is very is considered a fish delicacy and is served with lefse (flat bread), sour cream, real butter and onion.
Because of its extremely strong taste and smell, it is common to drink beer and a strong Norwegian spirits (Aquavit) when eating it.

It is not recommended that rakfisk be eaten by people with a reduced immune defense or by pregnant women. Note that all recipes for rakfisk states that the fish must never be in contact with soil. This is very important because of the risk of the wrong bacteria growing in the fish, especially Clostridium botulinum which causes botulism.

Yummy

[Independent voter]

I've eaten at IKEA and believe it or not there are Swedish-Americans in the Western and Northern parts of the US who start up restaurants but mostly I order "Swedish meatballs" because I never know what else to order.

[Arrowstormen]

I'm no expert on different cuisines and such, but I love our Scandinavian/danish food. We have the strictest regulations on food in the world as far as I know, and it can be felt when you travel in foreign countries. There's also a question of if we're talking average cuisine or the finest the country has to offer. I'm not a big fan of Indian cuisine and others that rely nearly exclusively on spices to make the food taste of anything, especially if it is hot spices.