Specialty Foods by Country

I enjoy trying new foods, particularly the specialties of a given country. Can people start listing the countries and food specialties that should be tried?

 

Example:

Belgium - Frites (fries), waffles, and chocolate.

 

Thanks,

Norway - Lutefisk.....enjoy!

Helsinki, try the reindeer

 

Oh, we had the most delicious chocolate éclair in Copenhagen. Don't know if it is a usual thing, but it sure was good.

 

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe409_zps109d3afa.jpg

 

Cheers

 

Len

While Scandinavia has an wide variety of foods that could be experienced, I think one area which might be of interest to some cruisers is some of the 'street' food or simple 'on the go' options.

 

Many foods 'pushed' on tourists as 'authentic' are rarely enjoyed by locals and are foods with more popularity in remote regions and might night be to the liking of those not accustomed to them.

 

These two are very basic examples of Swedish casual 'fast' food.

 

Skagenröra in Sweden is one of my favorites. It is served in cafes, bars, kiosks and restaurants and even the Swedish version of Subway Sandwiches, Sandy's has a variation. In finer establishments it is very high quality and served with a few homemade crisp breads, then it has become popular as a topping for a baked potatoes and then as a stuffing for a baguette sandwich.

 

It is basically a prawn salad or a prawn cocktail with Swedish caviar and dill.

 

A raksalad is a shrimp salad that is added as a topping on the following street food, tunnbrödsrulle.

 

 

Here is a post I took from a blog describing Tunnbrodsrulle

 

The Swedish tunnbrodsrulle consists of two hot dogs wrapped in a thin bread roll dressed with a dollop of mashed potatoes, complimented with ketchup, mustard, onion, pickled cucumber, lettuce, and creamy shrimp salad dressing. Steff Houlberg, owned by the Tulip Foodservice Company in Denmark supplies over 30 varieties of Danish hot dogs and sausages aka "polsen." Depending on the region, polsen are served in traditional hot dog buns, enclosed hot dog buns, and flat bread buns. Polsen are dressed with various condiments as French fried onions-similar to our French's canned French fried onions, bacon bits, relish, raw onions, pickle chips, ketchup, mustard, and a special mayo based remoulade which contains mustard, onions, and relish. Some are wrapped with bacon. As a Chicagoan living in Racine, WI, home of the original Danish Kringle, I learned to make authentic Danish style hot dogs using a Dutch potato hot dog bun, dressed with mustard, onions, relish, pickles, Holland remoulade (a condiment used on pommes frites), French fried, onions, and bacon bits. The mayo based remoulade and the cruchiness of the French fried onions, just don't work for me. I prefer the crunch of a cold kosher dill pickle along with the famous "snap" of a natural casing hot dog. I'm sure others will love the Danish style dog. Here's a video of a Danish hot dog vendor:

That first bacon wrapped dog looks might good to me. I like that enclosed bun with the condiment (remoulade) injected in the top and the dog served in a bag. Many Danish dogs are consumed out side the bun and dipped directly into the condiments.

Helsinki, try the reindeer

 

Oh, we had the most delicious chocolate éclair in Copenhagen. Don't know if it is a usual thing, but it sure was good.

 

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe409_zps109d3afa.jpg

 

Cheers

 

Len

 

Reindeer is something of a speciality in the entire northern Nordic region (northern Sweden+Norway+Finland).

 

For Sweden, Tunnbrödrulle have already been mentioned but there is also the classic Swedish meatballs (which actually have German origin) and of course herring with mashed potatoes.

 

Tunnbördrulle is available at most gatukök while herring can be harder to find.

I only know of two places that serves herring and that is Djurgårdsbrons Sjöcafé and Strömmingsvagnen at Södermalmstorg.

 

Also try the typical Swedish cinnamon bun.

 

There are allot more typical Swedish food but I don't think it is available in Stockholm, food like Palt, Kroppkakor, Ostkaka, Moose meat, Swedish kaviar, Surströmming

 

Ostakaka and Swedish kaviar can be bought in most supermarkets but I think it's rarer to find at restaurants.

Edited June 19, 2014 by Desdichado62

the pastries in Copenhagen are THE BEST. we found the pastries in Sweden to be dry and not tasty. we also bought some macarons at a fancy shop in St P that were fantastic.

I can a couple of REALLY good suggestions to my original Norway post...

 

Norway - Lefse (super thin potato type of pancake eaten with cinnamon and sugar or savory with butter at a meal), Kringler - you can find this all over Scandinavia (flakey pastry with almond paste filling) Blotkake (layered cream cake)

 

Iceland - Vinatarta (layered cake with prune filling)

I read recently that Swedes are crazy for crayfish and that the season starts in August. Are they readily available? How are they prepared?

I read recently that Swedes are crazy for crayfish and that the season starts in August. Are they readily available? How are they prepared?

 

We are crazy about crayfish, normally they are boiled together with dill.

 

http://www.nordiskamuseet.se/aretsdagar/kraftpremiaren (in Swedish only)

http://www.visitsweden.com/sweden/Things-to-do/Swedish-Lifestyle/Swedish-traditions/Food-Crayfish-party/

 

Another thing I recommend you to try if you have the possibility is Swedish tap water which usually is of excellent quality.

http://www.visitsweden.com/sweden/Sweden-Facts/How-you-do-things-in-Sweden/Drinking-water/

Thank you, D-62!

First thing I eat when I come to DK is a hotdog. Have never foud anything in the USA which matche the Danish. Sold by street vendors all over Copenhagen.

 

Open faced sandwiches which can be found in many restaurants.

 

Lunch buffet wth heering and other fish and much more. Must be enjoyed with Dansh snaps (much different than American snaps) and has no fruit flavor.

 

If you enjiy marzipan, get some pieces of Kransekage, in the bakeri.

 

Enjoy

DW and I were married in Denmark and discovered really "danishes." They cannot be beat and don't have any calories.

 

We did a trip to Russia with river cruise in 2011. The Russians make the best meat pies.

First thing I eat when I come to DK is a hotdog. Have never foud anything in the USA which matche the Danish. Sold by street vendors all over Copenhagen.

 

Open faced sandwiches which can be found in many restaurants.

 

Lunch buffet wth heering and other fish and much more. Must be enjoyed with Dansh snaps (much different than American snaps) and has no fruit flavor.

 

If you enjiy marzipan, get some pieces of Kransekage, in the bakeri.

 

Enjoy

 

Perhaps Rød pølse? Which is a typical Dansih hot dog, regular hot dogs is very common in Sweden as well and is sold by gatukök/korvkiosker.

Herring is also very common in Sweden (as mentioned above).

 

Another nice eatable fish is the zander which is considered as a somewhat of a delicacy.

Norway - Lutefisk.....enjoy!

 

Ish. My fMily prepared this and the smell was awful. We joke about it all of the time. I will pass it by in Norway and Sweden. Hope I didn't offend you

Surströmning in sweden.

 

It smells very very very disgusting but should taste very good.

 

 

 

In Denmark the top 8 danish dishes was found after a huge survey and competition.

 

1: Stegt Flæsk/roast pork

2: Smørrebrød/Open Faced sandwich

3: Hakkebøf/chopped steak

4: Karbonader/rissoles

5: Brændende Kærlighed/Burning Love - mashed potatoes

6: Æbleflæsk (don´t know how to translate this one!!! Apple pork????)

7: Stegt Sild/fried herring

8: Svinekoteletter/Pork chops

 

http://danskernesmad.dk/nationalret/

Edited March 23, 2015 by Danish viking

The fried herring mentioned above:

http://www.swedishfood.com/swedish-food-recipes-main-courses/210-herring-fried

 

Then there is Swedish pancakes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancake#Sweden

https://www.google.se/search?q=Swedish+pancakes&safe=off&biw=1920&bih=851&source=lnms&sa=X&ei=wCYQVaiEN8m-ygPc-oL4BA&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAA&dpr=1

 

We also have the classic Smörgårstårta: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sm%C3%B6rg%C3%A5st%C3%A5rta

Edited March 23, 2015 by Desdichado62

Cloudberries!

Cloudberries!

 

Yeah that's right. In Sweden they are commonly called Hjortron but also have several different local names.

https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hjortron#Bygdem.C3.A5l

 

There is also Blackberries which are called Björnbär (Bear berries) in Sweden but I think those are more common worldwide.

The fried herring mentioned above:

http://www.swedishfood.com/swedish-food-recipes-main-courses/210-herring-fried

 

Then there is Swedish pancakes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancake#Sweden

https://www.google.se/search?q=Swedish+pancakes&safe=off&biw=1920&bih=851&source=lnms&sa=X&ei=wCYQVaiEN8m-ygPc-oL4BA&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAA&dpr=1

 

We also have the classic Smörgårstårta: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sm%C3%B6rg%C3%A5st%C3%A5rta

 

 

On the picture it seems like your fried herring is a little bit different that ours.

 

 

We serve it on ryebread or with potatoes and parsley sauce.

I can a couple of REALLY good suggestions to my original Norway post...

 

Norway - Lefse (super thin potato type of pancake eaten with cinnamon and sugar or savory with butter at a meal), Kringler - you can find this all over Scandinavia (flakey pastry with almond paste filling) Blotkake (layered cream cake)

 

Thanks! I added these to my notes! :)

I can a couple of REALLY good suggestions to my original Norway post...

 

Norway - Lefse (super thin potato type of pancake eaten with cinnamon and sugar or savory with butter at a meal), Kringler - you can find this all over Scandinavia (flakey pastry with almond paste filling) Blotkake (layered cream cake)

 

Iceland - Vinatarta (layered cake with prune filling)

 

Would that be the same as the food we in Sweden call Raggmunk?

 

Another dish that is a typical dish for some European countries is black pudding:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_pudding

 

In Sweden we also have potatisbullar

http://sv.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potatisbullar