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6 tips for setting a buffet at home
Recently, Scandinavian cuisine has become more and more popular, which remains a mystery to many. There are many stereotypes about traditional dishes from Norway, Denmark, Finland and Sweden. For example, when we talk about national Swedish dishes, meatballs or cloudberry jam immediately come to mind. But in fact, Swedish cuisine is a whole world of northern legends, the origins of which are explained by the harsh climate and geographical location of this country.
We talked to the chefs at IKEA Café and learned how to bring the basic ideas of Scandinavian cuisine to life at home.
Cover the sillboard – herring buffet
There are more than 100 lakes in Sweden, so it is obvious that fish is the queen of any table. The Swedes really love fresh fish, especially herring. Small, abundant and traditional in Sweden for centuries, herring has been a staple on tables. She practically jumped into fishing nets by herself!
Today these traditions are celebrated by sillbord – a buffet with herring. Herring in Sweden is served on every occasion: pickled, smoked, more or less salted, with onions or dill, in mustard or garlic. Fish is most often eaten with boiled potatoes, sour cream, finely chopped green onions, seasoned hard cheese, sometimes with boiled eggs and, of course, crispy bread. And while every guest has their own favorite, a wide variety of choices are an integral part of a sillbord-style celebration.
Small, sour, full of fiber and nutrients, lingonberry grows freely in the forests of Sweden in the glades of the sun. For thousands of years, berry picking has been a great way to spend a summer Swedish day. It’s a tradition that still lives on today: picking this ruby-red berry is a sweet memory of the longest days of such a short Swedish summer.
While other berries are usually eaten as a dessert, Swedes prefer the sweet and sour taste of lingonberry with salty dishes such as stews or meatballs. So if you want to make your lunch or dinner Swedish, just add some lingonberry jam to any dish.
Another easy way to use lingonberry is to make lingonberry lemonade. Make a sweet syrup from the lingonberries and mix with soda water – the perfect drink for hot days is ready! And if you suddenly caught a cold, and then the lingonberry will come to the rescue. Mix lingonberry syrup rich in healthy vitamins and antioxidants with hot or warm water for a quick recovery from this tea alternative.
Previously, the Swedes used to eat only what grew nearby: oats or barley in the north, rye in the center of the country, rye and wheat in the south. Throughout the summer, the cows gave a lot of milk, which the Swedes turned into butter and cheese and stored for the long winter. And in the spring, they collected wild rhubarb stalks and used them to decorate pies, added to compotes, drinks, and even chilled fruit soup.
If you want to cook a Swedish dinner, use local produce. Go to the dacha for vegetables, buy meat and cheese at the farmers’ market, arrange a mini-garden on the balcony, or even better – go to the forest for mushrooms or strawberries. It’s very Swedish!
The Swedish coffee break, or FIKA, is perhaps the most popular Swedish tradition in the world. FIKA is a slang expression derived from the inverted word kaffi (coffee) in the XNUMXth century. The fact is that coffee in Sweden has always been a very popular drink, but kings, calling it hazardous to health, taxed it, fined it, confiscated even cups and outlawed it! When coffee became legal again in the XNUMXth century, Sweden quickly became the country with one of the highest levels of coffee consumption, and it remains to this day.
Take a break at FIKA in the middle of the day – this is a great opportunity not only to relax and chat with family and friends, but also to gather guests! By the way, if you decide to invite someone for coffee, prepare seven types of cookies for him – this is a Swedish tradition, the origin of which is not known for certain. Or make your guests some Scandinavian favorite cinnamon rolls – they even have their own holiday – Kanelbulle Day on October 4th!
And for the kids, have a candy Saturday!
According to statistics, Sweden is the leading country in the consumption of sweets in the world: Swedes eat 17 kilograms of sweets per person per year. And most of them are on Saturday. Want to know why?
Every Swedish child knows the happy phrase “Lördagsgodis” which means “Saturday of sweets”! When studies in 1950 showed that sugary sweets caused tooth decay, Swedes tried to limit the treats to one day a week. Many families adhere to this rule to this day. When in doubt about which sweets to choose, just take a little bit of everyone: marmalade, caramels, marshmallows, sweet nuts and add a lot of chocolate. Children will love this Swedish tradition!
Pay attention to serving: a holiday every day
IKEA, together with the founder of Byredo, will release a collection of scented candles
In Swedish homes, every meal is a real event for the whole family to prepare for. It is difficult to imagine the Scandinavian atmosphere of comfort without a beautifully set table. You can achieve this effect with just a few simple steps. Take out beautiful glasses, even if you drink water or lemonade, put a vase of flowers on the table in the summer or with spruce branches in the winter. Use textiles: napkins, tablecloth, runners. And, of course, light the candles! For example, from the limited collection OSYNLIG / OSINLIG (translated from Swedish for “invisible”), released by IKEA together with one of the leading fragrance specialists and founder of the Byredo perfume house Ben Gorham. The idea of the series is based on the concept of invisible design, according to which our perception of a house is influenced not only by its interior, but also by its smell. The collection of candles, which is designed to evoke memories and to evoke the pleasure of being at home, will be available in IKEA stores in Russia and online from November 1, 2020.