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Little is known about the history of modern Swedish cuisine. And the reason for this is not only the rich past of this country, which is a series of endless wars and confrontations for territory and power. But also the harsh weather conditions, which significantly narrowed the range of ingredients used in cooking. And, as a result, they forced the inhabitants of Sweden to be content with little. However, despite all these obstacles, today this state can boast of an exquisite, hearty and distinctive cuisine based on nutritious and incredibly tasty dishes.
It should be noted that the Swedish culinary traditions were formed mainly under the influence of Denmark and Norway. However, later, France, Germany and Turkey played a huge role in their development, thanks to which the Swedes began to pay attention not only to the taste and nutritional properties of dishes, but also to their appearance.
Initially, Swedish cuisine was not very diverse. It was based only on products subject to long-term storage. First of all, these are pickles, marinades, dried and smoked meats. By the way, in the old days, turnips were widely used here. The beloved potato appeared on the territory of Sweden only in the XNUMXth century and subsequently successfully replaced it.
Besides it, meat and fish are very popular here. The Swedes have been preparing dishes from them for centuries, which is not surprising. After all, cattle breeding and fishing were the main types of fishing for them. And only over time, agriculture was added to them. Herring is considered the favorite type of fish in Sweden. Not a single feast is complete without her. Moreover, the Swedes know a huge number of recipes for its preparation. It is salted, marinated in mustard or wine, fermented, stewed, baked in the oven or grilled, made from it sandwiches and all kinds of fish dishes. The Swedish delicacy with fermented herring deserves special attention, once it was included in the list of the most terrible dishes in the world.
Pork, venison and game are preferred in Sweden. In addition, dairy products are held in high esteem among the Swedes, in particular, milk, cheese, butter, kefir, yogurt or yogurt. Cereals, mushrooms, as well as vegetables, fruits and berries are loved here. But they practically do not use spices, successfully replacing them with delicious sauces.
By the way, the concept of “buffet” really came from Sweden. The fact is that in the old days, guests gathered for various events for a long time. Therefore, they were offered dishes for long-term storage, which were taken out into a cool room and left on a long table. Thus, each newcomer could take for himself as much food as he needed, on his own, without bothering either the hosts or other guests.
Basic cooking methods in Sweden:
True Swedish cuisine differs from the cuisines of other Scandinavian countries by the presence of a bright, sweetish flavor in the dishes. After all, the Swedes love to add sugar everywhere and everywhere and are sincerely proud of it. However, this is far from the only feature of Sweden. After all, only in this kingdom they prepare not just exquisite haute cuisine, but truly unique or even exotic ones. Like chicken baked in clay. It is worth noting that before cooking it is not plucked, but simply gutted, washed and coated with clay. And then they are baked on the stones in order to subsequently enjoy the unique taste of the most delicate roast. In this case, all non-plucked feathers remain on the clay. This recipe has been known since the days of the Vikings.
Besides him, there are other interesting dishes in Swedish cuisine:
Surstromming
Graavilohi
Boiled crayfish
Swedish meatballs
Christmas ham
Fried chanterelle mushrooms
Swedish bread
Lussecatt
Butter cinnamon rolls
Caramel cane
Swedish cake “Princess”
Yulmust
Health Benefits of Swedish Food
Sweden is a country with a high standard of living. That is why only high-quality products are used for food here, which subsequently has a positive effect on the health of the nation. Even alcoholic drinks are of a very high quality. But the inhabitants of Sweden drink them in moderation.
In addition, Swedish food is incredibly varied. They are very fond of meat and fish, but they successfully combine them with vegetables, fruits or berries and supplement them with soups. Almost all ingredients for Swedish cuisine are produced in the country itself.
At first glance, it may seem that Swedes eat too much fatty and sweet foods. However, this is a forced measure necessary for normal life in a rather harsh climate. It does not in any way affect the health of the nation. The best proof of this is statistics. The average life expectancy for Swedes is almost 81 years, and only 11% of the population is overweight.
Over the past years, Swedish national cuisine has been called one of the healthiest. Simply because it consists mainly of dishes based on the gifts of the sea and rivers.
Based on materials Super Cool Pics