From gravlax to rye bread, Nordics (Northern Europe) cuisine is one of the most popular food trends that is taking the world by storm. Made from foods in the northern part of Europe, you can find Danish, Swedish, Norwegian and Icelandic foods grouped together in this type of cuisine. Not only is it sure to be an experience for your tastebuds but it might just make a difference to your health as the preservation methods and fresh ingredients revitalise your body.
Bring on the seafood
When you venture on your journey into discovering Nordics (Northern Europe) cuisine, you can expect to tuck into all the seafood that you could ever dream of. The first dish of the day typically consists of fermented fish, radishes and blueberries. This is followed by a lunch of rye bread generously spread with butter and jam. Alternatively, you may want to add some kind of fish spread and pickles to your sandwich. However, as Westernism has spread across the globe, it is common to find hotdogs with pickled onions being the most popular lunch dishes. Nordics (Northern Europe) cuisine is rounded off with a meal that consists of brown bread and fish dishes that are delicately perfumed with dill and complemented by a range of crisp root vegetables. Desserts usually consist of yoghurt and cream-based treats or pancakes.
Stomach-warming facts about the cuisine of the North
If you are still curious, let us whet your appetite with little tidbits of interesting information:
- Although it is most common to find locals eating fish and seafood, meat is equally popular. However, meats are often preserved so you are more likely to find sausages on the Nordic table instead of a piece of steak.
- Whale meat was a popular protein option in Nordic regions in the 1800s. This is because whaling was prevalent in the area and the meat was incredibly nourishing.
- Due to the extreme weather conditions in the region, all foods are preserved by means of curing, fermenting and salting. This resulted in the unique qualities of this type of cuisine.
The best nordic dishes…
These are a few of the most commonly found dishes:
- Kroppkakor: These are potato dumplings stuffed with allspice, onions and cured pork. They are typically served with lingonberries and clarified butter.
- Gravlax: This tasty salmon dish is made by curing thick fillets of salmon in salt and sugar. Once the curing process is complete, it is cut into thin slices and served with lemon and rye bread. Depending on where you are eating it, you may find dill and beets mixed into the sugar and salt combination.
- Smørrebrød: Delicate sandwiches served on rye bread, this is a common dish in Danish restaurants. Small squares of bread are topped with liver pate, dill pickles and onions.
- Raggmunk: Potato pancakes smothered in thick slices of cured pork and lingonberry sauce is a dish that cannot be missed.
Some lesser-known interesting Nordic dishes
Here are some overlooked morsels worth more than just a glance:
- Flygande Jakob: This may be one of the more interesting offerings from Nordics (Northern Europe) cuisine, consisting of rice stewed with bacon, chicken, peanuts, chilli and banana.
- Kalvdans: Try this interesting sauce made by stewing cows colostrum until it reaches a jelly-like stage.
- Lutfisk: If you can cope with intense flavours, you may enjoy this white fish dish that is preserved in Lye. It is typically served with rice, peas and a cream sauce.
Try these delectable dishes for yourself
There are several outstanding establishments that offer you the finest Nordics (Northern Europe) cuisine. Order a Nordic treat at your favourite sandwich shop for an authentic Northern lunch or treat yourself to something tasty from Andersen’s of Denmark.