Iconic Swedish Foods You Should Try Before You Die

There's a case to be made that lutfisk (or lutefisk, as Norwegians spell it) is more well-known than any other entry on this list. After all, this almost-unbelievably odd dish is famous (or infamous?) as a traditional holiday meal in Nordic communities throughout the Midwest. And while lutfisk's origins clearly lie in Scandinavia, it may actually be more popular with Swedish immigrants and their descendants in the U.S. than with native Swedes, according to Smithsonian.

The borderline-poisonous preparation technique for lutfisk involves preserving cod in lye. Yes, lye — as in the corrosive chemical often used in cleaning. Use of lye in preparing lutfisk results in a gelatinous final product that emits a near-suffocating fishy stench. Preparing and eating any food product in such a way may seem crazy. But the importance of maintaining cultural traditions can't be minimized, especially those developed during difficult times. "Foods like lutfisk could have been markers of poverty in the past," Hasia Diner, a professor of immigration history at NYU, told Smithsonian in 2011, and "serve to remind ... how far they have come."

In all honesty, when compared to everything else on this list, there's a good chance lutfisk is the one you're least likely to love. But given its unique history, preparation, and taste-texture-smell combination, it's something worth trying when you have the chance — even just once.

Some may call the Swedish food knäckebröd a crispbread. Others, not unreasonably, may choose to classify it as a cracker (via Taste Atlas). Of course, like matzah, it's not hard to see why knäckebröd may be viewed as only tangentially related to what most of us in the U.S. consider bread.

Setting semantics aside, this relic from historically impoverished times in Sweden has remained a staple because it is easily stored, has a long shelf-life, and offers immense versatility. Knäckebröd can be enjoyed as a snack or as part of a meal. It is an oft-included addition to Swedish smorgasbords throughout the year (via Post-Gazette). When you consider it can be topped with any variety of delectable items — both sweet and savory, from pickled herring to jelly — it's obvious why this crispbread has endured for roughly 500 years.

For anyone doubting the veracity of knäckebröd's claim as an iconic Swedish food, don't just take our word. Take it from Ikea. Alongside its beloved meatballs, the company also sells knäckebröd on its website.

If we're being honest, no other Swedish food may be easier for the U.S. palate to handle than pyttipanna — which is essentially just a meat and potato breakfast hash made with leftover food items (via SwedishFood.com). The simplicity of pyttipanna makes it a clear winner in homes throughout Sweden. Who can resist a simple amalgamation of eggs, potatoes, and meat?

Not only does pyttipanna contain a flavor profile suited to U.S. taste preferences, it is also fairly easy to prepare. It involves little more than sauteing everything but the eggs in a single pan before frying the eggs separately to place on top of the dish. We're drooling right now just thinking about it.

Trying pyttipanna should be on any list of iconic Swedish foods to try. As famous chef and Swedish native Marcus Samuelsson wrote, this hearty dish "defines Swedish home cooking even more than meatballs."

While the origin of some traditions may be easy to trace, the passage of time often obscures the truth about how something started. This is particularly true when talking about food duos that seem made for each other. One of those duos is Sweden's traditional Thursday lunch ärtsoppa, och pannkakor (pea soup and pancakes). That we don't know where or how this classic combo was created doesn't diminish its appeal or ability to satisfy.

Perhaps akin to grilled cheese and tomato soup in the U.S., ärtsoppa och pannkakor has been a simple and consistent staple in Sweden for ages. It is served everywhere in Sweden at lunchtime on Thursdays. How it became such a staple remains unclear. 

There are a number of explanations offered for the place of ärtsoppa och pannkakor in Swedish culture, including being derived from military customs or emerging from religiously-imposed dining restrictions (via Transparent Language). But when you're dipping your pancake into that perfect pea soup and all your worries seem to melt away, does it really matter?

Sweden ranked ninth in the world in average life expectancy in 2020, with Swedes living a whopping five years longer than people in the United States. That makes it hard to argue with the assessment that Sweden is an exceptionally healthy country. That may be why this list skews so heavily towards savory options. But there are still some Swedish desserts you need to try during your lifetime. At the top of that list is ostkaka.

Of course, even when we do list a dessert — one that literally translates to cheesecake — it's not nearly as heavy or rich as what we're used to in the U.S (via Taste Atlas). That's not to say ostkaka is a healthy dessert option. It may not be quite as decadent as some cheesecakes, but ostkaka isn't something that someone on a diet should indulge in (via New England Cheesemaking Supply Company).

But you shouldn't worry about how ostkaka compares to U.S. desserts. Rather, just trust us when we tell you that if the opportunity presents itself, you should make a point to try it for yourself.

With more than 2000 miles of coastline, it's easy to understand why seafood has played such a large role in Swedish culture and cooking throughout history (via World Atlas). After all, before the importing and exporting of foods from around the world was commonplace, you could only eat what was available to you. As a result, gravlax, or dill-cured salmon, has become a staple of smorgasbords throughout Sweden (via Swedish Institute).

Similar to pickled herring, gravlax likely originated from the need to extend the shelf-life of freshly-caught fish through various curing techniques, as Swedes have historically done. Yet its subtle and light flavor had ensured it endured through the years, even when better preservation and cooking methods became available.

Some may believe gravlax is like any other cured salmon. Some may believe they've already tried gravlax if they've eaten lox. But gravlax is prepared with less salt than lox and incorporates sugar and dill during the curing process (via Master Class). In other words, even if you've eaten lox before, you should still try gravlax before you die.

Despite its generally healthier culture — with an average life expectancy six years longer than the U.S. as of 2021, per Statista – Sweden isn't averse to desserts. But that health-conscious mentality may explain why Sweden's national palate often trends towards fresh, bright flavors when it comes to sweet treats (or any food). Frankly, then, the popularity of the traditional dessert smulpaj is entirely understandable.

Smulpaj isn't nearly as foreign to American diners as the name appears to suggest. After all, smulpaj is simply Swedish for crumb pie ("smula" and "paj"), according to Taste Atlas, and is fairly similar to a crisp or crumble-style dessert in the U.S. In that sense, if you're a fan of fruit-forward desserts baked with a sweet, granular concoction on top, you'll want to prioritize trying smulpaj before you die.

Generally, while any type of chopped-up fruit may be included in a smulpaj, berries are the most commonly used ingredient. But a dynamite smulpaj isn't dependent on any one berry type, nor does it require fresh ingredients to create something memorable. In fact, according to SwedishFood.com, defrosted berries work just as well as fresh ones when creating a homemade smulpaj.

Swedish culinary preferences tend to lean towards lighter, less-rich fare. But like any rule, there are always exceptions. After all, since Sweden is responsible for ostkaka cheesecake, it's entirely plausible that it fancies a potentially heart-clogging chocolate treat as well. And the moist, uber-rich kladdkaka (or chocolate sticky cake) certainly fits that bill (via SwedishFood.com).

In a lot of ways, actually, kladdkaka is less of a cake, per se, and more of a cake-shaped brownie (via The Chopping Block). The tremendously dense chocolate baked good is almost unbelievably easy to make, according to Taste Atlas, with a short list of ingredients that are simply mixed, poured, and ready to bake. Additionally, slightly underbaking your kladdkaka will lead to an eminently memorable final product, creating a gooier-than-normal center that perfectly complements and contrasts its external texture.

Honestly, we're not sure how to sell you any further on kladdkaka. Go find a slice of Sweden's chocolate sticky cake once you finish reading this — and you'll die a happy person.