Fish. The best word to describe the diet of the people in Gothenburg. Hundreds of fish are brought in everyday to the port city. The best are sold at the Feskekôrka, the Fish Church.

Herring is a favorite and eaten in every way possible. Pickled herring, or inlagd sill, is a traditional snack or appetizer. Even fermented herring is sold here but is not too popular anymore. It's understandable. A professor at the IHM school, who was teaching us about Swedish culture, brought some in and had to open the can outside. The stench, even in the open air, suffocated us. Only one brave classmate braved the smell to try it but promptly spit it out.

Lars opening the fermented herring

 Salmon

The alcoholic beverage of choice for many seems to be beer. Most grocery stores are stocked with enough ale to intoxicate an army of vikings. There are at least five pubs on the Avenyn, the main street, and many of them are British or Irish. Vodka (especially the famous Swedish brand Absolut) is popular as well, drunken extensively during the Mid Summer celebration, one of the most popular holidays in Sweden. These drinks fuel the traditional dances and belted songs during those festivities.

My favorite snack here was found by accident. I was browsing the yogurt section of the grocery store when the word 'hallon' (raspberries) and the picture of my favorite red fruit caught my eye. Since it was surrounded by rows of yogurt tins, I decided to buy it thinking it was some type of Greek yogurt. I've never been so wrong in all my life, to quote Thorin from the Hobbit. 

Nope. It was rice pudding. I realized this after a few confusing chunky spoonfuls. It was the best mistake I've made, because it's become one of my favorite foods here.

Another interesting food item they have in Sweden are fruit soups. The ICA Maxi, a sort of Walmart, sells a peach, blueberry and strawberry soup packaged in a cardboard container. It is cheap, and a great light dinner. When I bought it, I was ecstatic. Who doesn't love a tastier, sweeter version of the usual vegetable soup? I couldn't have been more disappointed. After a few hot sips, I found it to be too sweet. 

Blueberry soup

The Swedes love their sweets. I'm talking love like most stores have entire walls dedicated to 50+ selections of gummies, chocolates and more. It's like a buffet for kids, except it's not just the young who's eyes light up when they scoop blue raspberry gummy bottles and chocolate covered popcorn out of the bins. I went a little crazy myself the first time I saw the wall, I have to admit, and ate myself into a candy coma later that day. I've often wondered if the Swedes would rival the Americans in obesity if they didn't have such an active lifestyle, considering the sugar they consume.

One of many candy walls

And now we get to my favorite part: Pepparkakor!

Pepperkakor is a Swedish ginger snap type cookie that is extremely delicious. Coming from Swedish background, my mother would usually make a few dozen around Christmastime. I'd never really preferred them, opting to devour the much sweeter sugar cookies or holly clusters. But coming here has made me adore them. The kinds sold in stores here are quite thin and easily breakable. Having a few of them are a slightly healthier treat than the popular semla, a sort of cream puff that is displayed temptingly in every bakery window.


Semla (picture from sweden.se)

Though I haven't been so lucky as to try one of these, I understand that they are less sweet than they look. The pastry is sold during the time of Lent in Sweden, but after Easter they essentially disappear.

A pastry that you just can't escape is kanelbullar (though I haven't tried this one either). These spiraled delicacies have the appearance of a cinnamon roll, but what actually makes the flavor is cardamom. They range from the size of your fist to the size of your head and are sprinkled with pearl sugar.


(photo courtesy of ikea.com)