What is typical Swedish food?
If you ask people in Sweden, they will say that the following are typical Swedish foods:
- Meatballs (köttbullar): Ground meat rolled into balls and containing meat, onions, breadcrumbs, milk, eggs, and various spices.
- Pickled herring (inlagd sill): Herring pickled in a mixture of sugar, water, vinegar, onions, carrots, and spices.
- Fried herring (stekt strömming): Battered herring fried in butter.
- Falukorv: A sausage made from meat, fat, potato flour, onions, salt, and spices.
- Smörgåstårta: A cake with bread, mayonnaise, sour cream, eggs, shrimp, and other toppings.
- Pea soup (ärtsoppa): A soup made from mashed peas.
- Sour herring (surströmming): Herring preserved through fermentation.
- Kroppskakor (also called palt): A potato and flour mixture filled with fried bacon, similar to dumplings.
- Swedish pancakes: Mix of flour, milk, egg and salt and fried in butter.
Food from these countries is popular
According to a survey by Sverige till bords 2024, it appears that food from these countries is cooked the most in Swedish homes:
- Swedish
- Italian
- American
- Mexican
- Fusion (a mix of different cuisines)
Many people like Asian food, and according to SIFO's survey, Swedes are most curious about:
- Korean food
- Japanese food
- Vietnamese food
- Thai food
As a single specific dish, Tacos stands out, with 4 out of 10 eating them at least once a month. Swedes are choosing to eat cheaper food due to inflation, resulting in less meat and fresh vegetables and more legumes. Every other Swede reports thinking more about food costs than a year ago.
Vegetarian food
In Sweden, there is a wide range of vegetarian and vegan options. It's currently trendy to eat vegetarian, and many schools serve vegetarian alternatives. Almost all Swedes eat vegetarian food sometimes, and a majority eat vegetarian at least once a week. There are three categories: vegetarians, vegans, and flexitarians (who eat mostly vegetarian but not entirely meat-free). 86% eat vegetarian food sometimes, 57% at least once a week, while only 12% never eat vegetarian food. [1]
Eating habits are deteriorating
However, surveys show that Swedes' eating habits have deteriorated. The Public Health Agency has investigated Swedes' eating habits based on four indicators:
- Consumption of vegetables and root vegetables
- Consumption of fruit and berries
- Consumption of fish and shellfish
- Consumption of sweetened drinks
Between 2016-2022, Swedes' eating habits have become worse, with Swedes consuming fewer vegetables, root vegetables, and fruit. What has increased is the consumption of sweetened drinks. Women consume more vegetables, root vegetables, berries, and fruit compared to men, but women have had a worse development during these years according to Folkhälsomyndigheten
So now you know a little more about Swedish food and eating habits.
