FOOD ENCYCLOPEDIA

By O. KAENT

S WE D E N RECIPES ROSE HIP SOUP CREAMY DIPPING SAUCE GLAZED CARROTS JANSSON’S FRESTELSE (“JANSSON’S TEMPTATION”) KÖTTBULLA (SWEDISH MEATBALLS) KLIMP (DUMPLINGS) BLANDAD FRUKTSOPPA (SWEDISH FRUIT SOUP) PEPPARKAKOR (GINGER COOKIES) LUSSEKATTER (ST LUCIA SAFFRON BUNS) JULGRÖT (SWEDISH CHRISTMAS PORRIDGE) SVART VINBÄRSGLÖGG (BLACK CURRANT GLÖGG) PLÄTTAR (SWEDISH PANCAKES) ARTSOPPA (PEA SOUP) RÅGBRÖD (SWEDISH RYE BREAD) HASSELBACKSPOTATIS (ROASTED POTATOES) SMÖRGÅS MED OST OCH PÄRON (CHEESE-PEAR SANDWICH) 1 GEOGRAPHIC SETTING AND ENVIRONMENT SWEDEN IS THE FOURTH-LARGEST COUNTRY IN EUROPE IT IS THE LARGEST SCANDINAVIAN COUN- TRY (THE OTHER COUNTRIES IN SCANDINAVIA ARE DENMARK, FINLAND, AND NORWAY) ABOUT PERCENT OF SWEDEN’S TOTAL AREA LIES NORTH OF THE ARCTIC CIRCLE BECAUSE OF THE EFFECT OF WARM OCEAN WINDS, SWEDEN HAS HIGHER TEM- PERATURES THAN ITS NORTHERLY LATITUDE WOULD SUGGEST SWEDEN’S RELATIVELY SLOW POPULA- TION GROWTH AND STRONG CONSERVATION POLICIES HAVE PRESERVED THE COUNTRY’S EXTENSIVE FOR- ESTS HOWEVER, AIR AND WATER POLLUTION ARE BOTH SERIOUS PROBLEMS AIRBORNE SULFUR POL- LUTANTS HAVE MADE MORE THAN 16,000 LAKES SO ACIDIC THAT FISH CAN NO LONGER BREED IN THEM 2 HISTORY AND FOOD SWEDEN’S CLIMATE AND LOCATION ARE LARGELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ITS CUI- SINE EARLY INHABITANTS STOCKED FOOD SUP- PLIES TO PREPARE FOR THE START OF THE COUNTRY’S LONG, COLD WINTERS BY PRESERVING MEAT, FISH, FRUITS, AND VEGETABLES THE VIKINGS, WHO INHABITED ALL OF SCAN- DINAVIA MORE THAN ONE THOUSAND YEARS AGO, WERE SOME OF THE FIRST TO DEVELOP A METHOD FOR PRESERVING FOODS IN PREPARATION FOR LONG VOYAGES, FOODS WERE SALTED, DEHYDRATED, AND CURED THOUGH MODERN-DAY TECHNOLOGY (SUCH AS THE REFRIGERATOR AND FREEZER) HAS ELIMINATED THE NEED FOR SUCH PRESERVING METHODS, SWEDES CONTINUE TO SALT, DEHY- DRATE, AND CURE MANY OF THEIR FOODS, PARTICU- LARLY FISH JUNIOR WORLDMARK ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FOODS AND RECIPES OF THE WORLD SWEDEN DURING THE VIKING ERA, AD 800 TO 1050, THESE RUTHLESS CRUSADERS EMBARKED ON RAIDS ALL ACROSS EUROPE, INVADING LANDS POSSIBLY AS FAR SOUTH AS THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA THE BRITISH ISLES AND FRANCE WERE IN CLOSE PROX- IMITY TO SCANDINAVIA, AND THEREFORE ENDURED CONTINUOUS VIKING INVASIONS OVER TIME, VARIOUS FOODS SUCH AS TEA FROM ENGLAND, FRENCH SAUCES AND SOUPS, AND HONEY CAKES FROM GERMANY WERE BROUGHT BACK TO SCAN- DINAVIAN TERRITORY AND INCORPORATED INTO THE DIET SWEDES STILL FIND SOUPS A GREAT WAY TO USE LEFTOVER FOOD HISTORICALLY, SWEDISH CUISINE HAS NOT BEEN AS POPULAR AS OTHER EUROPEAN FARE (EVEN MODERN-DAY RESTAURANTS IN SWEDEN TEND TO SERVE MORE FOREIGN DISHES THAN THEIR OWN) IT HAS, HOWEVER, BEEN INFLUENTIAL THE RUSSIAN NATION IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN ESTAB- LISHED BY SCANDINAVIAN TRADERS AND WARRIORS (CALLED VARANGIANS), AND SWEDEN MAY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR INTRODUCING FRUIT SOUPS, SMOKED MEATS, CREAM SAUCES, AND HERRING TO EARLY RUSSIANS ROSE HIP SOUP INGREDIENTS 1½ TO 2 CUPS DRIED ROSE HIPS (FRUIT OF A ROSE PLANT; AVAILABLE AT HEALTH FOOD STORES) 1½ QUARTS (6 CUPS) WATER ¼ TO ½ CUP SUGAR 1 TABLESPOON POTATO STARCH (CORNSTARCH MAY BE SUBSTITUTED) PROCEDURE 1 RINSE THE ROSE HIPS AND PUT THEM IN A LARGE KETTLE CRUSH THEM LIGHTLY AGAINST THE PAN, USING A WOODEN SPOON 2 ADD THE WATER AND HEAT TO BOILING RE- DUCE HEAT AND SIMMER UNTIL THE ROSE HIPS ARE TENDER 3 TRANSFER TO A BLENDER OR FOOD PROCESSOR AND PURÉE (THERE SHOULD BE ABOUT CUPS OF LIQUID; IF THERE IS LESS, ADD WATER) 4 POUR THE PURÉED ROSE HIPS BACK INTO THE SAUCEPAN AND ADD THE SUGAR 5 STIR AND COOK OVER MEDIUM HEAT DIS- SOLVE THE POTATO OR CORNSTARCH IN A SMALL AMOUNT OF COLD WATER AND STIR INTO THE SOUP SLOWLY 6 REMOVE FROM HEAT WHEN IT BEGINS TO BOIL 7 CHILL BEFORE SERVING SERVE COLD WITH ICE CREAM OR WHIPPED CREAM NORWAY SWEDEN DENMARK OSLO STOCKHOLM KØBENHAVN (COPENHAGEN) GÖTEBORG BERGEN TRONDHEIM NARVIK KIRUNA GÄVLE UMEÄ NORWEGIAN SEA NORTH SEA B AL TIC SEA GUL F O F BOTH N I A ÖLAND GOTLAND ÅLAND ISLANDS SWEDEN 300 MILES 300 KILOMETERS