Scandinavian Cuisine and Food Culture

Scandinavian Cuisine and Food Culture

Scandinavian comprises of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, Scandinavia has a very distinct cuisine. While each of these three countries shares similar types of Scandinavian recipes, each country also adds its own national dishes. Fish makes up an important part of the Scandinavian diet and not only fish there's much more to it with delicious meat recipes, potato and apple recipes and other great Scandinavian Cuisine. The Scandinavian Food and delicious recipes are made with a very simple cooking style. The food here is often very mild and not very spicy. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are the main meals of the day all over the Scandinavian Peninsula. Scandinavian countries emphasize more on dinner, which is considered as the most consistent meal of the day.

Soups and Stews Cream of Salmon Soup     Finnish Summer Vegetable Soup

Main Dish Poultry Danish Stuffed Duckling     Scandinavian Chicken with Apricots

There are basically three main cuisines of Scandinavia are the Norwegian, the Danish and the Swedish.

• Norwegian Cuisine: The Cuisine of Norway usually uses the elements from various cooking traditions. Any such recipes or dishes are borrowed from the neighbors, further improvises it and also presents the recipes which are developed from their own traditional dishes. The vast wild areas of Norway, and the abundance of fish and game, make such natural food resources a top pick for many traditional dishes. These being the prime reason of the Norwegian people love their meat, weather it is beef, pork, veal or fish. A larger amount of Norwegian Dishes are concentrated on this main ingredient. Smoked salmon is probably the most famous type of food product related to Norway. The simplicity of the cuisine does not imply a lack of taste, but it does make life easier for the cook.
• Danish Cuisine: In the cuisine of Denmark a large amount of meat and animal fats is consumed, this is because of the climate in this region favors a healthy growth of game and fish. The climatic conditions here easily enables lengthy meat preservations, hence smoked meat is one of the most frequently used ingredients in Danish Cuisine. On the contrary fewer amounts of vegetarian dishes including plants and vegetables are eaten, although agriculture is even well developed here. The Danish cuisine is quite old-fashioned, and the abundant islands that form Denmark helped keep the traditional, conservative cooking styles alive until modern times.
• Swedish Cuisine: Sweden is the largest Scandinavian country. Sweden’s climate and location is the only factor which is responsible for its cuisine. There are strict rules in Swedish food eating traditions; the food should not be left uneaten. Swedish Cuisine is based on a traditional foundation called husmanskost which means everyday or home-cooked food. Typical dishes are Swedish Meatballs, blood pudding, and salted game meats such as reindeer, salted or smoked herring and various other types of fish, pea soup, cabbage rolls, potato pancakes, and waffles.  
• Finnish Cuisine: Finnish cuisine is based on fresh and natural ingredients that vary according to the season. In addition to vegetables, mushrooms, berries and fish, Finnish Food is typified by simplicity and purity of taste. Helsinki’s own cuisine also features influences from both the East and the West. Finnish Cuisine combines international inspiration with seasonal domestic ingredients to create unmatchable dining experiences. The genuine taste of Finnish food derives from pure lakes, farmland and forests. The quality of food is guaranteed by the Finnish scientific know-how and high-quality production techniques. The Finnish Cuisine Ingredients are such as rye, oats, barley and berries is still popular however the traditional use of tubers such as turnips as the main root crop has been superseded by potatoes since their introduction in the 18th century.

Breakfasts Pancakes with Lingonberries Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon Smoked Fish Omelet Swedish Lucia Buns

Main Dish Meats Danish Pork Tenderloins Three-Meat Stew Swedish Meatballs Scandinavian Hamburgers Swedish Pot Roast with Anchovies Scandinavian Pork Patties with Gravy Jellied Pork and Veal Loaf Thousand Leaves Torte Dutch Boiled Dinner

Main Dish Seafood Danish Shrimp Sandwich Codfish Pudding with Dill Sauce Cod with Vegetables Sardine Paste Broiled Gravlax with Mustard Sauce

Potato, Grain and Rice Dishes Danish-Style Potatoes Hasselback Potatoes Potato Dumplings Potato Lefse Sugar-Browned Potatoes

Vegetable Side Dishes Swedish Brown Beans Vegetable Casserole Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Fruit and Cabbage Salad Fresh Mushroom Salad Herring Salad Braised Red Cabbage Danish Pickled Cucumbers Norwegian Spaghetti Salad

Quick and Yeast Breads Swedish Rye Bread Finnish Rye Bread Lefse Lemon Bread Swedish Raisin Rye Bread

Desserts Swedish Chrismtas Kola Kleiners Weinerbrod White Fruit Cake Ginger Cookies Danish Berry Pudding Danish Fruit Pudding Danish Rice Pudding Finnish Cranberry Whip Marzipan Coconut Balls Rum Pudding Swedish Cream Krumkake Norwegian Rice Cream with Strawberry Sauce