Written by Angelina
14 Apr 2015
Food matters. I know buying meat or ‘kött’ sound like a straightforward task but is it? The information on the packaging may be in Swedish but good thing when it comes to buying meat is that there is always the animal picture printed on most packaging like the picture below. Not all packaging comes with the animal symbol, so it may be useful to know some Swedish meaty words. When I first came here, I did spend some time analyzing the meat packaging and the cuts. Of course, there is always Google translate but what if the phone runs out of battery. In that case, it’s useful to know these 4 essential meaty words.
Gris = pork
Nöt = beef
Lamm = lamb
Kyckling = chicken
In Sweden, it is also common to find blend mince meat or ‘blandfärs’ such as pork ‘fläskfärs’ plus beef ‘nötfärs’ with a 50-50% mix. Mince meat is always a favorite among students not only because its cheaper but also you can cook a variety of dishes with it. Savings tips: My friends and I like to buy the mince in larger quantity at a lower price, divide it into cooking portions and freeze. Alternatively, we also cook the mince in large quantity and freeze the cooked mince in serving portions. Simply microwave it to serve, best for lazy days.
I often prepare Halal food as many of my friends are Muslims. You can find Halal meat from Hemköp and possibly ICA (depending on the stores). The Coop Extra brand is usually halal but always double-check the back of the bag for the halal symbol with a mosque just to be extra sure.
Know the cuts. Here are the English translations if you are interested to learn more about the cuts. Bon appétit.
Gris/Pork
Fläskfilé: Pork Tenderloin
Kamben: Tjocka revben: Baby Back Rib, Back Ribs, Pork Loin Back Ribs
Kotlettrad: Pork Loin
Kotlett i bit: Loin Roast
Fläskkotlett: Pork Loin Chop
Sida: Pork Belly
Skinka: Ham
Tunna revben: Spare Ribs
Nöt/Beef
Flankstek: Flank Steak
Fransyska: Beef Knuckle
Innanlår: Boneless Beef Inside
Lägg: Shank
Oxfilé: Beef Tender Loin, Fillet of Beef
Rostbiff: Roast beef
Ryggbiff: Sirloin, Strip Loin
Spetsbringa: Brisket
Lamm/Lamb
Lammkotlett: Lamb Chops
Lammfilé: Lamb Tenderloin
Lammstek: Steak of Lamb
Lammlägg: Lamb Shank
Lammrygg: Blade Chop
