Written by Nana
15 Dec 2023
Oh, gather ’round, ‘tis the season to talk about some Christmas stuff! And for you, my fellow snack lovers, allow me to tell you stories about Swedish Christmas treats from the perspective of an Indonesian girl enduring her first cold winter in Scandinavia.
Just a disclaimerrr~ To be clear, I don’t really enjoy dessert or have a sweet tooth. So, this is only my personal opinion based on all the many Swedish delicacies that I have been attempting.✌️ OK, we good? Now it’s time to go get them munchkins!!!
Pepparkakor (Gingerbread Cookies): ★★★★★
Picture this: the scent of cinnamon and ginger dancing through the air, shaping dreams with every bite. These golden, crisp cookies are like a hug from a Swedish grandmother. They’re addictive! Seriously, try stopping at just one. Impossible. Want the recipe? we got it here.
They taste great in a way that is just purely classical, and have a lovely, very light, thin, crispy but delicate but somehow homey texture all rolled into one. The spice flavors are nicely potent without being like a bomb on the tongue. Not overly sweetened.
✅ Verdict: 5/5 I need this snack to be available for the whole year!
Julmust (Christmas Soda): ★★★☆☆
Ah, Julmust! The fizzy, caramel-colored elixir that defines Swedish Christmas. It’s like the Coca-Cola of the holiday season but with a unique, spiced flavor that screams “festive cheer.” Sweet, bubbly, and strangely addictive. But sometimes I still crave regular cola flavored soda even when drinking Julmust. But a clear warning for you: you might find yourself stocking up on this liquid Christmas in a bottle.
✅ Verdict: 3/5 Stocking up is good, but I think I’ll go back to regular soda in February.
Lussekatter (Saffron Buns): ★★☆☆☆
Saffron-infused goodness, curled into intricate shapes. The direct translation to its name is ‘Lucia Cats’, because Swedes have a tradition to celebrate St. Lucia day every December 13th. Yet, for me it doesn’t really look like a cat, so at first I was very confused. My Swedish friend then said ‘use your imagination a bit’ and then i saw it! It does resemble a fluffy cat’s tail.
The taste? I am not really used to the taste of saffron, so the aroma is a little strange for me. But all in all it’s quite good because it is not too sweet (read: Asian people highest praise for desserts). A Swedish friend describes the taste to me as: a warm hug from the sun in bread form. A taste of sunshine in the form of cat tail, huh?
✅ Verdict: 2/5 Hehe, keep the Lucia Cats for St. Lucia please!
Glögg (Mulled Wine): ★★★★★
A warm, ruby-coloured sweet mulled wine with a hint of spices that will fill the house with a Christmas aroma. Very comforting. The aroma is predominantly clove, with a touch of cinnamon and ginger in the background. Traditionally, the drink is set on fire so the sugar granules completely dissolve. I feel like you can think of it as a winter jacket for your insides or like a cozy blanket for your taste buds.
There are two types of glögg, the alcoholic and non-alcoholic one. For me, I love the spiced wine punch spiked with whiskey and rum, so that it is even more warming up your cozy season. The sweetness is very nice, very delicious, but be careful not to drink too much!
✅ Verdict: 5/5 Very lovely, but glögg is so essentials to Swedish Christmas, it wouldn’t be special anymore if I drink it the whole year.
Juleskum (Christmas Foam Candy): ★★★★☆
The fluffy, marshmallowy clouds of joy! My friends said this snack is really an OG Swedish Christmas snack. A Juleskum bag is filled up with what looks like little marshmallow treats in the shape of naked Santa Claus’s to my eyes (lol).
For the texture, it is extra chewier and much foamier than marshmallow, but the flavor profile is a hint of cherry with a bit less sweeter than those mallows. They’re like a winter wonderland for your taste buds. But be cautious: one too many and you might float away in a sugar-induced dream.
✅ Verdict: 4/5 I can see myself munchkin’ this chewy Santa anytime throughout the year, it’s just so good.
Overall, Swedish Christmas snacks are a delightful winter adventure for the taste buds. They might not make the snow any less cold, but they’ll definitely warm your heart and fill your belly with holiday cheer! 🎄
