Is Swedish food any good? 🥗

Mentally, I’ve been back and forth on this topic for a while. I’ve been very hesitant to make a direct statement about Swedish food, because I hadn’t experienced it all. I thought about it though, and concluded that most of us will never experience the full gamut of a country’s food, even our own. With that in mind, in this article, I’m going to talk about the food that I experience on a day-to-day basis in Sweden.

Where I come from, food is an incredibly important part of our culture, and Caribbean food is as diverse and as colourful as its people; It’s one of the things we’re most proud of 😊. So, let me preface this evaluation by saying that the standard for food quality and taste was set high for me before coming to Sweden. So what did I think?

What did I like?

• The diversity – Sweden is a multicultural society. Depending on where you live, you may think otherwise, but in general, especially when it comes to food, there’s always something new to try out. From Indian, to Middle Eastern, American, Korean and even Caribbean food, you can find a bit of everything.

• The desserts – Swedish people definitely take their desserts seriously. Any excuse to have Fika here is valid. Their sweet tooth means that you’ll always have tasty desserts to choose from. From the supermarket to the café to the bakery, there’s literally always a sweet treat 🍰 to munch on. Swedish Kanelbullar, Semla and Princess Cake are all things you have to try while you’re here 😋.

• Vegan options – Sweden is a great place to live if you’re vegan 🫛. Personally, I eat meat, but I’ve actually been to events on campus where meat isn’t even an option 😲. Sweden’s focus on sustainability doesn’t just extend to the cars on the road or the green spaces in the city. For Swedes, sustainability is truly a lifestyle 😎.

What didn’t I like?

• The taste 👄 – I’m sorry 😮, I just had to say it 😂. I’ve been served some of the prettiest looking meals, with all types of garnishes and colours and shapes, that I honestly couldn’t stomach at the end of the day 😬. I used to wonder why spices were such a huge trade hundreds of years ago, but now I know why. Swedish food, rather, the food I’ve tended to be served in Sweden left a lot to be desired when it came to taste. I’m used to Scoth Bonnet pepper, pimento, thyme, cinnamon, spring onions, garlic, soy sauce, all of it (or at least some 😅) to be served as part of my meals. Unfortunately, spices and vibrant flavours aren’t huge characterizing features of the food I’ve eaten here, in my opinion at least 🤷🏾‍♂️.

• Cold food ❄️ – When I first landed in Stockholm, I realized that the hotel I was staying at seemed to serve a lot of cold foods for breakfast. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an isolated event 🥲. I’m not saying that Swedes don’t eat warm foods. All I’m saying is don’t be surprised if you’re given something that’s ice cold for breakfast lunch or dinner 😂.

• It’s so healthy 😭 – Ok, so technically this isn’t a bad thing 😂. I’ve talked about it before, but I don’t have access to a lot of the foods that I’m used to. Now, I don’t know if it’s a Swedish thing, or a European thing, but I’ve been told that the regulations around food here are very strict. So, the sweet American cereals, cake mixes or snacks just don’t exist in Sweden, and if they do, they exist in a different form. I don’t know, I guess the authorities here are doing what’s best for me, but I’m not going to lie and tell you that I don’t crave a Pop Tart, or some Frosted Flakes with actual frosting from time to time 🫠.

I hope this post helped you temper your expectations about food in Sweden. For me, unfortunately I can’t say that this year has seen me embark on a culinary revelation 😅, but honestly, I think the food I have at home tends to be a lot different from most places. All in all, I did survive, and 95 percent of the time, the food was just fine for me, and I’m pretty sure it will be for you too! See you guys in the next one!