In Sweden, and in particular in its capital, modernity has never been an obstacle to the preservation of the culinary tradition, indeed, it was the drive for rediscovery.
If the only thing you know about Sweden they are the chairs to which a bolt always advances after having assembled them, a trip to Stockholm it could be for you.
forget Ikea meatballs and let the "Venice of the North", term abused and not entirely true for a city that does not deserve comparison, you conquer with an elegant and clean charm, faithful mirror of its inhabitants.
The city on the east coast of Sweden is located on 14 islands, an archipelago with a wide variety of places, places and trends, perfectly linked to each other thanks to 57 bridges and is one of the most eco-friendly and eco-friendly in the world. Stockholm it counts roughly 70 museums and it seems that for any invention there is one, but the unmissable ones are the Vasa Museum (Galärvarvsvägen 14), literally built around the wreck of the ship Vasa, sunk in the port of the capital on 10 August 1628 and fished 333 years later, in 1961, perfectly intact, and Junibacken (Galärvarvsvägen 8), also known as the museum of Pippi Longstocking, although it would be more correct to call it the museum of the writer Astrid Lindgren. In this museum, designed for children, adults will especially be lost and run back in time among the tales of the most famous Swedish pen in the world.
Swedish tradition at the table
The inhabitants of the largest city in Scandinavia, among the most modern and technological in the world, are still very close to their own traditions, especially at the table, where the products of the territory are sublimated through the reinterpretation of national recipes with a very long history or during the festivity, culturally very important celebrations, where gastronomy occupies a prominent place.
For a people that lives about 8 months a year in the dark that in the light of the sun is understandable as one of the most important holidays is that of Mid summer: after Christmas, the Midsummer is the most important occurrence of the Swedish calendar, it is often even more important than 25 December. Characterized by a endless lunch, the day is the moment when the crowns of flowers are worn in the hair and you get free in dances drinking snaps (typical Swedish aromatic grappa) and swallowing a huge amount of sill, marinated herring served with the new potatoes, the chives and sour cream.
Lunch and markets
There light it is a fundamental element in the life of the Swedes: the children go to school very early in the morning and lunch is usually around 11.30, while for dinner it is not late and at 18 they are all ready. At lunch time is not lost, but the solutions are endless: come on hot dog on the street, or in a Pressbyrån, their kiosks, strictly with honey mustard and fried onions, to a quick snack in one of the beautiful markets of the capital. If the red brick facade of theÖstermalms Saluhall, referred to as one of the most beautiful covered markets in the world, puts you in awe of refinement and elegance, perhaps you are more at ease in the central Hötorgshallen. The name derives from the square in front of it, Hötorget, always very popular for the flower counters and is a typical Swedish market full of and fresh products and all that Scandinavian cuisine has been able to create good over time: the Krabba, wonderful brick-colored crabs, i Smørrebrød, buttered rye bread covered with fresh fish, the Ȃlgfalu, the Bloodpudding and other typical sausages and a large quantity of berries like le Mullbär and the Lingonberry. After a walk through the well-kept shop windows and tasting some specialties, all you have to do is sit at Kajsas Fisk (Hötorgshallen 3) and taste their excellent fish and ajoli soup or be tempted by the gravlax salmon, marinated with salt, sugar and dill , in pure Swedish style.
The world of herring
Fish obviously plays a fundamental role in Swedish cuisine and the ways of storing it are different and all the repositories of ancient knowledge dating back several centuries. The best way to savor something authentic is to dive headlong into the world of herring and some of the best can be tasted in Skansen (Djurgårdsslätten 49-51), the oldest and most visited open air museum in the world. In this park of historic buildings spread over more than 4 hectares of former pine woods, everything has been faithfully reproduced: the baker, the blacksmith, the ceramic craftsman, the food store. The park was designed to retrace the stages of Swedish history and therefore of its gastronomy, but also to bring children closer to the fauna of the place. After a tour of wolves, seals and educational farms, you are ready to discover a little gem hidden among the trees at the top of the park's hill: a couple of fishermen, originating from the island of Ornö, leads every morning to Skansen herring and salmon tails and the outdoor kitchen, smoking them, cooking them on a hot fire or frying them. Their baracchino is wonderful for simplicity and authenticity, but the herrings are worthy of the best kitchens and to enrich them on the counter are ligonberry, sour cream and pickled onions.
The restaurants
Swedish cuisine is true European comfort food, made of rich, enveloping and warming dishes, like the dishes of one of the most interesting restaurants in the capital's landscape: Tradition (Österlånggatan 1). In the heart of the island of Gamla Stan, a stone's throw from the Royal Palace, this place is the perfect example of how modernity in Sweden has never been an obstacle to the preservation of the culinary tradition. The menu includes not only typical dishes of the capital, but also the famous ones Kroppkakor, pork dumplings typical of southern Sweden, literally made to drown in a slightly colored butter and accompanied by the ever-present cranberry jam, or Kåldolmar, cabbage rolls with minced meat and a very tasty gravy sauce. To start with, however, the restaurant offers among other dishes a small bite of paradise: his staff Toast Skagen, pane toasted with dill shrimp and mayonnaise and red caviar and the typical butter. Everything from Tradition is authentic and good, as good as a grandmother would, but presented and told in a modern and interesting way.
If you wanted a refined cuisine and memory, leaving the modern twist, the place is right for you Pelikan (Blekingegatan 40), on the island of Södermalm, one of the most dynamic areas of the city.
The restaurant is one of the oldest, inaugurated in 1733, retains a typical Parisian brasserie style, high ceiling and dark wood counter; its menu is that of the Swedish tradition (to try the strictly local mushroom soup and salmon, accompanied by potatoes with sour cream), and its selection of brandy will stimulate the interest even of the less expert in the field.
Make fika and eat candy
A prominent place in Swedish customs is to make "fika", the coffee break, to try in real confectioneries or in places that we would be assimilated to bakeries. Stockholm has a very important choice in terms of baked goods and the places where to stop in an imperative manner are above all two, both city chains: Bröd & Salt and Fabrique Stenugnsbagerthe. Ask for a coffee and taste the Saffransbullar (small saffron sweet buns) or i Kanelbullar (with cinnamon and cardamom) and i Hallongrotta (shortcrust pastry filled with raspberry jam).
Making "fika" is not a mere habit, holds a prominent place in the Swedish mentality and is a daily ritual to which they take a lot and often from the bakeries to the pastry shops, whose products are essentially more demanding, as in the historic Sundbergs Konditori ( Järntorget 83), founded in 1785. In this space-time portal, Swedish coffee is free: you pay for a cup, but you can drink it without limits, while one of the strong desserts is Prinsesstårta, invented at the beginning of the 20th century and dedicated to the three daughters of the king of Sweden: cream, raspberry jam and cream, enrich a soft base of almonds, all covered with a layer of marzipan.
The setting of Swedes for sweets reaches peaks unthinkable with the ritual that closes the working week: get lost in supermarkets on Saturday afternoon and buy tons of candies, to eat and to give to loved ones. This is why, given the high cost of living in Stockholm, the right address is ÖoB, a very popular supermarket in the city, or 7-eleven, a chain open almost 24 hours a day.
If tradition is never enough for you, the icing on the cake could be Aifur (Västerlånggatan 68B), the local of the E-Type eurodance legend, born Martin Eriksson. At the moment, Aifur is the only entirely Viking restaurant in the world and is the result of the interest of E-Type for that historical period. Every time you book a table (and it is essential because the place is very popular and also a bit 'expensive), you enter the door being announced by a corpulent Viking who, with a horn, warns the bystanders of your arrival. The kitchen consists of grilled meat and vegetables (note the absence of potatoes, consistent with the discovery of the tuber only in 1492). Absolutely to try immersed in this typically Nordic decor (and for this you just stay in the bar without booking a table), the wine based on honey: the mead.
Stockholm is a city that is tremendously alive and full of souls: the charm of the cobblestones of Gamla Stan, the most bohemian part of the capital, is added to the rigor of the big streets, but if you really want to understand what makes the Swedes unique, maybe you should jump in a place that you would never dream of visiting as Italians: the cemetery of Skogskyrkogården (Sockenvägen, 122 33). UNESCO heritage site, this cemetery in the woods, will help you understand the Swedes' approach to life by seeing with your own eyes how they face death: with Nordic tranquility and Scandinavian serenity. Look for a fairly anonymous grave on a small rise: hidden in the woods you will find Greta Garbo.
Thanks to Christina Sanson, an Italian-Swedish tourist guide in Stockholm.
Text by Alessandra Borre
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