The cuisines of all Scandinavian countries are quite similar, although each country does have its signature dishes. Seafood features prominently on restaurant menus, although beef, pork and chicken are more common in many everyday dishes. Potatoes are the main staple, most often simply boiled, but also made into mashed potatoes, potato salad and more. Spices are used sparingly, but fresh herbs are used to accentuate the ingredients.
Famous pan-Scandinavian dishes include:
Herring, especially pickled
Meatballs, served with potatoes, berries and creamy sauce
Salmon, especially smoked or salt-cured (gravlax)
Smörgåsbord, a popular lunch option with bread, herring, smoked fish, cold cuts and more
Bread comes in dozens of varieties, with dark, heavy rye bread a specialty, and Scandinavian pastries are so well known that the word "danish" has even been imported into English.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Scandinavia
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Scandinavia - updated May 2024
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Scandinavia Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
