Swedish cuisine, like that in the other Scandinavian countries (Denmark and Norway ), is traditionally rich in fat. Due to long winters, the ability to store food for a long time was important, which explains the lack of fresh vegetables in many traditional recipes. Various turnips were common in older cooking, but these were largely supplanted by the potato when it was introduced in the 18th century. To add som vitamins and make the rather heavy food more enjoyable a jam made from lingonberries is often used.

Fish and meat play a prominent role in any traditional Swedish dish, vegetarianism being historically non-existent. There are long traditions of hunting and fishing in Sweden, depending on the distance to the coast or forrests. Hunters mainly focus on deer and moose, which make natural additions to the Swedish cuisine. A boar does not make a very good meal and there are no traditions of eating them.

Breakfasts

• Sandwiches
• Knäckebröd -- traditional Swedish bread
• Milk or Filmjölk -- In a glass
• Juice
• Milk or yoghurt or filmjölk (soured milk) -- In a bowl with sugar and often cereals (corn flakes / muesli)

Dishes

• Smörgåsbord -- Smorgasbord
• Köttbullar -- Swedish meatballs
• Julskinka -- Christmas ham
• Inlagd sill -- Pickled herring
• Surströmming -- Fermented Baltic herring
• Gravad lax -- Salmon, salted, cured and cold smoked
• Kåldolmar -- Cabbage rolls
• Pannkakor -- Pancakes
• Ärtsoppa -- Peasoup
• Kroppkakor/palt -- Cooked potato-dumplings, filled with pork
• Fläsk och bruna bönor -- Pork rinds and brown beans
• Kräftor -- Crayfish
• Julbord -- Christmas smorgasbord
• Blodpudding -- Black pudding
• Pölsa -- Hash
• Palt -- Blood bread
• Pyttipanna -- Hacked and fried meat, onions and pre-boiled potatoes.
• Falukorv -- Sausage originating from Falun

In the new Swedish kitchen, dishes are lighter, smaller and generally contains several different vegetables. This mode of cooking is highly influenced by French and Italian cuisine. Other types of food which have influenced and are a part of the modern Swedish cuisine is Asian and Tex-Mex.

Drinks

• Coffee (drink) -- Sweden is one the heaviest coffee drinking country in the world, second only to Finland
• Milk -- Sweden is the most milk drinking country in the world!
• Juice
• Julmust -- Traditional stout-like, very sweet seasonal soft drink (jul means christmas in swedish)
• Enbärsdricka -- Traditional juniper berry soft drink
• Sockerdricka -- Traditional sweet-sour soft drink
• Fruktsoda -- Traditional lemon-lime soft drink
• Champis -- Soft drink alternative to sparkling wine
• Pommac -- Soft drink alternative to sparkling wine
• Glögg -- Mulled wine
• Akvavit

Treats

• Knäck -- Christmas toffee
• Semla -- Cream-filled wheat bun
• Chokladboll -- Chocolate balls
• Ostkaka -- Swedish cheescake (very different from American)

Pancakes, muffins, sponge cake and different sorts of pies and cookies are typical desserts, as good as always served with coffee. Typical pies are apple-pie, blueberry-pie and rhubarb-pie and there are many different recepies of each. Pancakes and muffins are never ever served American style - for breakfast. In recent years American brownies, cookies and cup-cakes have become popular in cafés and restaurants.

See also: Soft drink, Culture of Sweden, List of Christmas dishes, Systembolaget