Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
but are not finished with your plate, place your fork and knife in the shape of
an
X
on the plate.
3. Begin with the herring dishes, along with boiled potatoes and
knäck-
ebröd
(Swedish crisp bread).
4. Next, sample the other fish dishes (warm and cold) and more potatoes.
Gravlax
is salt-cured salmon flavored with dill, served along with a sweet
mustard sauce
(gravlax senap)
.
5. Move on to salads, egg dishes, and various cold cuts.
6. Now for the meat dishes—it's meatball time! Pour on some gravy as
wellasaspoonfuloflingonberrysauce,andhavemorepotatoes.Reindeerand
other roast meats and poultry may also tempt you.
7. Still hungry? Make a point to sample the Nordic cheeses—try creamy
Havarti, mild Castello (a soft blue cheese), and in Norwegian buffets, goat
cheese. Sample the delicious seasonal fruits and
franskbrød
white bread. And
there are racks of traditional desserts, cakes, and custards (see “Dessert,”
later). Cap the meal with coffee.
Smaklig måltid!
Enjoy your meal!
Purchasing heavily taxed wine, beer, and spirits in Scandinavia can put a dent
in your vacation budget. In Sweden and Norway, spirits, wine, and strong
beer (more than 3.5 percent alcohol) are sold in state-run liquor stores: Sys-
tembolaget in Sweden, and Vinmonopolet in Norway. Buying a beer or glass
of wine in a bar or restaurant in Sweden or Norway is particularly expens-
ive. Therefore, many Scandinavians will have a drink or a glass of wine at
home (or in their hotel room) before going out, then limit themselves to one
or two glasses at the restaurant. If taking an overnight cruise during your trip,
you can get a good deal on a bottle of wine or spirits in the onboard duty-
free shop. Liquor laws are much more relaxed in Denmark, where you can
buy wine, beer, and spirits at any supermarket or corner store. Prices are a bit
lower as well. Public drinking is acceptable in Denmark, while it is illegal (al-
though often done) in Norway and Sweden. Throughout Scandinavia, drink-
ing and driving is not tolerated.
