Food & Drink - Sweden - page 691

Practical Info
Where to Eat
Hotels and hostels offer frukost (breakfast) buffets that typically include yoghurt and cer-
eal, several types of bread, pastries, crispbread and/or rolls, with pålägg (toppings) includ-
ing butter, sliced cheese, boiled eggs, sliced meat, liver pâté, Kalles caviar (an iconic cavi-
ar spread), pickled herring, sliced cucumber and marmalade. Several coffee chains
(Wayne's Coffee, Espresso House) now dot the landscape, offering reliably decent cap-
puccinos and lattes along with breakfast pastries and more substantial fare.
A hearty lunch has long been a mainstay of the work force, with cafes and restaurants
usually serving a weekday lunch special (or a choice of several) called dagens rätt at a
fixed price (typically Skr85 to Skr125) between 11.30am and 2pm Monday to Friday. It's a
practice originally supported and subsidised by the Swedish government with the goal of
keeping workers happy and efficient, and it's still one of the most economical ways to
sample top-quality Swedish cooking. The dagens rätt usually includes a main course,
salad, beverage, bread and butter, and coffee.
For a lighter lunch, head to a konditori (small cafe), where staples include substantial
pastries and the delectable smörgås (open sandwich), an artfully arranged creation usually
topped with greens, shrimp or salmon, roe, boiled egg and mustard-dill sauce. Most cafes
and coffee shops these days serve hearty, great-value salads that include grains or pasta
with lettuce and veggies, plus various other exotic goodies in an enormous bowl (typically
costing Skr85 to Skr100).
Etiquette
For the most part, table manners in Sweden are the same as those in the rest of Europe. On
very formal occasions, wait for the host to welcome you to the table before beginning to
eat or drink. Aside from a proper skål, don't clink glasses (it's considered vulgar), and re-
frain from sipping your wine outside of toasts until the host has declared that everyone
may drink freely. Don some decent socks when dining in someone's home, as you'll gen-
erally be expected to take off your shoes in the foyer. (It's not uncommon to bring along a
pair of house shoes to change into.) Swedes are typically quite punctual, so make an effort