Gothenburg often plays second fiddle to Sweden's larger capital, Stockholm. But when it comes to food, the city's culinary delights are helping to make Gothenburg famous around the world.
With new research from American Express revealing that Brits have sampled an average of ten different cuisines in the past year, it's no surprise that the 'Scandi food' craze has taken off not just in this country, but around the world as visitors flock to Gothenburg to get a taste of the latest gourmet creations.
Check out what Amex Insider Alex Zane discovered as he took a sneak peek into the foodie scene in Gothenburg in the video below.
So what better way to celebrate the globally acclaimed Scandinavian cuisine than to pull together our very own list of the top five must-try Gothenburg dishes?
Stekt strömming and inlagd sill
Gothenburg residents originally enjoyed fish due to its accessibility and today still, it features heavily on the city's menus and in residents' diets. Two of the most traditional dishes we'd recommend trying are stekt strömming (fried herring) and inlagd sill (pickled herring), both usually served as main courses at one of the 4 Michelin starred restaurants or alternatively, from one of the increasingly popular street-food vans in the city. Stekt strömming is usually eaten with smooth mashed potatoes and lingonberries while inlagd sill is generally pickled with löksill (onions), kryddsill (spices) or senapssill (mustard) and served with flatbread, egg, cheese and potatoes.
Smörgåsbord
Smörgåsbord translates literally to English as an open-faced sandwich. A traditional Swedish smörgåsbord is a popular local lunch option where it is offered with a variety of different toppings. The usual components are crispbread, butter and cheese with fish additions such as inlagd sill (pickled herring) and gravad lax (cured salmon) or meat in the form of köttbullar (meatballs) and prinskorvar (mini sausages). Two other local favourites include potatoes and eggs. In brief, the smörgåsbord will vary slightly wherever you go according to the chef's preference, but the nature of the smörgåsbord means you'll likely find anything you fancy in this form.
Tunnbrödsrulle
If at any point on your travels you fancy a taste of home, the tunnbrödsrulle is Gothenburg's equivalent of bangers and mash. Best sampled from a street-food van, or korvkiosk, Scandi-sausagse and mashed potatoes are conveniently wrapped in thin bread for on-the-go-eating. The korvkiosk is translated as a hot dog booth ( korv - hot dog, kiosk - booth) and other delicacies are likely to be on offer include a korv topped with räksallad (shrimps in mayonnaise) or a korv with bostongurka and mos (pickled gherkin relish and mash).
Fika
A fika is a coffee break, only it means so much more than that to locals. Some people describe the Swedish fika as a social institution, a moment of time set aside by the nation to enjoy coffee, sweets and the company of family, friends or colleagues. A crucial element of fika is the accompanying sweet treat such as kanelbullar (cinnamon buns) which are so popular that a national 'Cinnamon Bun Day' takes place annually on October 4th. Kanelbullar were invented by the Swedes and unlike American cinnamon buns, they are small, not very sweet or sticky and don't have any icing. Popular variations of kanelbullar include lussekatter (saffron buns) which are served at Christmas and semla (sweet cardamom buns with almond paste and cream) which are popular on Shrove Tuesday.
Gustavus Adolphus Pastry
Strictly speaking, this pastry isn't really a 'dish' but there is no better place to enjoy a Gustavus Adolphus pastry than in the town he founded. Across Sweden, the death day of King Gustavus Adolphus the Great (6th November) is commemorated with celebrations that include eating a special pastry named in his honour. The event is especially popular in the town he founded, Gothenburg. The cake can be made in any way, but a picture of the king must always feature on the top, normally crafted from chocolate of marzipan.
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