The country with the unknown cuisine.

That's really not playing fair cloudwatcher, giving the game away so early. But the chocolate is wrong. I've been threatening Leif that if he didn't put up his own discsussion about the mysteries of their eating habits I would. He'll get a nasty suprise when he signs in, or a nice one. I hope no one reads your answer or this is going to be a very dull discussion.

I'm sorry, but what was I supposed to do?
Toblerone is Swedish, isn't it?

I don't know, pretend you didn't know. I did exactly the same on one of Wmrauls puzzles ones on a vegetable, I responded straight away with the right answer in box 3 and then kicked myslelf realising I could have ended it quickly for him. HE pm'd to say of course it was right but he'd just skip over it, and even asked me to help out with the rest of the responses. Luckily no one read my ignored answer and everyone went on to have lots of fun getting it completely wrong.

I have no idea if toblerone comes from this unknown country but Leif knows which bar I'm speaking of, he's popping round later via helicopter and donkey to drop some off.

The delicious and dreamy toblerone comes from the yodelling land of Switzerland, but if it is too far to go, you can buy it here in Sweden as well

a word of caution.. I have only one sofa and two extra bedrooms.. so no more than 5 people at a time, I think, should you be after the toblerone..always good to know.

We serve breakfast and lunch, smörgås style, and the dinner will be a feast of ordinary food exquitely prepared and displayed, so you feel like royalty!

Snacks are NOT provided but Swedish coffee is served in the evening with a little delightfully yummy 'something'.

Yep, Toblerone is from Switzerland. Yummy...

I've never heard of Daim bars and I'm sure they are not sold here. Next time I am in Brisbane or Sydney I'll make a point of looking for them in their specialist chocolate shops.

I've never heard of Daim bars either. I bet in Sweden they're a daim a dozen.

good thing i read the first post.. i was already thinking of what the answer could be and that would mean headache afterwards if i think too much ...

i love toblerone, but not as much as i love cloud 9.

You can all find the DAIM bars in your local IKEA shops. I cannot as the nearest one is in Athens.

dawn,, hahahaha..lovely as always and very very sharp!!! a daim a dozen!!!hahahha

Hi Jayrene! We have finally met!
I actually like toblerone too but it is more a christmas time item.. for me, anyway.. since it comes ALL THE WAY from Switzerland.
hmmmm Cloud 9?? um...yeah,, I have been there often.. I don’t doubt that just everybody loves it, even better than chocolate, isn’t it!
er.. Cloudwatcher?? You would know about that more, wouldn’t you??? c’mon. spill the beans.. for a daim??

Thea, you are so petuous when you plead and pout! Do ya think the others will get the hint??

I presume that cloud 9 is another chocolate bar?

maybe in YOUR world!

Daim Bars were first marketed in the UK as DIME Bars,which may have given some people (who didn't read the label!) the misconception that they were American,and not Swedish..After a few Years I suppose they figured people were ready for the reality,and made the switch to the correct spelling..I hate when they do that with products! It's the same thing in the package..why change the labelling? Some things sell under a different name in different countries..Why? What is now the "Snickers" bar sold as "Marathon" for long enough before they changed it..The name is a marketing tool,nothing else..and Who came up with Cillit Bang as a product name? It means nothing in any language I know! (rant over!)

cillit bang?? as in Kill it-BANG! yikes!
I don't understand why either except it must be a marketing ploy. If it doesn't sell.. is it the name?? how it sounds when you say it out loud? if it looks too foreign? It has to be the marketing, otherwise why spend the money changing things? So yes YOU are right, in my thinking.. and so you win the right to rant again!!

Hi Louc, you weren't meant to reveal the answer if you know it but totally wrong on the chocolate in mind, even if it does come from there which I'm not s wure about. This discussion is to wind up one of my friends who failed to post the discussion I've repeatedly told him to do on his national cuisine. I mean, I'm curious, most countries do have restaurants somewhere else after all.

Oops! Awww sorry Thea! Lol! I thought you wanted answers!

The chocolate's bugging me now! Is it Marabou?

Ok - I'm now cheating because it's annoying me! Lol! There's one Swedish restaurant in London that I found. It has a menu, but I won't tell what's on it if you don't want me to!:D

No do go ahead and reveal, I've never come across a menu from there. The source of inspiration here has popped into box 5 but still not revealed the contents of a smorsbsboard so do please be the one to do it, then I can taunt him. T]

The infamous chocolate is of course the DAIM (or dime) bar which I can't buy in Greece.

Ok, they're coming up under Swedish Restaurants, but advising that they serve Scandinavian food, so that takes in Dutch and Nordic offerings as well.

Smorgasbord - traditionally means "bread and butter table", and consists of a selection of fish, meats, cheese and bread.

Kottbullar - home made Swedish Meatballs (and they serve this with beetroot mayo, which sounds interesting!) Also called Kottbullemacka.

Gravadlax - raw salmon cured in salt, sugar, and dill, usually accompanied by Hovmastarsas: a dill and mustard sauce, served on bread of some kind, or with boiled potatoes

Swedish varmkorv - a swedish hotdog, with swedish mustard, and Swedish ketchup

Smorrebrod - open sandwich

Tunnbrod - rye and wheat flatbread wraps

Ok, that's about it. Not sure how authentic these are - they're Swedish restaurants, but I'm not sure if they've tamed things down for the British palate or not. I hope not!:)

Ooh! And I forgot - they have Dime Bar CAKE!!!!

HI Louc! Thank goodness that they have DAIM there, because Lindt comes also from Switzerland.. thanks for offering it up as Swedish, because it is good stuff!!

AND your menu results?? YUP and YUP and YUP!!! All very real sounding and, hopefully prepared like it was Swedish.. THAT is really important to the enjoyment!

Thanks SOOO for spreading the good word.

Hey Louc you've revealed the mysteries which our resident Swede here refused to do.

May I just say that I think DILL is the nastiest invention of the herb world, I just knew fjaril was hiding something terrible, even though they do have DIME cake.

Lol! I won't be popular with him then! I meant to apologise and change my spelling of that! They were called Dime bars here for years, then they changed the name a good few years ago to Daim, and I just can't get used to it at all! But yeah, I'm drooling at the thought of it as well!:D

Hi Fjaril, I didn't see you there! I feel like the worlds biggest clype (tell-tale), and also like I've spoilt something! Lol!

I'm trying to find a Swedish restaurant in Scotland now, because my curiosity is roused, and I want to try the food!:)

You didn't spoil anything Louc and page 2 nearly all guessed Switzerland anyway as they seemed to think the Swedes were war mongers.

dear thea... about the dill? yes, you may say, but.. you will pay

BUT Louc! Maribou!! yes yes,, that is also from the Swedish land called Sverige! And I know all about DAIM being DIME in England.. a favour from IKEA for liking the chocolate!

??? ‘CLYPE’ a NEW word!! THANKYOU.. my tongue is playing with it as I type, ooh a rhymn!! Surprising that a 'warmongring' Swede could enjoy somthing so..so.. cerebral!

Hee hee! I'm going to have to investigate the dill, to form an opinion on it - don't have a lot of experience with it, unless it's been hidden somewhere and I haven't noticed it.

Thanks, Thea. Maybe the war monger thing goes back to the days of the vikings?

Fjaril! English????? I'm SCOTTISH! Lol! Yeah, our speech is quite laminal. I keep wanting to use my slang words on here, then having to explain their meaning. Maybe if you liked that word, I should type up a wee Scottish poem, then challenge everyone to decipher it?

Ooh! That could actually be quite good fun!

I had forgotten the buttered dilled potatoes, those are terrific. I love them. I like dill, though, so there you are.

wow...

you guys made me more cuirous about sweden's foods, and "that" chocolate.

i wonder if we have that here ...

Louc! You are on to something!!

You could do some little ‘Precis’ about the ‘daim’ laminal Clypes.. they live near you, right? on the island there?
Only could your read it out loud?? a la Scottish delight,, aah.. let’s here it and please my ears!

But to be less serious.. the ‘dill’ of which I speak is this tall very thin thready short-branched weedy herby plant beside my parsley and oregano. You snip off those side stems and cook them with the fish till it dies( the fish of course already dead). I am not so fond of it( the dill, this time) but it gives a certain flavour that belongs to Swedish cuisine.

AAAh Gerty! Yes, so you have tasted those potatoes..I can tell.. One cannot be a Swede if you don’t like potatoes..I think it is on the application for citizenship here. and even if you don’t like dill.. “so there you are”

Agent Jayrene,, YOUR assignment, should you wish to accept it, is to check it out on the net and report back! Enquiring minds need to know, ya know

I'm gonna make you all jealous just now! Just been to the shop and bought..........a DOUBLE Daim bar! Na, na na, na, naaahhh!

You're all a bad influence! That's the diet out the window! Lol!

well!! and not sharing either!!

Diet? na na nana na BACK!!

Oh you're sitting smug with your DAIM bars and adding to the torment further.
fjrili, I see that dill is to Sweden what oregano is to Greece, compulsory.

But!! oregano is so beautiful in bloom!! Have you seen dill blooming,, blooming weedy looking!

Mmmmmmmmmunchy! (Crunch, slurp, chew). Mmmmmmm!:D

hahahahaha... SURE!

Hi Sandra, can people please stop getting this right, I obviously gave too much away. They don't have to export their food but most countries do send a few restaurants abroad, I mean one can even get Mongolian restaurants in other countries. So you think reindeer, I'm sure the Sweede will be along later to clarify as he has been refusing to clarify the secrets of his homelands kitchens till now.

I goofed and said Switzerland, so I am a wrong answer. However, since I live twelve miles from "Little Sweden USA" and I know about osstakaka, sil, lovely salads of unusual greens, ham with cherry sauce, and smorgas. Swedish meatballs of course. Potatoes. Hmm, I am hungry. The restaurant is not as good as it used to be, but I like going to The Swedish Crown.

YES Sandra!! You win! They eat reindeer steaks or something,.. called moose!! Dead on!!
So you liked the Swedish humour did you? Not everyone gets it, ya know!
The very best of meats in fact and from local places too.
We have the very best breads you can imagine,, so fresh and wholesome and seeded or even cheesed and ..well. yes.. boring, because they never answer when you talk to them.

Food comes here from all over the continent and we even have fresh fruit home grown and also imported, We have out own cheese and even import fabulous cheeses as well.

I don’t know about the exporting.. I think I will let the ‘exports’ look after that end.

Thea...I’m HERE I’m HERE.. turn around! I am talking to Gerty!

Yeah Gerty.. you go girl.. listen to you rattle off Swedish food!!
Just do away with the cherry sauce bit.. Take the Swedish lignon sauce from the lingonberry (which may be like cranberry or cowberry) instead. YOu won't be sorry!hmmmhmmm!!

Maybe you better take over that restaurant. You sound like a great ambassador for Swedish cuisine!!

I have the lingnonberry on my oostakaka, not like some who have the grape and milk mixture (yuck). At one time we had a Swedish chef at the Swedish Crown, and lovely coffee to linger over. Not so much anymore. The real name of the town is Lindsborg, and the King of Sweden has even visited. We have a Dala Horse factory, as well. My real background: Scots, Irish, English, German, French, Swede,Jewish, Welsh, and Choctaw (native American) also a claim to something called Black Dutch. I am a real melting pot, all by myself. Mostly German, I believe.

Hello, Fjaril. You've just reminded me about the cheese. Our neighbour in Spain has a brother in Sweden, and when they go back, they bring back loads of cheese. They always give us some, and it's marvellously creamy - even better than English Cheddar, which is wonderful. I do like the Swedish sense of humour - it can be very self-deprecating, just like the English, but with a bit more philosophy thrown in.

Multilingual Multicultural Garden Gerty Eats Lingonberry in Lindsborg! Film at 11!!

and I will watch it too, if you allow it to be aired.. WOW.. with all that background! Make sure you smile and wave back!! Black dutch, huh? I wonder if we should learn more about that,, hint hint?????

Smiling Sandra.. ahaaaaaah!! so that is your SMART neighbour!!
You are too precious for words.. so you have us figured out..HAHAHAHAHA... I love you too!

Zed you are bad. I said in the intro don't look at the other answers, this could have been a fun one if people were coming up with lots of obscure countries and it was done with someone in mind. The Sweedish women indeed are famous for being beautiful and not wearing any clothes which is confusing considering the climate there.
I have been demanding to know what they eat their but our Sweedish friend here has only revealed the odd snippet, and believe me so far they have been very odd. But you dear Zed live in one of the most international centres of the world so do you have a restaurant from there there?

Hehhehe..oops, I did it again! Sorry, Thea..

Ah, the blonde beauties, you mean?

Well, for in my country, we have cuisines here definitely. Southeast Asian dishes aplenty, my favorite is Indian cuisine, super yummy! And Malay ones too.... I think I like soups when it comes to Chinese dishes, but I mix it up with Indian and Malay style. Awesome..

Stop it Zed, we have a choice between Greek, Greek or Greek. I would kill for a bowl of hot and sour soup with tofu and prawns.

Well hello!! Nice to meet you zed!! and yes! Of course you don’t know the cuisine, your head is turned towards the Swedish beauties.. and they sure are, aren't they?

Don’t believe what thea says about the Swedish women not wearing clothes..Why, I have seen then wear clothing! many times, in fact!!
Do you see films or something that I should know about? that you know about Swedish women?
No, I don’t want to SEE the films, it is just a question. After all, I can see Swedish women every single day and even Swedish woman at night.

You guys,, we have so many passions.. apart from this one.. we have the sea and the land and sports and the food.. yes, lets talk about the food..we have great Indian food here also, but if you want to have Swedish food, you just have to put up with Swedish women too!

Thea/fjaril,

I've yet to taste any Greek foods nor Swedish ones. But I think both of them are extremely delicious, I can only imagine, lol. Though I don't have a clue.

Hehe, Swedish beauties as well as Greek beauties. Oh yeah, I'm sure the lads are handsome(ish) too..

TV teaches me all these.. I've not yet traveled the world in 80 days..

It's been bugging me but the name has just popped into mind. Zed, you probably won't know this one over there in Singapore but Leif will.

Britt Ekaland, married to Peter Sellers, did nothing but walk around without clothes on in a lot of bad films, am I right?

Zed!!. you mean it has been 80 days already since you were last let out?? Poor guy! No wonder you are so impressed with Greek goddesses and Swedish Sirens.. and the Lovely Lads who serve all this dubiously delicious foreign food!!

Yes, I think you need to get out, at least to see the world and taste the food! It’s time! TaaDaah!

While you are being held ‘captive’ there, by your imagination, could you explain to Thea, in a very nice way, of course, since she IS in fact the hostess of this discussion AND a Greek Goddess to boot, that you have internet and that you already googled Britt Ekland the very second you read about her here and you know exactly, EXACTLY if thea is right! .. right?

Thea,, So you think Zed has no idea, huh?

Britt Ekland is a mature lady now and still hot! I mean beautiful!! YES! THAT!
I must be a gentleman! was invited to this discussion and, so, to my ever so gracious hostess, I reply humbly to your question,
“Ooo suure..”

fjaril, you think so highly of me..
I think I just met her yesterday, in my dreams! So yeah, in La-La land, anything is possible..

You guys mean the used to be really hawt Britt Ekland? Not that she's not hawt now, but she looks rather, uh...mature should I say..

Thea... do you have other examples or other Swedish beauties or Greek ones?

I go for Penelope Cruz... she's one sweet looking lady. But then she's Mexican, if I'm right, or Italian..

fjaril, bro...you are right. I just Googled her name and checking out her pictures, shes H-O-T-T hawt! LOL.......

Thea, she is, truly..

O zed! Ya gotta get those hands moving,, fingers on the keyboard and google it man,, Your Penelope is born in MADRID SPAIN! But then I have this feeling that,for YOU, it really didn't matter so much where shw was born.. am I right?

And being a mature gentleman and all that you, of course, are( right????)

then you would appreciate how well Britt has matured..( you answer YES here)

I think a lot of the Greek women are very beautiful though they are mainly black haired as opposed to the Swedish blonds. Not quite sure of the intelligence factor of the Ekland, she did hook Peter Sellers but she did have to take her clothes off in a lot of films, or maybe she just wanted to do that because she is Swedish.

aah you are soo intuitive! yes.. that would have been the reason...

Hehhehehe, I don't judge the book by the cover..

Penelope is from Madrid? I really didn't know that...lol...
She looks very Italian, fjaril. So who do you fancy then???

Thea, blonde, dark-haired, strawberry blonde, brunette, jet black hair are all nice colors. I don't really have any specifics.

I find Greek ladies very uniquely stylish. I think I watched one particular reality show (couldn't remember which), where the location is in Greece and I saw guys and girls on the beach. So I think not all could be tourists and they interviewed some locals there, and they are really naturally beautiful.

The tourists definitely lack in beach style as they like to soak the sun up and turn red, the stylish ones would have been the Greeks.

I couldn't agree more..

Glad you enjoyed having a whole discussion made in your honour. It could have gone one of two ways I thought, light amusement or slight crossness, but I see you have received it in the most excellent of manners. Finish your lunch and then you must describe the delightsof a smorgas board.

Dear Thea...The very fact that the English speaking world has chosen to call the deliciously pallet pleasing and eye teasing displays of foods served at their large office parties certainly attests to the wonderful food of the Swedes.. things WE prepare and eat here normally at home!

..... er.. doesn’t it??
I mean, would someone take a Swedish word like Smörgåsbord ..a style of serving food (meaning a buffet meal of various hot and cold hors d'oeuvres, salads, casserole dishes, meats, cheeses, etc. at dictionary.com),and then spread the word around the world, if it didn’t really mean something fantastic??

The foods are prepared with delicious ingredients in an attractive manner to tempt you even when you are not hungry. Always fresh, artfully displayed in attractive combinations and colours, delectable seasoned to tease every pallet and it, in fact, is a celebration of the food and the appreciation of having it.

We have many dishes that are the every day meat and potatoes kind but we put love and effort into them and spice up the look with colours and complimentary tastes..

This sounds soo fine, what I am writing; like I didn’t write it myself, but I am doing just that!!

I am a lover of food.. not all.. no no. I have a few allergies and definite dislikes, but even I can slurp the seeds of the tomato and enjoy it immensely ans sense the suns work on the very full-bodied taste.
Every time We sit together and eat, the meal is the reason why we smile and have pleasant conversation.. It is just so..

And never a meal goes by that we do not thank each other for that meal.. whatever it is..terribly thankful and polite we are.. so proper.. hmmm I never really thought about it so much till just now.. but, it is so.. hmmmm.

I see you can actually run on whilst talking about Swedish food now that I forced your hand. You do know the rules though don't you, when someone makes a discussion in your very honour you really have to pop into everyones box and dear Hatley has a question in box 19. I have a suspicion as well that Stvasile may dislike your offerings, but loves chocolate and has never even seen a DAIM bar in Romania.
You do know though that meatballs or rather keftethes were invented by the Greeks though I hope

Ponders now, who will be my next victim to make a discussion about

Did you spot your fellow Swede, box 10.

I have gone no further than just here to you now with the need to go to my bed.

I am just about to go to sleep, my dear friend! It was quite the evening with friends and calls and yummy food. My wife had a birthday today! I should have warned you about it, so you could have attended with some Greek delicacy.. a replica, of course, of some Swedish dish, but, no doubt sounding and seasoned like something Greek
I am off to bed as I must up in the morn.
Thankyou for today! and for tomorrow also! Hope you are well and sleeping while I sit here still.

Tomorrow then!

Glad to hear you had a fun night. I notice from Karen that you failed to mention fruit soups, and Gerty has led me to believe that a loganberry is a cranberry which we like.
I thought you'd have popped in on your fellow Swede first, your presence in the other boxes has gone down very well and enlivened the discussion no end.
I should add that I don't often prepare Greek food at home except the wonderful mousakkas, and of course aubergines.

I am orderly and disciplined and other similar crap.. I cannot bounce NOR hop,skip and jump well, as a result!

The BR here is for all your lovely responses, I'm glad you enjoyed it and promise not to sneak another one on you just yet. There are other victims out there.

Yes, this was wonderful fun.. something new in my life.. wow! a new experience and I lived through it!
Thanks for the experience and also very much for the 'best response' honour! My My, I am flattered, but I have to say, it is the hardest I ever had to work for one..
yes..Thanks again.. good brain exercise and even better team work, wasn't it? We were a good team, weren't we!.. weren't we?

Most certainly, especially as you had it thrust upon you. I thought you were a very good sport and look at all the nice new friends you made too. I do know the nicest of people you know.
The olive harvest is now up and you may sit back in there and I promise not to mention Sweden again for at least 10 days.

hahahaha.. how sweet and caring and considerate you are. hmmmmmm.. lets see if you really can do it.
Sleep well, my good friend!

Of course I didn't promise not to mention DAIM bars of gloop.

DAIM bars of gloop?? aHAAAH!! So Now the truth comes out! You also speak DUTCH!! Wat gezellig

Look after your olives, thea, and remember..PICTURES!!

There are pictures of both olive trees and oil from the press tap on my profile page, and that's all you'll be getting. I don't have your skill in instantly sticking a picture on, that lot took me about 6 hours and lots of coaching by pm.

thank you thea. I am sorry that pleasing me with pictures is such a cumbersome burden for you. Good thing you have a pm option, isn't it!!
Maybe I should just make the trip myself, eh?

Completely wrong my dear Malpoa,of course Russia has been involved in wars within the last two centuries. Naturally it isn't India as your cuisine is found in most places except here, though I heartily wish it was as I love it so much.

The country in question may not have sent its chocolate or furniture to you yet, I'm not sure, but it definitely must have sent you the pop stars but that would be before your time though their music is still famous now.

Hi there malpoa! Have you got a new avatar for us yet? Something that is special just for you? Then I could recognize you right away whenever we meet!

Yeah, as Thea said, Russia has been involved in wars in the timeframe chosen and so we are back to Sweden then.. the fairly neutral people, I understand.
Do yo have IKEA stores in India?? Have you checked?

Chocolates and switzerland connect well, but we get their chocolates here...I can thtink of any other country with a combination of chocolates and pop stars!!! wait...
hi I sneaked, it is sweded, there was no way I could tell hi hi
oh so swedenproduces cocco I see...knowledge...

IKEA isnt in india yet. furniture from sweden so famous all over the world...hmm
is the currency there called kwacha? my aunt has worked there and she has named her hhome kwacha!!!

Sweden doesn’t really produce coco a much as it processes and packages it in various forms, choclate bars,bing one form.

Zambia is the land with that currency,kwacha, malpoa. but it sounds also similar to the word for quarter, kvartje ( one fourth of a dollar) in Holland before the EURO was adopted there.

Was it Sweden that your Aunt worked in? In any case, I don’t recognize it as Swedish.

Hope all is well with you!

hi fjaril,
Yup im good, friends are coming for dinner and a night stay, so looking forward to that. dint start cooking yet though!!!
yes she was the principal of a nursing school there, she worked in other countries also. so kept her home name as kwacha. hmm i havent had chocolates form sweden, rather one processed there!!
how is everything going?

Hope your dinner with friends was wonderful! Good to hear you are well! Thanks for dropping by and chatting.. very kind of you. Hope we meet again somewhere soon!

Malpoa, an avatar at last, and very fetching too. I'm sure you'll get noticed a lot more now.

Thank you, thank you..I love flowers and a look at them, they bring a smile to my face...they make me happy...

I love your avatar, so colourful and 'fresh'!! and please, what are the flowers called??

Hi,
thank you!
Definitely they aren't called malpoa!!! hi hi
I have no clue, they are wild flowers normally seen in the valley of himalayas.

It is spring there in the valley, I think, as I see daffodils in the background. I do not recognize the smaller sized red flowers, for the foto is too small, but the large magentas look like allium of a sort! STUNNING Combination, isn't it! A very apt avatar for you here!!

Yeah, I love natures beauty too! Thanks for joining me here, It is very nice to have met you!

Yes it is spring here, adn you will get a carpet of diffrent colours during that time!!! You just wont feel like coming back to your room!!! I am poor in botany dear....I did not know the name of the big flower until you told me!!!
yes, I am happy too that we are friends now...
Gooday

A treat to look forward, then, for ME and I dare say, lots of others, as well! You are very pleasing to the eye, indeed!

The chocolate is why I guessed Switzerland.

mmmmmmmm..chocolate

DAIM bars of course. And thanks but I've now seen Fjarils photo of a meatball sandwich[em]thumbdown[/em
I don't know how they can claim to invent the meatball when the Greeks obviously did it first with keftedes.

The Swedes claim to have invented the meatball? I wasn't aware of that factoid..You learn something new every day on Here!

aah, what a good sport that you didn’t cheat..Actually it was our hostess, thea, who has a severe fetish for DAIM that lead to the question about chocolate that most nobody knows about.
I would have gone with the meatballs myself.. a special uppity whos's who ans wel-off group party dish in the Canadian world I lived in..well... near..kind of..

I don’t think we ever made such a claim about being the inventors of meatballs!

Even if the foto of the meatball sandwich does not meet with approval, there are alot of things I never was the first ever to do, but one doesnt have to be first to be best, my friend!

The Swedish meatball sandwich sounds like something I could very easily get along with,as when in the States,I've tried and enjoyed the Italian meatball "sub" sandwich in a Mall food court on a previous trip,and having enjoyed Swedish Meatballs before,its Nordic sandwich cousin should also be very good...I could wish Ikea was closer to me to be able to buy the products available there,but my closest branches now are in Belfast and Dublin,and those are at best 90 minutes and 3 hours away respectively! It could have been worse..prior to these stores opening (Dublin opened this Year,Belfast now has 2 Years under it's belt) the closest Branch was in Glasgow (And My Sister,an Ikea Fan,Travelled there to Shop!)

well thankyou for mentioning that! As a Swede, I consider that a very fine endorsement of IKEA. no doubt IKEA likes it too!

I still need an IKEA nice warm quilt but everyone is starting their olives on Monday.

thea, can you scan in the IKEA catalogue online, find the quilt you want and have it sent to you at all? I ask because I don't know how service is there for you. Does it get colöder there than you have quilts for now?

or colder? I tried to follow the Greek catalogue, but, ya know, it is pretty much all 'Greek' to me!

I'll have a look tomorrow online and see. Greek quilts are pitiful, they are 2 sheets sewn together with a bit of fluff inside. I was freezing last night. They haven't heard of togs and things like that out here, they just pile tons of blankets on top of the thin quilt.

You should try Duvets R Us

Hi Aunty, well the answer has been repeatedly revealed so I may as well let you into it. It is Sweeden, with its IKEA furniture, its delicious DAIM bars, and ABBA.
Actually I posted this to amuse our friend Fjaril and it did the trick, but I still have no idea what they eat over there apart from meatballs and chocolate. They have something called a smorgsboard but I'm not sure what goes on it. If he doesn't clear up this matter soon I will simply label it the nation of herring eaters (that's the raw rollmop herrings).

Thanks for the info. As long as u had fun w/it, that's the main thing. I bet they have really good food ther. Why is it such a mystery?

It is a mystery no longer Aunty, Louc in box 2 has posted a Swedish menu from a place in the UK. And Fjaril has posted a picture of one of their sandwiches. Apparently it contains a lot of dill which in my view is on the same par as oregano - inedible.

I enjoyed the discussion. Some of his menu sounded good some didn't. I use alot of oregano in my cooking & i like dill in cucumbers, onions & vinegar. Different strokes for different folks, i always heard.

Glad you enjoyed it. A little oregano never used to bother me but Greeks put it on or in everything and it all becomes a bit too much. I prefer my basil leaves, and mint. Handy tonight though I added lots of fresh sage leaves to a pork casserole, very tasty.

We all have our likes & dislikes. I use quite afew spices in my cooking. Your casserole sounds good. Have a good night.

You too Aunty, I'm sleeping in a moment. Night.

How very sweetly Swedish you sound.. friendly, polite, accepting, appreciative, tolerant, neutral!!

I think you have softened the facade of our hostess enough that she is beginning to tire and sleep.. g'night you two!!

gOOD MORNING TO BOTH OF U. tHANKS FOR THE KIND WORDS. y'ALL HAVE A GREAT DAY.

Same to you!!

Hi Gerty, completly wrong but you already know that But you're actually close by to a Swedish community I presume if the town is called Little Sweeden. I've never heard of ham with cherries before I must say. I hope you are going to enlighten us with the contents of a smorsgsboard as Fjaril is still determind to keep it secret.

Garden Gerty the Globetrotter!! Hi again there, Swedish food flatterer that you are!
Hope your day is going well, while you dream of delicious Swedish dishes!

Thea,I'm sure You know that Pork traditionally comes along with apple sauce as an accompaniment,and the Hawaiian Pizza with ham,Cheese and pineapple is WIN..I've yet to sample cherries as the side order,but I do love eating fresh cherries in season..I'd like to give this a try!

I don't eat cherries either with ham, I east lingonberry sauce (lingonsylt) with ham and which is the similar berry in cranberry sauce

I like ligonberries, and cranberries. I like good food, where ever it originates.

mmm.. a girl after my heart! Yup.. Good food and fine friends.. will it be wine with that??

Lutfisk!!!

P.S. We do have a famous libation, too...care to guess?

Hi Shirley, so you are actually of Swedish origin then, fascinating. You still got the chocolate bar wrong, although of course you may be right, but it is not the one I meant, which is the famous DAIM bar which Fjaril torments me about daily even though he knows I can't get them out here and adore them.

It is years since I ate a rollmop. You must return and fill us in on the contents of a smorgasbord, as apart from said rollmops the rest of the bord remains a mystery. Tell me, are you partial to one of Fjails favourite dishes of pasta with cocounut milk and tomatoes, I think it sounds perfectly foul.

I'm thinking the smorgasbord would be a direct ancestor to the "All You can Eat" buffet restaurants,so you could say that aspect of Swedish cuisine has travelled!

OMG....you have it wrong, dear thea....for misplaced/displaced SWEDES...it's gotta be SKOR! Was my top seller when I owned the store at the Marina!

SMORGAS---"open-faced sandwich"....BORD---"table!" And a friendly table is a delicately curved one (and that is not reminiscent of the Swedish babes, but a philosphy of warmth and kindness. The table is laden with hot & cold superbly delicious foods reflective of the seasons! From wonderfully smoked reindeer meat, to Gravadlax, Pyatt i panna (a hash of meat,onions,potatoes..served with fried eggs & pickled beets) to "messmor, a soft sweet whey cheese..a plethora of seafoods, veggies, truly a delight to the eyes and the pallet. And it is easy for you to pick out a none SWEDE at a smorgy...they load all the goodies on one plate, where we use several, and eat ritualistically! Dill, juniper, cranberries, native fruits flavour foods & libations!

If my recollection serves me right...the first BIG "Swedish Smorgy" was introduced to North America, in New York in 1938 at a Worlds Fair!
It is a matter of record, that Swedes rank second in the world for coffee consumption.....but I will not comment on the Aquavit/Schnaps/Vodka/Lager!

Thanks for the journey down memory lane....HUGZ!

You'll be able to indulge a little more in your journey down memory lane when Fjaril pops down later for a chat, the Swede indeed whom this discussion was created to annoy. Naturally though he is delighted and a little gem I was pleased to find on here, and I'm not biased because he thinks I am a Greek goddess.
You can battle out the SKOR and DAIM with him, personally I've never encountered the first and have been taunted into extreme craving by the latter, as naturally we don't have them in Greece.

halloo där!! Yes yes.. SKOR of course,YES YES, but that was exactly what Daim was in Sweden but sold as Skor in Cananda. How long has it been for you since you left?

HOW VERY NICE TO READ YOUR response here!! Here we had pyttipanna tonight and I took a foto immediately before we started to eat it.I almost forgot to take the picute but here it is attached.Thanks soo for dropping into thea's discussion. Tha was wonderful!!

sorry about the spelling,, that wasn't so wonderful

Thank you, so kindly for the pyttipanna, I truly enjoyed supper, deliciously eye-appealing, reminiscent...and NOT fattening!

Sadly, fjaril, I have NEVER visited my homeland! I was born mid-Ocean, when my parents left Ockero (outskirts of Goteburg)for the "land of opportunity!" In 1875 to '79 the British Columbia government granted FREE land to immigrants. A lot of Scandinavians, being industrious took advantage of this, and each settler received 65 hectares (160 acres)FREE, after working it for five years. The first settler, Hagen Christensen, started a store in the middle of nowhere, along the coast of B.C. that reminded him of his homeland, the fjords, the ocean, the farmland and timber. It became a totally SCANDINAVIAN settlement called "Hagensborg." Some 1500 settlers....a true melting pot of scandinavian culture! To this area, my parents arrived, and all cultures of Swedes, Danes & Norwegians honoured, including religion. Even today, over 100 years later, the hand-adzed log homes and barns, still stand, and there is still over 1000 descendants in Hagensborg!
I truly think, that if you were supplanted in Hagensborg, you would think you were in your homeland.

So growing up, within the culture, even tho' Canadianized...traditions were held strongly, and close to the heart.

I now live on a small Island, in the middle of the Gulf of Georgia, accessible only by Ferry...and somewhat have gone full circle. Living off the land, (deer)and of course, the Ocean....altho NO crayfish....but a plethora of Herring, of which it will be the season....soon! YUMMY!

You have taken me on a wonderful trip down memory lane...and NOW my mouth is watering for "Jansson's temptation"....that was my surname, and my Father told me it was his creation...LOL! MMMM...sliced herring, onions, potatoes, baked in cream! It was a good little white lie...held him in esteem for many years, for that one.

You must tell me about your tomatoes, and coconut cream...?

And a agreat big thanks...to our Greek goddess...thea, for making this discussion possible....Have a great weekend, all! Cheers!

pergammano! How wonderful to read your account of the history of the Swedes in Western Canada and about your own adventure on the way over. Where you live is absolutely beautiful!! I have had friends visit BC and they are just in such full praise when they return.
YOU sound so energetic and enthusiastic about your past and that is such a good thing. Thanks for sharing all the history too.. I never knew and I feel honoured to have learned it here today from YOU!
Just for that, AND, since you loved the pyttipanna, here is how Janssons frestelse looks the way we make it here at home.. Enjoy!!We eat this at Christmas traditionally. The contents, of course, are shredded potatoes, butter, breadcrumbs, cream, anchovy fillets, salt, pepper, and finely sliced onion
40 minutes on the oven and mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Yes, thanks to thea for this chance to have such fun. My wife and I had dinner one evening with friends and they prepared a lovely dish with Italian pasta and a sauce of coconut milk with tomato sauce with wee small bits of tomatoes in it and all was covered in sprinkled cheese. THAT is what got all this started, hahahaha..

So very nice to meet you. Lets do it again soon!!

WOW....Thank you, once again....for the pictorial meal...it was delicious, and I shared it with the memories of my Father!

I guess I didn't clarify things, very well...I am NOT a centenarian...LOL! But we parents were intrigued by relatives in Hagensborg, and crossed the vast ocean in 1947...so I am a misplaced person...NOT a registered birth place...so am an enigma to the Canadian government.

Lost contact with homeland relatives when my Father passed many years ago..his brother was a jeweller in Goteburg! But visiting my heritage homeland is on my virtual "bucket list!" And sadly, I have lost most of the language! There is only one Danish family on this Island...and they speak Greek (for thea) to me!

It is truly amazing...the influence of the Scands on the West Coast of B.C.! The Native Coastal Indians (Salish) NOW make the best "rollmops"! Traditionally, before the Scands...their harvest was "oolichans" and sold the oil to the Scands,whom in turn, imparted the herring into their lives! On this Island, it is the Natives that have a big "pickled herring" process day! It is sooooo much fun to learn evolution!

I truly have enjoyed this exchange...and am taking the bold step of requesting you and your family as a friend...? Thank you...and Cheers!

Just a quick story; my FAther was a game guide, end of every season...his treat, a case of Aquavit...bottle by bottle I would take it to the creek (our water supply) and stand bottles up (rocks at base) in Creek! When Creek froze...would chop the bottles out in big blocks of Ice...bury them in our sawdust pile (we had a one-man sawmill)...and the Aquavit..could/would be served frozen in the middle of summer!

Shirely, you never told me you speak Greek.

Soo glad you enjoyed my contribution. Yours was ever so much more fascinating for me. Thankyou, that you shared it. I had this story of yours in my head last night before I slept.. and now I know even more history from you. I am a real buff, you see, especially when it comes to things hitting close to home or to someone I know.
Thanks for joining in the fun here, I think dear thea and I were a good team and had alot of fun.

Please explain to thea about you NOT speaking ‘Greek’ with the Danish folk..hahahaha..

See you soon my friend!
Thanks again thea, my team leader! Hope all is going well with the olive plucking..( sssshhh because i think you owe me a small bottle)