Sweden is the third biggest coffee-drinking country in the world. So naturally my first stop was at FIKA, a popular Swedish coffeehouse chain in NYC.
Essentially the Swedish version of a cinnamon roll, these kanelbulle are topped generously with pearl sugar.
Yes, it's as delicious as it looks.
Even more fragrant are these kardamomma bulle, sweet and beautifully braided rolls spiced with cardamom.
Next: miniature cakes and tarts.
These marzariners are a combination of soft almond cake, crisp crust, and sugary glaze.
Marrying fluffy sponge cake, buttery crust, and caramelized almonds, tosca cake is another Swedish favorite. The smell is practically hypnotic.
Don't call it a brownie. Kladdkaka, or "messy cake," is an unleavened chocolate cake, meaning it's extremely dense and fudge-like.
Chokladboll tastes exactly like it sounds: rich little chocolate balls of made of oatmeal, sugar, vanilla, cocoa, coconut flakes, and butter. These unbaked treats are incredibly easy to make.
In Sweden, a coffee break (or "fika") is more than just a break — it's a cultural tradition. The idea is to grab a couple friends or coworkers and indulge in coffee and treats. At least three treats is customary.
The messy cake is absolutely divine. It's the best of a brownie combined with the dense richness of fudge.
And the kardamomma bulle is perfectly light and airy, with a hint of spice from the cardamom. Although most common in Asian cooking, cardamom is often used in Nordic baking.
Fortified with coffee and tons of sugar, I made my way to the smörgåsbord.
First, a drink! Rekorderlig hard cider comes in four flavors: passion fruit, strawberry-lime, pear, and wild berries.
Nothing like American ciders, it was light, fizzy, refreshing, and tasted very low in alcohol content.
The super friendly barmaid recommended using it as a mixer. But considering it doesn't really taste like booze, that may be dangerous...
These intensely red crawfish immediately caught my eye. Crawfish are hugely popular in Sweden, especially during the kräftpremiär, or "crawfish premiere" (August through November), when crawfish parties are common.
Shots of an herbal spirit called akvavit are taken between crawfish during these late-summer parties.
I wasn't sure how to eat them at first — but then I realized they're just like tiny lobsters.
Typically, the crawfish are served cold after being boiled in salted water with fresh dill.
No smörgåsbord is complete without Swedish meatballs. Swimming in creamy gravy, these are traditionally served alongside boiled potatoes.
Here the potatoes were tossed with dill and other fresh herbs.
Spiced with pepper and allspice, the meatballs were wonderful. I only wished there were more! On the side was a refreshing cucumber salad with sour cream.
Lingonberry jam is a Swedish staple. The tart, slightly sweet berries are grown all over Scandinavia, where they've been making lingonberry jam for centuries.
