Food dreams.

Living abroad makes you miss the strangest things. Bear in mind that I'm a strict vegetarian, but I still miss these things, or the vegetarian versions thereof.


This is Jansons Frestelse, it's a delicious potato dish with anchovies, but I use olives instead. It always makes me think of my grandpa for some reason.


Trocadero, a delicious Swedish fizzy pop, for more festive occasions.


This you can actually get in the US! I got a bag of Ahlgrens Bilar in NY last weekend. It took me about 15 seconds to finish them off.


Kalles Kaviar is another thing you can find in the US, even here in Boston! This is an egg and kaviar sandwich, open faced of course (is there any other way?)


Here's part of a traditional Swedish christmas table, kinda like a smorgasbord, only with heartier dishes and more choices (at least 15) of herring. Notice the red christmas cheese, you can find that here too, in the Chinese stores of all places.


The semla is an oh so Swedish pastry. A wheat bun filled with almond paste and cream. If you're part of the hardcore crowd like me, you eat it served in a bowl of hot milk.


Swedish licorice... Yummy. this kind is called Djungelvral (Jungle roar), and it's as for from the lame excuses for licorice you can find in the US as you can get. After you've finished a bag of these bad boys your tongue will most likely be bleeding, or at least be covered in blisters. De-licious.


I saved the best for last. The smorgastarta. The creme de la creme of condiments. The Rolls Royce of sandwiches. It's both a sandwich and a cake. A sandwich so big and dense it must by law be refered to as a cake.

Here's what wikipedia says about the beloved royalty of sandwiches: "Smörgåstårta ("sandwich cake") is a Swedish dish that is also popular in Finland. It is a kind of sandwich with so much filling that it more resembles a cake rather than a sandwich.
The smörgåstårta is normally made up of several layers of buttered bread with creamy fillings in between. The fillings and toppings vary, but egg and mayonnaise are often the base, typically accompanied by any combination of liver paté, olives, prawns, ham, caviar and smoked salmon."

Yummy.