Stockholm is full of sugary surprises, says chef Rachel Khoo
Rachel Khoo’s Simple Pleasures
Claire Webb - 14 July 2020
After years living in London and Paris, what Rachel Khoo loves most about living in Stockholm is feeling close to nature. “Stockholm is a small city and you’re never far from some green space or water. The city is made up of lots of little islands connected by bridges, and it can be quicker to get a boat from one side of Stockholm to the other than the underground. I even have a local beach where people swim in summer. So far I’ve only dipped my toes in – I’m not Swedish enough to swim yet!”
Khoo, whose latest cookery show can currently be seen on Food Network, moved to Stockholm four years ago after meeting her Swedish husband. She soon learned that there’s more to Swedish food than Ikea meatballs and cinnamon buns – but also that you never tire of cinnamon buns. So where does she send hungry visitors who want a taste of Stockholm’s culinary offerings?
TIME FOR A BUN
“Over here, they don’t ask if you want to go for coffee, they ask if you want to go for ‘fika’ – coffee and a sweet treat, usually a bun. Coming from a patisserie background, I’m a big fan – who doesn’t want to go for coffee and a bun? “You can have fika mid-morning or midafternoon. In Sweden, they love their sweet, sticky, buttery buns, heavily spiced with cinnamon or cardamom, and they’re best when they’re still warm from the oven. “Stockholm has some amazing bakeries and my favourite is Lillebrors Bageri, which means ‘little brothers bakery’ (lillebrors.se). They do beautiful buns – theirs have a spicy, caramel crust and are drenched in butter – but they also do some great breads. Swedish baking is more rustic than ours, and they use hearty flours like rye and spelt.”
FILL UP ON MEATBALLS
“In Sweden, you always have meatballs with mashed potato, creamy gravy, pickled cucumber with dill, and lingonberry jam – which is similar to redcurrant jelly. The sweet and tart lingonberry and the sour, acidic note from the cucumber are such a good combination with comforting mash, meatballs and gravy. Traditionally, Swedes would have made meatballs with game, but now they’re usually made with pork. Try them at Pelikan, an old-school restaurant with a beautiful dining room (pelikan.se). Be warned, though: if you eat lunch at Pelikan you’ll need an afternoon nap afterwards because the food is so hearty! “You can also try one of my favourite traditional dishes there, toast skagen – white bread that’s been fried in butter, served with really lovely shrimp, sweet fish roe and a mayonnaise sauce with chives. It’s so simple but really good.”
FINE DINING SWEDISH-STYLE
“Sweden’s answer to haute cuisine is New Nordic cuisine, which isn’t very new – it’s been around for a good ten years now. It celebrates Nordic ingredients and traditional cooking methods, but uses them in modern, innovative ways. Previously, chefs in the Nordic countries tended to look to France and Italy for inspiration and use imported produce, yet you can find fantastic ingredients in this region of the world. I used to work in a groundbreaking Swedish restaurant in the middle of nowhere, so we did a lot of game, pickling and foraging. “A great place to experience a New Nordic meal – and it is an experience – is a restaurant
called Ekstedt (ekstedt.nu). You might know Niklas Ekstedt from the show he did with Heston Blumenthal on Channel 4, Crazy Delicious. His restaurant goes back to basics: he uses amazing seasonal Swedish produce – anything from sea cucumber to reindeer heart – and everything is cooked over an open fire, so it’s really fun watching the chefs at work.
LEARN TO LOVE LIQUORICE
“The Swedes have a very sweet tooth and love liquorice, especially salty liquorice. I can’t stand liquorice on its own, but I’ve found one liquorice candy I can eat. There’s a caramel shop called Parlans Konfektyr (parlanskonfektyr.se) that’s set up like a 1940s candy store where they make traditional Swedish caramel and do a good liquorice caramel.”
GET THE KNACKEBROD
“When I visit a new place, I go to a supermarket to get a feel for what the locals eat. When I first moved here, I discovered these plastic tubes in the chilled aisle. They look like sausages and are filled with rice pudding or pea soup, and Swedish baked beans. Instead of tins, they use plastic tubes. “You should also buy a packet of knackebrod – Swedish crispbread – as a souvenir. It’s about the size and shape of a vinyl LP and every Swede has it in their home. It’s not expensive and it lasts forever. When there’s nothing in the fridge, you can always have knackebrod with whatever you can find in your cupboards.”
After years living in London and Paris, what Rachel Khoo loves most about living in Stockholm is feeling close to nature. “Stockholm is a small city and you’re never far from some green space or water. The city is made up of lots of little islands connected by bridges, and it can be quicker to get a boat from one side of Stockholm to the other than the underground. I even have a local beach where people swim in summer. So far I’ve only dipped my toes in – I’m not Swedish enough to swim yet!”
Khoo, whose latest cookery show can currently be seen on Food Network, moved to Stockholm four years ago after meeting her Swedish husband. She soon learned that there’s more to Swedish food than Ikea meatballs and cinnamon buns – but also that you never tire of cinnamon buns. So where does she send hungry visitors who want a taste of Stockholm’s culinary offerings?