Conference turris::scandia

  Does anybody know of a place that would have Scandinavian chocolate
  (Fazer, Marabou, Cloetta)?  
  Also, does anybody have any suggestions as to what I could use
  in recipes that require *rahka* ("kvarg" in Swedish, I think)?
  (Rahka is kind of a sour cream-yogurt-cream cheese-type dairy
  food that is used in pies or as a dessert mixed with whipped
  cream and fruit.)
  
  Sirkku

  You can buy Marabou at selected CVS stores. It comes in rolls
  with small round pecies in the roll.
  

    What about Finnish mustard?
    
    Peter

    Ahhhhhh...SMORGASBORD!!!
      You Know, Savage, this is absolute cruelty!!! I haven't been to
    a REAL Smorgasbord for over 20 years..when I was still living in
    the state of Minnesota, where I was born and raised...
      I can still close my eyes and picture those long tables, loaded
    with all or most of the goodies mentioned in the original note!!
      My idea of a happy death would be to get locked up in a room where
    a Smorgasbord was laid out and eat myself to death...but they'd
    never be able to wipe the satisfied smile off my face....
    
      Is there anywhere in New England that even has something close
    to a REAL Smorgasbord???
    JMCD
    

I have several cookbooks (one specifically on the sm�rg�sbord in
English is on its way from Sweden).

Now, if only I could find a source for the Swedish national
food (new potatoes).

Martin.

    Grow them yourself.
    

Sorry, not possible.  From what I understand, the particular
Swedish potato variety is extremely susceptable to fungal rot
and thus requires hard frozen ground in winter to survive.

Besides, it's so much more convenient to buy them at the store.

Maybe next year.

M.

    I don't know what variety you use in Sweden; but I would bet the
    Finnish ones are at least as good... if not better  :-)
    
    Anyway, there's a trick if you want to grow a small amount of them:
    use a black vinyl sack with some holes in it; fill it with suitable
    earth (you can buy sterilized earth). Put the seed potato(es) in,
    and the sack into your garden (or even balcony).

    From: [email protected] (Anne Cathrine Elster)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Date: 15 Jun 90 17:09:15 GMT
    Organization: Cornell Univ. CS Dept, Ithaca NY
 
    It may make you non-Nordic people out there feel better to know that
    what's consider "good manners" in, say Norway, may not go over so well
    in, say, Denamark. Granted our customs are similar, but not necessarily
    identical:
 
    I as a Norwegian provoked stares of horror from my Danish hosts last
    summer when I made myself a open-face jam (syltetoey)  sandwich after
    having had a cheese sandwich (or some such order).  I don't believe we
    are that picky on the order in which sandwiched are eaten in Norway,
    but we sure don't "mix-and-match" indiscriminately:
 
    In addition to the one mentioned earlier about fish and egg going,
    together, when making decorative (fancy) open-faced sandwiches the
    following are some acceptable "pairs" in Norway (at least in my circles 
    -- may be regional variances?):
 
	-white cheeses and fruit (grapes, madarines)
	-goat cheese and jam
	-apple slices filled w/ jam in the center
	-jam by itself (if has a nice bright color)
	-sliced bananas by itself (not sliced length-wise)
	-white "hard " cheeses (e.g. Jarlsberg, Gouda) with kaviar
          (but no other fish-products!)
	-egg and tomato slices (possibly w/ parseley and/or anchovies)
	-scrimps w/ majo (and parseley) (but NOT w/ jam, cheese, or egg)
	-non-smoked meats (e.g. hams, roast beef) and liverwurst with
	    raddish or sliced pickles and/or majo
	-smoked meats and fish (incl salmon) w/ scrambled eggs and/or tomatos
 
	"Hard" cheeses are favored on "knekkebroed" (goat cheese included) 
 
    I'm sure there are many more combinations, but this should at least be
    a good started for a "smoergassbord"  :-)
 
    Anne C. Elster
    Cornell University
    Ithaca, NY 14853			[email protected]
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
	
    From: [email protected] (Frans Lichtenberg)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Date: 17 Jun 90 16:43:28 GMT
    Organization: Sheridan College, Ont., Canada
 
 
    May I add to the otherwise excellent description of the Danish
    smorgasbord.
 
    1. The marinaded herring is eaten on fine sliced ryebread as you wich
    you have breaded with "loegfedt".
 
    2. Before the shrimp warm breaded crisp filet of sole with tartar souce
    a wedge of tomato and a whisk of dill and a warm newly smoked skinned
    eel with scrambled egg.
 
    Note snaps and bear chaser is mandatory with fish.
 
    Main meal warm dishes: breaded pork tender loin with soft fried Mai and
    mushroom. "Medister poelse" and danish meatbolds with red cabbage.
    Roast pork with crisp rends. Above dishes can be enjoyed with ryebread
    or cold potato salad.
 
    3. Cold cuts.
 
    4. As have been noted a variety of cheeses with grapes, radishes and
    pineapple. In addition it is wise to have a light fruit salad with lots
    of whipped cream.
 
    The meal is followed by coffee, a cognac (Napolion) pastries and a
    cigar for both men and women.
 
    Starting to look forward to christmas day?
 
                Frans.......
                                                    

RE: 8.9

I've eaten bear at a Russian restaurant in Helsinki, but I've 
never had a bear chaser as mentioned in note 8.9...

Hilsen,

Geoff

P.S. The big Danish meal is NOT called smorgasbord! It's proper
     name is koldtbord (cold table).

    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    From: [email protected] (raymond thomas pierrehumbert)
    Subject: Re: Typical breakfast meal?
    Sender: [email protected] (News System)
    Organization: University of Chicago
    Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 02:45:37 GMT
 
    In Sweden, and indeed much of the Nordic countries, breakfast is a
    quite substantial meal.  A typical breakfast would include some kind of
    open-faced sandwich (sm�rgas) with maybe cheese and bread and butter,
    or perhaps also ham.  Put a little sliced tomato on there too.  Very
    fatty breakfasts like bacon and eggs are unheard of.  Also, pancakes
    are lunch or dinner food (on the side, with pea soup, or for dessert),
    never breakfast food.  With your smo"rgas, often you'll have often some
    kind of cultured milk product:  filmj�lk or more rarely yogurt.  Some
    will have some bread and jam, or even some not too strong herrings. 
    Perhaps a soft boiled egg on a  really cold day.
 
    Of course, also with large quantities of very hot, very good Swedish
    coffee.

    To: "International Swedish Interest discussion list"
    <[email protected]>
    
    Don't forget that at the McDonalds in Sweden one can buy raspberry pies
    instead of the tasteless apple ones we are offered in the USA!
    
    Roy Turvaville
    [email protected]