To get into the holiday spirit this year, while still sprinkling a little Christmas Wanderlust into my at-home-quarantine during these Covid times, I wanted to create my own Swedish ‘Julbord‘! I learned about Julbords when I visited Sweden over the Christmas holidays last year and completely fell in love with the tradition. Despite not being able to travel this Christmas, I thought I could “travel” (at least in my mind) with traditions and food. If you’re looking for a way to add a bit of international variety to your Christmas, follow our Christmas Traditions series!
A Julbord is the name of the Scandinavian meal served during the Christmas season. The feast contains a series of traditional food and beverages which have historically been a part of the Swedish Christmas table. In fact, the word “julbord” translates to “Christmas Table.” Traditionally the meal is eaten on Christmas Eve. In Sweden, December 24th is the highlight of Christmas and when everyone generally does all their familial celebrating. December 25th is see as the day when people go out to meet up with their friends for the holidays.
One of the very best places to pick up items for your Julbord is IKEA! Yes, you heard that right! Ikea is a great place to get some of these items, as their fresh food section almost always carries a variety of these seasonal Swedish treats. Even when I was in Australia, my Swedish roommate and I made a trek over to Ikea to make sure she had everything she needed to make us a Julbord. We had our Christmas dinner outside in the sweltering Sydney summer weather! Other places to find these items would be at internatial grocery stores, but honestly Ikea has pretty much all the items you’ll need so I would make that your first stop.
The most important thing to decorate your Julbord table with is CANDLES! During the holidays, most Swedish households light about 50 candles on Christmas Eve! It’s a part of the Hygge tradition of making a cozy and comfortable atmosphere inside the home when it’s cold and dark outside. If you can find a straw Yule goat, this is another excellent addition to the table, which will give it that Swedish Christmas touch. The Yule goat has been a part of the Swedish Christmas traditions since the middle ages. It was an iconic aspect of their Germanic pagan roots but looks so cute and cheery on the festive table.
Typically the Julbord is served buffet style with all the dishes laid out on the table for everyone to dive into. Sometimes different family members or friends will be in charge of bringing a specific dish so the labour of love doesn’t all fall on one person. The more dishes, the most the tables comes alive but since so many of the items can be served cold it makes for a much easier preparation process.
While wandering the chilly streets of Stockholm, I was always so happy to find a street stall selling warm Glögg to keep me nice and warm. Glögg is Sweden’s version of mulled wine. Unlike regular mulled wine, which has anise spices, Glögg features ginger, cardamon, and a touch of vodka. But like the regular version of mulled wine, it also includes large servings of oranges and sugar. Serve it with some blanched almonds and a sprinkling of saffron if you really wanna get fancy! This is my favourite recipe to make your own at home.
Glögg has been drunk in Sweden since the 1500s when the Greeks brought spiced wine to its shores. The word “Glögg” means “to glow,” which definitely is the result once you’ve had a few glasses!
If you’re looking for something non-alcoholic, then you MUST get yourself some Julmust! Julmust is a soft drink that is the only available in Sweden around mid-November and into the Christmas season. The drink was invented in the 1900s as an alternative to beer for the young ones at Christmas. The slightly spicy carbonated drink has hops extract, malt and lots of Christmas spices to give it this bitter and sweet flavour. I LOOOOVED it and drank one bottle almost every day while exploring Stockholm’s Christmas Markets. And I’m not the only one who loves it. During the wintertime, Julmust outsells all CocaCola products! People definitely enjoy the limited time aspect of the sweet drink and savour it while it lasts. While you might not be able to get the original brand from Sweden Ikea carries its own version.
Knäckebröd or crispbread has been eaten in Sweden since the time of the Vikings. This nutty, round cracker is made of rye flour and rolled into large disks. Then they are poked with little studs to allow the thin dough to cook more evenly. The large disks were made with holes in the middle as the bread was sometimes stored on sticks just under the roof. Although it was long considered a “poor man’s” food, the dish has become so popular to eat by everyone, especially at Christmas time.
One of the most popular dishes to have in Sweden during the holidays is pickled herring. This is perhaps the one dish that is almost always featured on the Julbord. It was essential for Swedes to consume protein during the dark and cold winters to keep them healthy in ancient times. Herring is an excellent source of this protein, and by pickling it, they could consume it throughout the year. The most popular modern version of the herring is served with a creamy mustard sauce. Swedes love mustard! While this dish is definitely an acquired taste, I think if you like seafood and served atop a nice piece of crispbread or atop some hot mini potatoes, it is actually pretty delicious!
If you think the herring might be a little tough sell to your family or if you don’t think you’ll be able to find it, you can also serve some lovely cured salmon or Gravlax. Jamie Oliver has an amazing version of this dish made with beetroot which is superb! Serve the salmon with a side of, you guessed it, mustard and dill sauce! For an even deeper flavour, you can substitute the vodka for gin, as Swedes often use gin to cure their fish, giving it a really unique flavour.
While late summer is the foremost time to find Swedes eating freshly caught crayfish, this bright red crustation always makes an appearance on the Christmas table. They are almost too darling to eat but look so Christmassy on the table beneath a bed of lettuce.
For ages, pigs have been very important to Swedish farmers. They could be fed using just cheap scraps and yet would provide a large amount of food for the family once they were ready to be eaten. They were often slaughtered on December 13th, St. Lucia Day. After the pig was killed, the meat was cured so that it could be eaten throughout the cold winter. Cold slices of ham are served on the Julbord. The ham is usually salt-cured and unsmoked, which is often referred to as “fresh” ham. While the ham is typically served cold, you can warm it up if you prefer.
Of course, no Swedish meal would be complete with meatballs. Although you might be surprised to learn that at the Christmas meal, they are definitely not the star of the show. Swedish Köttbullar or meatballs are actually based on a Turkish recipe that King Charles XII, brought to Sweden from the Turkish ambassador in the 18th century. During the Christmas holidays, the meatballs are made slightly more special by incorporating elk or moose meat into the mix instead of just beef. They are ALWAYS served with lingonberry sauce and a helping of gravy.
Swedes always were very conscientious and whenever they would kill an animal they ensured every part of it was eaten. Sausages were an easy thing to make from the leftover cuts as they could all be ground down together with some of the better parts of the animal. One of the most popular sausages made in Sweden is called Prinskorv. The word “Prinskorv” translates into “prince sausage,” as the shape of the small cuts of meat made to make the sausage were thought to resemble little crowns. The dish was invented by a Viennese butcher in 1805 and even since has made an appearance on the Christmas table. Many grocery stores in Sweden have started making Prinskorv out of plant based meat alternatives as an option for vegetarians and vegans.
To add more vegetables to the table consider adding a traditional beetroot salad. Beets were something that Swedes would harvest in the summer and pickle to enjoy throughout the year. They would pair the beets with fresh apples to create this crisp and straightforward dish. To make it vegan, replace the mayo and sour cream with cashew cream cheese.
Perhaps the most complicated recipes on the Julbord is the Janssons frestelse. Janssons frestelse is a baked casserole made from creamy potatoes and topped with an anchovy gratin. The recipe was first published in 1940 and quickly became one of the most popular recipes for the Christmas Julbord.
One of the most desserts to serve with your Julbord is Risgrynsgröt or Rice porridge. Risgrynsgröt has been eaten in Sweden since 1328 when it was recorded as being served at the funeral wake for the father of St. Bridget of Sweden. The rice pudding served at Christmas is dusted in cinnamon, and hidden inside the dish is one single almond. Whoever gets served the almond in their porridge is the one in charge of starting the carolling after dinner. It is also a famous old wives tale that if you are single and you are the one who gets the almond, you will find true love in the new year.
Before serving all the porridge, remember to save a small amount to leave out at the front door for the Christmas elf. This is similar to how children leave cookies and milk for Santa. Leaving the porridge out for the elf is thought to ensure they don’t cause any mischieve of Christmas eve.
One of my favourite desserts to have in Sweden is Pepparkakor. Pepparkakor is very similar to thin gingersnaps but I find the flavour to be far more complex and deep. They are brimming with spices and aren’t too heavy on the sweet side. One of the most interesting ways to enjoy this cookie is topped with blue cheese. Yes, you heard that right! The slightly bitter and spicy flavours of the cookies pair perfectly with the creamy blue cheese. It’s definitely worth trying if you are interested in something completely different!
Hopefully, this little guide helps you bring a little joy and Swedish Christmas spirit into your home, wherever you are!
Let me know in the comments what are some Christmas traditions you picked up while travelling that you have added to your Christmas holiday traditions.
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I was so excited to come across this "JULBORD" ARTICLE. This was the
tradition we had as I grew up ! The only things missing as for the food were lutefisk and lesser! My family
originated in Varmland, Sweden and Christopherson was the family name.
Thx for sharing!