Vodka & Food

At a Swedish smörgåsbord, fish always comes to the table first. Usually it's pickled herring in several varieties: sour, sweet-and-sour, with mustard or onions. Only after that come cold meat platters, cheese, and warm side dishes. It's precisely with this first course of herring that snaps traditionally belongs, cold and neat, not with dessert or the roast.

From Skåne itself comes the Kålrabistallrik, a hearty plate of kohlrabi, potatoes, and pork. It reflects the region's close ties to its fertile farmland. Then there's the Äggakaka, a thick egg pancake. Traditionally it's served with crispy bacon and lingonberries, a dish rooted in the old farms of Skåne. Both dishes show just how down-to-earth the cuisine in Skåne has remained to this day.

Why does vodka, of all things, pair so well with such a hearty meal? Pickled herring and smoked bacon are salty and fatty. A neutral, cold vodka cleanses the palate in between without competing with its own flavors. A heavily spiced liqueur would clash with the vinegar from the herring brine, but the smooth vodka from Åhus doesn't.

In Skåne, the Spettekaka often serves as the sweet finale. It's a tall, cone-shaped cake made from egg and sugar, baked on an open spit. It goes better with coffee than with snaps. At the table, then, vodka remains clearly reserved for the savory, salty part of the smörgåsbord, not the sweet end of the meal.