Smörgåsbord (, ) is a type of
Scandinavian meal served
buffet-style with multiple dishes of various foods on a table, originating in
Sweden. In
Norway it is called
koldtbord, in
Denmark it is called
det kolde bord, in
Finland seisova pöytä and in
Estonia rootsi laud. Smörgåsbord became internationally known as Smorgasbord at the
1939 New York World's Fair when it was offered at the Swedish Pavilion's "Three Crowns Restaurant." It is typically a celebratory meal and guests can help themselves from a range of dishes laid out for their choice. In a
restaurant, the term refers to a
buffet-style table laid out with many small dishes from which, for a fixed amount of money, one is allowed to choose as many as one wishes.
Etymology
The Swedish word ''smörgåsbord'' consists of the words ''smörgås'' (
open-faced sandwich) and ''bord'' (table). ''Smörgås'' in turn consists of the words ''smör'' (butter) and ''gås'' (goose). Gås literally means goose, but later referred to the small pieces of butter that formed and floated to the surface of cream while it was churned. These pieces reminded the old Swedish peasants of fat geese swimming to the surface. The small butter pieces were just the right size to be placed and flattened out on bread, so ''smörgås'' came to mean buttered bread. In Sweden, the term ''breda smörgåsar'' (to butter open-faced sandwiches) has been used since at least the 16th century.
In English and also in Scandinavian languages, the word ''smörgåsbord'' (or in English, more usually without diacritics as ''smorgasbord'') refers loosely to any buffet with a variety of dishes — not necessarily with any connection to the Swedish Christmas traditions discussed in this article. In an extended sense, the word is used to refer to any situation which invites patrons to select whatever they wish among lots of pleasant things, such as the smorgasbord of university courses, books in a bookstore, etc.
Smörgåsbord and Julbord
A traditional
Swedish ''smörgåsbord'' consists of both hot and cold dishes. Bread, butter, and cheese are always part of the ''smörgåsbord''. It is customary to begin with the cold fish dishes which are generally various forms of
herring,
salmon, and
eel. After eating the first portion, people usually continue with the second course (other cold dishes), and round off with hot dishes.
Dessert may or may not be included in a smörgåsbord.
Julbord
A special type of ''smörgåsbord'' is the ''julbord'' which is the standard Christmas dinner in Scandinavian countries. Julbord is a word consisting of the elements ''jul'', meaning Yule (today synonymous with Christmas) and ''bord'', literally table. The classic Swedish ''julbord'' is the highlight of Swedish cuisine, a traditional ''smörgåsbord'' starting with bread dipped in ham broth and continuing with a variety of fish (salmon, herring, whitefish and eel), ham, small meatballs, head cheese and sausages, potato, boiled or potato casserole, soft and crisp bread, butter and different cheeses, beetroot salad, cabbage (red, brown or green) and rice pudding and beverages.
As with the smörgåsbord, the traditional ''julbord'' is typically eaten in three courses. The dishes include local and family specialties.
The first course would typically be a variety of fish, particularly pickled herring and lox (gravlax). It is customary to eat particular foods together; herring is typically eaten with boiled potatoes and hard-boiled eggs and is frequently accompanied by strong spirits like snaps, brännvin or akvavit with or without spices.
Other traditional dishes would be (smoked) eel, rollmops, herring salad, baked herring, smoked salmon and crab canapés, accompanied by sauces and dips.
The second course is often a selection of cold sliced meats, the most important cold cut being the Christmas ham (''julskinka'') with mustard. Other traditional cuts include homemade sausages, leverpastej and several types of brawn. It is also common to serve the cold meats with sliced cheese, pickled cucumbers and soft and crisp breads.
The third course would be warm dishes. Traditionally, the third course begins with soaking bread in the stock from the Christmas ham. Warm dishes include Swedish meatballs (''köttbullar''), small fried hot dog sausages (''prinskorv''), roasted pork ribs (''revbenspjäll''), and warm potato casserole, matchstick potatoes layered with cream, onion and sprats called ''Janssons frestelse'' (literally "Jansson's Temptation").
Other dishes are pork sausages (''fläskkorv''), smoked pork and potato sausages (''isterband''), cabbage rolls (''kåldolmar''), baked beans, omelette with shrimps or mushrooms covered with bechamel sauce. Side dishes include beetroot salad in mayonnaise and warm stewed red, green or brown cabbage.
Lutfisk, lyed fish made of stockfish (dried ling or cod served with boiled potato, thick white sauce) and green peas that can be served with the warm dishes or as a separate fourth course. Lutfisk is often served as dinner the second day after the traditional Christmas Yule-table dinner.Julbord desserts include rice pudding (''risgrynsgröt''), sprinkled with cinnamon powder.photo Traditionally, an almond is hidden in the bowl of rice porridge and whoever finds it receives a small prize or is recognized for having good luck.
Julbord is served from early December until just before Christmas at restaurants and until Epiphany in some homes.
History of the smörgåsbord
The members of the Swedish merchant and upper class in fourteenth-century Sweden and Finland served
schnapps table (''brännvinsbord''), a small buffet presented on a side table offering a variety of
hors d'oeuvres served prior to a meal before sitting at the dinner table. The most simple '' brännvinsbord '' was bread, butter, cheese, herring and several types of liqueurs, but smoked salmon, sausages and cold cuts were also served. The '' brännvinsbord '' was served as an appetizer for a gathering of people and eaten while standing before a dinner or supper, often two to five hours before dinner, sometimes with the men and women in separate rooms.
The ''smörgåsbord'' became popular in the mid-seventeenth century, when the food moved from the side table to the main table and service began containing both warm and cold dishes. ''Smörgåsbord'' was also served as an appetizer in hotels and later at
railway stations, before the
dining cars time for the guests. Restaurants in Stockholm at the
1912 Olympic Games stopped serving ''smörgåsbord '' as an appetizer and started serving them instead as a main course.
Other use of the term in English
The term is also used as a
metaphor to indicate any diverse group, synonymous with a vast
array.
In Canada, ''Chinese smorgasbord'' is a buffet style used for Canadian Chinese cuisine. This tradition dates back to Gastown, British Columbia, which later became Vancouver, when Scandinavian-immigrant mill workers and loggers encouraged their Chinese cooks to arrange Chinese food as it was done in their homelands.
See also
Cuisine of Sweden
Buffet
Zakuski
References
External links
The essential Julbord from Radio Sweden including recipes
History of Smörgåsbord, Smörgåsbord table setting and etiquette
Category:Swedish cuisine
Category:Restaurant terminology
Category:Swedish loanwords
da:Det kolde bord
de:Smörgåsbord
es:Smörgåsbord
fi:Seisova pöytä
ja:食べ放題
ko:스뫼르고스보르드
he:סמרגוסבורד
nl:Smörgåsbord
no:Koldtbord
pl:Szwedzki stół
ru:Шведский стол
sv:Smörgåsbord