[kilpikaarna]

> add diversity to some cuisines that are otherwise quite bland and monotonous (Swedish food has definitely got a massive lift from introduced diversity, for instance).

Other than a lazy dig at "bland Nordic cuisine"[1], I'm not sure what makes this different from the situation bemoaned in the GP post?

[1] ie a culinary tradition of letting the taste of the ingredients stand for themselves, rather than covering them up with spices (originally a measure to make up for the fact that things spoil easily in warm climates)

[stringsandchars]

> Other than a lazy dig at "bland Nordic cuisine"[1]... > [1] ie a culinary tradition of letting the taste of the ingredients stand for themselves, rather than covering them up with spices (originally a measure to make up for the fact that things spoil easily in warm climates)

I'm afraid if you think that Swedish food is about "the taste of the ingredients stand[ing] for themselves, rather than covering them up with spices" then you really don't have a good familiarity with this cuisine.

Historically the need to preserve food through the long winter, or even make scarce food appetizing during the summer, means that Nordic food has always been much more processed (salting, pickling, smoking, smothering with dill or mustard, and so on) than the much more fresh and unadulterated recipes of the Mediterranean, where fresh fish, fruit and vegetables have always been more plentiful, and a greater part of traditional recipes (together with the sausage and other 'winter' food I mentioned).

I'm also sad to hear that you think my comment amounted to a "lazy dig".

[opo]

>...rather than covering them up with spices (originally a measure to make up for the fact that things spoil easily in warm climates)

While salt was used to preserve meat, the idea that the huge historical demand for spices was to cover up the taste of spoiled meat is a myth.

https://culinarylore.com/food-history:spices-used-to-cover-t...

https://historymyths.wordpress.com/2014/10/25/revisited-myth...

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/vztzpd/where...

etc

[carlosjobim]

If the subject is restaurant food, French style cooking is standard in all Nordic restaurants above the lowest level. Before it was introduced, I guess you had more like eateries with stew and porridge, or an oven baked chicken, smoked fish and such. The French techniques have really had a huge importance for Nordic cuisines. Combined with traditional Nordic ingredients, you get something truly excellent.

It's a pity that the only food that gets international success is mostly pizza, burger, döner kebab and taco. If restaurants world wide started learning and integrating the French cuisine, they could make some great combinations with local traditions and also let local ingredients shine in a way that you can never do with a god damned burger or kebab.