Julbord

The Julbord is a specialised version of a Smorgasbord. Years ago I toyed with the idea of doing an authentic Julbord, as I am partly of Swedish extraction. We had never had one at our house, nor even my grandmother's, yet I felt certain it would take to it naturally. Then I looked it up. I was already not doing well reading the description, but the photos of the rollmopse finished me off.  I'm sure they are quite the delicacy if you like the idea of pickled herring wrapped around and onion and gherkin. 

Herring in general is prominent, and as many as seven versions of it may make it to the table.  One would think that smorgas, meaning buttered bread, would not have won out in a battle* against seven herrings for naming rights, but there you are. There is also brawn, a head cheese made of cold jellied pigs head; multiple sausages including korv, especially fatty and stretched with potato and onion. Lutfisk, a dried whitefish cured with lye for days, then rehydrated for days in preparation for eating, at which point it is rather gelatinous; Eels are big in some regions, liver pate in others. Hardtack is ultratraditional, but crispbread is substituted now. The vegetables are brussel sprouts, pickled beets, and sour cabbage. Various dishes that moderns might take to better include smoked salmon, crusted ham, cheeses, and shrimp or mushroom omelets. Aqvavit and glogg are drunk, and the final course is a rice pudding with cinnamon. 

Oh, and meatballs and other smavarmt, little warm dishes. And coffee, always coffee.  Swedish children even leave coffee out for St. Nicholas.

More modern versions are less fatty and less jellied.

 

*There actually was a Battle of the Herrings, when the English were attempting to deliver herring to the siege of Orleans in preparation for Lent but were attacked by the Scots and French. This has nothing to do with smorgasbord, but was remembered for years as an important example of French cowardice costing their allies lots of casualties.