Travel Series
Stockholm
November 6, 2020
I didn’t know much about Sweden or its culture except for Ikea and Swedish meatballs prior to my visit in Stockholm in 2017.
I figured, I like Ikea’s concepts (from a design perspective) and I enjoyed their Swedish meatballs (unfortunately not wheat-free) as a child, so I assumed I’d like the culture there. When I researched more about gluten-free food prior to my arrival, I was pleasantly surprised that there were so many allergen-friendly restaurants and cafés! I had a full list of place I wanted to try, but at the same time, I was on a budget so for this trip, I planned a combination of dining-out and eating in.
A little must-know list of Swedish words that will be handy to know when you shop at the grocery stores or reading menus…
- Glutenfri is gluten-free
- Vete is wheat. Common allergens are in bold in the ingredients lists so it is easy to spot “vete”
- Råg is rye, which is a very common food ingredient in Swedish culture due to rye bread
- Havre is oat in Swedish. I do not recall seeing this anywhere other than on oatmeal and oat milk product. Note that this was back in 2018, just before oat milk became a popular alternative milk, so it might be different now.
- Other word to lookout for: korn (barley, not the band), malt (malt), vetemjöl (wheat flour) and fullkorn (whole wheat)
Grocery Shopping at ICA
I booked an Airbnb studio flat just outside the city centre of Stockholm. The studio had a fully functioning kitchen and there was an ICA just 3 minute walking distance. The owner grew her own basil and cherry tomatoes on the balcony in which she welcomed guests to have some as long as we watered her plants. It was perfect for anyone who wants to make their own meals! ICA is a supermarket that seems to be more affordable, and carries a large range of alternative food products. It is the only supermarket I rely on in Sweden for gluten-free treats (I’ve been back to Sweden after this trip)! I stayed for about 3 days, so I did a small haul.
First up, and probably my favourite gluten-free snack I found, was the Chokladkex, basically a gluten-free Kitkat. I have not found anything remotely close in North America so this was a such a treat! I definitely bought more of these after and in my following trip back to Sweden.
For actual food, I got a package of cured-smoked Black Forest ham, pre-sliced mild Swiss cheese, grape tomatoes (I didn’t want to eat the entire tomato plant crop), gluten-free rustic crispbread, and a box of mushroom soup! This is pretty much what I usually eat at home too. So it’s very comforting for me since at the time it was my 5th day travelling (first day in Stockholm after 4 days in Copenhagen, Denmark).
The host had all the cooking essentials such as olive oil and seasoning, so that’s very convenient for making a quick dressing for the tomatoes with basil from the balcony. The gluten-free rustic crispbread by Semper is a gluten-free take of the traditional Swedish crispbread called knäckebröd. It has a hard exterior but once you bite into it, it has a lighter mouth feel than expected. The taste is pretty neutral, on the sweet side. Another food item I made room for in my luggage.
This small haul was enough to feed me a dinner on the first night and a quick breakfast on my last day prior to my flight to Amsterdam. That left me with the 2 lunches and 2 dinners to fill.
Lunch… I mean Fika….
I don’t usually have breakfast to make room for snacks unless I have an active day ahead. I also have unconventional meals because one can only eat so much… I went to Vete-Katten for “lunch”. Vete!!! That’s wheat!! Freight not for there are gluten-free options! I went specifically for Fika, in place of lunch, and had a Budapest Roll and tea. I did not know what a Budapest roll was but I trusted the staff there who helped guide me the gluten-free selections they had on the menu. I’m glad I took his recommendation because otherwise I would not have known to order this Black Forest meringue cake roll! Instead of cherries, they used lingonberry for the jammy filling.
It is also important to note that Vete-Katten, founded in 1928, was one of the few companies founded by a woman. The owner, Ester Nordhammar, only employed young women in her patisserie during her lifetime. It is definitely a historically significant place to visit with delicious food.
Vete-Katten
Kungsgatan 55, 111 22 Stockholm, Sweden [map]
Under Kastanjen
Kungsgatan 55, 111 22 Stockholm, Sweden [map]
Cliché… but necessary
For the other lunch I has on this trip, I opted for something very cliché tourist eats. Under Kastanjen was the only cafe I could find that made gluten-free Swedish meatballs! I could not resist. It is located in Gamla Stan, the most popular tourist destination in Stockholm. Kastanje means a chestnut tree, so naturally you would find the café under a chestnut tree! The meatballs were covered in the light beige gravy, served with a blob of buttery mashed potatoes, sweet lingonberry preserve, and some sliced pickles. It was so fresh and soft, sweet, salty and tart… At this point, I was determined to learn to make this at home. And so I did! Take a look at my adapted recipes here.
A Cheeky Night
As a foodie, you cannot go without trying something from the local dining scene. I’m an avid solo traveller who looks for restaurants with a lively atmosphere but also a bar seating area for solo diners.
Rolf Kök was the perfect place. The restaurant had gluten-free nut bread for starter, served with house-made whipped butter. That alone should be enough you draw in any gluten and wheat-free diners. I went with a red-wine braised beef cheek as per recommendation from one of the cooks. It was serve with a pot of truffled mashed potatoes. The beef cheek was so well cooked, it melted as soon as it reached my tongue. I told one of my friends who visited Stockholm briefly afterwards, and she got to try the same dish. She pleasantly agree, so there you have it! Definitely worth a visit!
Rolk Kök
Tegnérgatan 41, 111 61 Stockholm, Sweden [map]
Giro Pizzeria
Sveavägen 46, 111 34 Stockholm, Sweden [map]
Simple, quick and satisfying.
For my last dinner in the city, at that point, I just went to the closest restaurant with gluten-free options because I was very tired and came down with a cold from not bringing enough warm clothes. I had an oven-baked gluten-free margarita pizza from Giro Pizzeria.
First MacDonald’s meal in 9+ year!
Stockholm definitely has some of the better wheat and gluten-free food experience I’ve had out of all my travel experiences. I felt confident in terms of communicating my dietary needs as almost everyone spoke English, and felt very safe eating out. If you are travelling for the first time to Europe with food allergies, I would recommend Stockholm! They are very respectful and understanding of food allergies.
So understanding and inclusive that they even have gluten-free options at McDonald’s! Stockholm is where I started a little tradition for myself whenever I’m in Europe… I would have McDonald, if available, at the airport before my departure flights. If you have not heard already, some European countries have gluten-free buns at McDonalds. Here you can see they even wrapped the burger in a gluten-free bread (glutenfritt bröd) paper! I thought it was a nice touch and made me feel more confident that they did not mix up the order with regular bread. A bonus was their Shake-Shake fries, a novelty item I grew up with in Hong Kong.
