Christmastime in Sweden means julbord. It is a traditional Christmas dinner. The julbord is a smörgåsbord, a collection of dishes from cold to hot served on a table, like a buffet.
Families have a julbord on Christmas Eve but companies also have a julbord at a Christmas party. If you will be celebrating julbord with your company or family, I created a Swedish to English guide to all foods served at the dinner.
You can download two different versions: a three page guide in pretty larger font or a two page guide (perfect for front and back printing) in small font.
Pretty three page julbord guide
Easy to print two page julbord guide
Feel free to share and print the guide as much as you want with friends but please give credit and share the link love.
And here’s the guide below to enjoy. There are over 130 delicious foods! {Okay… lutefisk is not so tasty} Just remember to pace yourself, or your stomach will blow up, literally. :-)
The Swedish Julbord is traditionally had in “plates” versus courses. Each plate has a different theme: herring, fish, cold meat, vegetables, etc. Today it is not strictly observed and you can condense/mix plates.
First Plate
SILL & STRÖMMING
- Inlagd sill – Pickled herring (not surströmming!)
- Rökt matjessill – Smoked herring with spices
- Matjessill – Herring with spices
- Senapssill – Mustard herring
- Löksill – Onion herring
- Ansjovis – Anchovies
- Currysill – Curry flavored herring
- Havtornsill – Sea-bucktorn herring
- Sherrysill – Sherry flavored herring
- Tegnérsill – Herring w/ crème frâiche and chili
- Chilisill – Chili flavored herring
- Apelsin- och rosmarinsill – Orange- rosemary herring
- Kräftströmming – Baked herring with dill and tomato puree.
- Ansjovisströmming – Baked herring with anchovies, cream, onion, and dill.
- Kaviarströmming – Baked herring with caviar
- Ört- och vitlöksgravad strömming – Baked herring with herbs and garlic.
- Löjromsströmming – Fine Swedish caviar with herring. Mixed with sour cream, mayonnaise and spices, served cold.
- Stekt inlagd strömming – Fried pickled herring
- Matjessilltårta – Herring pie made w/ eggs
- Löjromsägg – Hard boiled eggs topped with Swedish caviar
- Skagenägg – Hard boiled eggs topped w/ shrimp
- Laxägg – Hard boiled eggs topped with salmon
- Sillsallad – Herring salad
- Gravad lax – Cured salmon
- Kallrökt lax – Cold-smoked salmon
- Varmrökt lax – Smoked salmon
- Portvinslax – Salmon infused with port wine
- Inkokt lax – poached salmon
- Laxtartar – Raw salmon (similar to steak tartar)
- Laxpaté – Salmon pate
- Gubbröra – “old dude’s salad” – hard boiled eggs with anchovies, red onions, dill and sour cream.
- Rökta räkor – Smoked shrimp
- Kräftskagen – Crayfish sandwiches – made with dill, sour cream, caviar.
- Skaldjursterrin – Shellfish soup
- Confiterad röding – Char confit
- Skaldjurssallad – Shrimp and mussel salad
- Pastramilax – Sauteed lax with four peppers and honey/citrus
- Hovmästarsås – also called gravlaxsås – Mustard sauce with dill
- Honungssenapscrème – Honey mustard cream
- Pepparrotsdressing Citron – Horseradish citrus dressing
- Chilicrème – Chili cream
- Örtagårdssås – Garden herb sauce
- Saffrans- och apelsinaioli – Saffron- orange aioli
- Julskinka – Christmas ham
- Rullsylta – Rolled thin flanks (pork, veal) boiled
- Kalvsylta – jellied veal
- Leverpastej – Liver pate
- Lantpaté – Chicken liver with spices
- Fasanterrin – Pheasant terrine (slow cooked soup)
- Rökt lammstek – Smoked lamb
- Lammterrin – Lamb terrine (slow cooked soup)
- Pomeransjulanka- Christmas duck w bitter orange
- Kycklingleverparfait – Chicken liver parfait
- Kycklinggalantine – Chicken galantine w veal/pork
- Renkorv – Reindeer sausage
- Älgkorv – Elk sausage
- Tjälknöl – Norrlands elk. Baked in the oven on low heat for several hours
- Fårfiol – cured, salted leg of mutton (sheep)
- Kroppkaka – Potato, meat dumplings
- Våra senapsfavoriter – Selection of mustards
- Cumberlandsås – Cucumber salad
- Cornichons – French pickles
- Äppelmos – Apple sauce
- Syltlök – Onion relish
- Pepparrot – Horseradish
- Picklade grönsaker – Pickled vegetables
- Apelsin- och aprikoschutney – Orange, apricot chutney
- Västeråsgurka – large, famous, salty pickle
- Pressgurka– sliced pickle w pepper, vinegar sugar
- Rödbetssallad – Beet salad
- Syltad svamp- Mushroom preserve
- Köttbullar – Swedish meatballs
- Isterband – Pork potato sausages
- Kåldolmar – Cabbage rolls filled with rice
- Revbensspjäll – Roasted pork ribs
- Julgryta – Christmas stew with figs, cinnamon and tenderized cow shoulder pieces
- Prinskorv – Prince sausage
- Janssons frestelse – Jansson’s Temptation – Casserole of potatoes, cream, onions, anchovies.
- Dopp i grytan – Sauce made from leftover bits of christmas ham. Bread is typically dipped into this
- Wallenbergare – Ground veal, cream and onions
- Lutfisk – lye fish – salted/cured white fish; gelatinous in texture, has a pungent odor.
- BBQ-rökt oxkarré – BBQ smoked meat
- Vedugnsgrillad pomeranskyckling – Wood fired roasted chicken with bitter orange.
- Rödkål – red cabbage
- Brunkål – Boiled and fried white cabbage cooked with vinegar, salt, and syrup
- Långkål {grönkäl} – Kale
- Lutfisksås och kryddor – Lutefish sauce with spices
- Gröna ärtor – green peas
- Stekta champinjoner – sautéed mushrooms
- Kokt potatis – Boiled potatoes
- Kokta rotfrukter – Boiled root vegetables
- Brysselkål – Brussels sprouts
- Rårörda lingon – Mashed lingonberries
- A variety of salads are served. Ginger (ingefära), rödkål (red cabbage), romaine (romaine), morot (carrot), betor (beets), fänkål (fennel), granatäpple (pomegranate), nötter (nuts) are popular ingredients.
Greens are not a big part of the julbord though. - A variety of local Swedish cheeses (Västerbottenost, Boxholm, Smålandsost, etc) and international favorites are served.
- Vikabröd
- Mjukt tunnbröd – Soft flatbread
- Hårt tunnbröd – Hard/crispy flatbread
- Surdegsbröd – Sourdough
- Vörtlimpa – Christmas bread – dark bread with christmas spices
- Kavring – Dense, dark rye bread
- Husåknäcke – Huså’s (a company) crispy bread
- Valnötsbröd – walnut bread
- Fikonbröd – fig bread
- Veteknäcke – Wheat crispy flat bread
- Ris à la Malta med mandel – Cold rice pudding whipped with whipped cream and almonds
- Grynkaka – cold rice pudding with saffron
- Fruktsallad – fruit salad
- Mandelmusslor med hjortron – Almond cookies with cloudberry jam
- Småländsk ostkaka – Småland’s cheesecake
- Chokladmousse – Chocolate mousse
- Kryddbavaroise – Spiced bavarian cream
- Päron- och mandelkaka – Pear-almond cake
- Crème caramel – Flan
- Äppelterrine med kanel och hasselnötter – Apple terrine with cinnamon and hazelnuts (usually has no flour)
- Mandarinmousse – Mandarin orange mousse
- Saffranspannkaka – {Gotland} Saffron pancakes
- Frukter – an assortment of winter fruits like dadlar (dates), fikon (figs) and satsuma oranges
- Vispgrädde – Whipped cream
- Rårörda bär – Berry sauce
- Saftsås – Saft sauce
- Klenäter – Swedish small fried pastry dough – similar to donuts, possibly originated in Germany
- Struvor – Rosette-styled deep fried pastry (donut)
- Chokladtryffel – chocolate truffle
- Ischoklad – mini chocolate cup candies
- Knäck – Crack – hard coffee
- Pepparkakor – Gingerbread cookies
- Marsipan – Marzipan
- Blandade nötter – Mixed nuts
- Marmelad – Marmalade
- Saffransskorpor – Saffron biscotti
- Nötskorpor – Nut biscotti
- Hallongrottor – Thick cookies with raspberry jam
- Kladdkaka- Gooey chocolate cake
Second Plate
LAX & FISK – SALMON & FISH
Third Plate
KALLSKURET – COLD MEATS
Tillbehör – side dishes
Fourth Plate
SMÅVARMT – LITTLE HOT FOODS
Tillbehör – side dishes
Fifth Plate
GRÖNT – GREENS
Sixth Plate
OSTAR & BRÖD – CHEESE & BREAD
Seventh Plate
DESSERT
Tillbehör
Eight Plate
KAKOR & GODIS – CAKES & TREATS
And make the julbord food yourself with Real Ordinary Swedish Meal Time
As a swede i find this pretty much accurate, altough there are a few local differenses.
For intance, i have never encounterd Isterband on the julbord i have been attending, but i know a few friends who live in Skåne who always have it on their julbord.
“kallskuret”
I just ran into this post doing some research on the theme of Christmas+translation. As a second-generation Swedish-American (now of dual French-American nationality) I found this fascinating!
My father, whose mother was born in Sweden, grew up speaking Swedish in Spokane, Washington, USA — but had forgotten it all by junior high school.
My family continues to carry on a certain fascination with Swedish culture — it’s a long story!
I’ve put you on my Google Reader list and hope to keep up now!
Happy holidays — and don’t eat too much lutefisk!
Impressive list! Probably one of its kind.
I think this list could be useful for any non Swedish speaking person visiting a julbord! It must be a bewildering experience seeing all that Christmas food (some more strange looking than other) and not having the slighest idea of its ingredients.
God Jul!