Countdown to Christmas tours - Nordic festive food
Our guide to what you should try on your Christmas holiday to Finland, Norway & Denmark.
Nordic Christmas cuisine is tied to the region’s long winters and deep-rooted traditions. Many dishes have survived because they brought families together in the dark season, offering comfort, warmth and a sense of celebration.
Nordic cuisine is often associated with delicate plates, clean flavours and minimalist servings. Once the festive season arrives, that picture changes completely. Out come the heart-warming classics, the rich dishes passed through generations and the legendary smörgåsbord tables that seem to stretch on forever.
Winter Christmas markets bring a wonderful mix of aromas: roasted chestnuts, warm glogg drifting through the air and meats cooked slowly over smoky wood-fire grills. Stalls are stacked with gingerbread in every imaginable shape, sugar-roasted almonds and old-fashioned candies that feel like they belong in storybooks.
Glogg, whether non-alcoholic made with cranberry and apple or the traditional red-wine version, is the true star of the season from Estonia all the way to Iceland. Every family guards its preferred spice blend. The tradition began when spices were used to make ageing wine taste pleasant again, but today it is simply a Nordic symbol of warmth and cheer.
Inside the home, the holiday table is a comforting landscape of soups, stews, roasts and generous slabs of butter melting over vegetables. If Norway is your destination, you might be treated to reindeer stew with brown cheese sauce, mashed potatoes and lingonberries. The festive smörgåsbord groans with Christmas ham brushed with mustard, roast pork, salads and whole baked salmon.
Yet the Nordic region also brings out some festive dishes that visitors may not instantly recognise. Some are quirky, some beloved and all are worth trying if you want the full experience.
Danish Christmas specialities:
Risalamande is a Danish Christmas treasure with a history from the late nineteenth century. The name translates to rice served in the style of almonds. The dish begins with simple rice pudding, then becomes something far more indulgent with the addition of whipped cream, vanilla and chopped almonds. Served cold with a cherry sauce, it is a holiday essential. Modern versions often arrive decorated with edible flowers or light spice dustings.
Many Danish families make a huge pot of rice pudding for dinner on Lillejuleaften, the evening before Christmas Eve. A portion is saved overnight and transformed into risalamande for the following day’s feast.
Æbleskiver are another seasonal favourite. They are small round pancakes, soft and airy, similar to Dutch poffertjes. The name suggests slices of apple, yet none are tucked inside. They are served with icing sugar and you will spot them easily at Christmas markets.
Keep an eye out for Danish sugar coated potatoes served as a side dish for Christmas. These glossy, caramelised little bites appear as a side dish at Christmas dinners and disappear quickly, so do not hesitate when they appear on the table.
Finland Christmas specialities:
Finland keeps things wonderfully simple with joulutorttu. This is buttery pastry filled with plum jam and it disappears faster than many guests intend. Satu, our Finnish Nordic manager, warns that they are dangerously easy to overindulge in.
Finnish Christmas menus also feature warm smoked salmon, herrings and gravlax with mustard dressing. The classics return year after year, especially the well-loved casseroles. Make room on your plate for liver casserole, carrot casserole and the humble but essential swede casserole. Vegetarian guests are well looked after too.
If you find yourself reading labels at a Finnish buffet, the word for swede is lanttu. It appears often on the joulupöytä, the traditional Christmas banquet.
The Finns also enjoy adding a few playful dishes to the table. Look for colourful Rosolli salad, mixed fruit soup and even garlic soup. For those inspired to try Nordic Christmas cooking at home, explore the Finnish holiday recipe collection.
Norwegian Christmas specialities:
Norwegian holiday food may look familiar at first glance, with many dishes echoing the wider Nordic region. There are, however, a few unexpected items rooted in older farming traditions. Before the oil boom of the 1970s, Norway was a modest agricultural country and Christmas meals often used every part of the animal.
Pinnekjøtt is a classic example. This cured rack of lamb is steamed, sometimes smoked over birch and carries a deep distinctive flavour that many visitors try for the first time in Norway.
For the adventurous, smalahove is the boldest festive dish. It is made from a sheep’s head and has its origins in western Norway. The preparation is an old tradition involving torching the fleece, removing or cooking the brain and boiling the head until tender. It is served with mashed potatoes or swede. Once considered peasant food, it has grown into a cultural curiosity that many Norwegians still enjoy today.
*Smalahove | © Schneelocke/WikiCommons,
_Image credits: Visit Finland, Jussi Hellsten*
Nordic Christmas Fun Facts to Impress Your Travel Companions
The hidden almond tradition
In Denmark and parts of Sweden, a whole almond is tucked into the Christmas rice pudding. The person who finds it receives a small gift, often a marzipan pig. Some families take it further and pretend not to find the almond so they can keep eating.
The great Norwegian ribbe versus pinnekjøtt debate
Norwegians are deeply loyal to their preferred Christmas dinner. Families passionately defend whether the true festive dish is crispy pork belly or steamed cured lamb. It is a light-hearted rivalry that resurfaces every December.
Christmas trees with real candles
In Denmark and Norway, many families still decorate their tree with real candles. It looks magical and families stand nearby with buckets of water just in case. This tradition makes Christmas Eve feel like a scene from a Nordic fairy tale.
The Finnish Christmas sauna
In Finland, the festive season officially begins with a long sauna on Christmas Eve. Families gather to relax and clear their minds before the evening meal. It is considered essential for starting the holiday in the right spirit.
The Icelandic thirteen Yule Lads
Iceland does not have one Santa but thirteen mischief-making Yule Lads who visit children on the nights leading up to Christmas. Each one has a distinct personality, from Spoon-Licker to Door-Slammer, and children leave shoes by the window for small gifts.
The Swedish love for julmust
In Sweden, a special spiced soft drink called julmust appears only at Christmas. It becomes so popular in December that it temporarily outsells Coca-Cola across the country.
Norway’s butter shortage panic of 2011
One unusually high baking season caused Norway to run out of butter. Shops sold out for weeks and butter became a black-market item, making headlines around the world.
Finnish Christmas tables that never end
Traditional Finnish joulupöytä is served in strict order, starting with fish dishes, then casseroles and finally desserts. Skipping ahead is frowned upon, so visitors quickly learn to pace themselves.