Köttbullar
Kött-bullar
Sweden’s little balls with a big history …
Country:
Sweden
To:
Lunch
Preparation
30-40 min
Persons
4
Introduction
About the Köttbullar
When people talk about Köttbullar today, they often mean the little meatballs from the IKEA restaurant. But behind this fast-food image lies a dish whose roots lie deep in the Swedish past. Köttbullar is a symbol of Swedish home cooking, whose history once began on royal tables.
The oldest traces lead us back to medieval England. It seems that spiced meatballs were already being served at the court of Richard II around the year 1000, the recipes for which probably originated in the Middle East. Arabic cookbooks from that time contain the forerunners of today’s meatballs – delicately seasoned, steamed or fried.
Another theory is that it was Charles XII (1682-1718) who introduced meatballs to Sweden (along with such important things as coffee beans and cabbage rolls). However, the only certainty is that köttbullar first appeared in Cajsa Warg’s famous »Cookery and Housekeeping Book« from 1755.
However, their triumphal march through Swedish kitchens began slowly. It was not until the 19th century, with the spread of meat grinders and wood-burning stoves, that they also found their way into middle-class households and quickly became indispensable.
Today, they are seasoned a little differently in every family. Traditionally served with cream sauce, lingonberries and mashed potato, they are just as much a must for Christmas as they are for everyday lunches. Perhaps that’s why Köttbullar are so popular: because they are simple, but never banal – and because they tell of a world in which recipes traveled long before people did.
Introduction
About the Köttbullar
When people talk about Köttbullar today, they often mean the little meatballs from the IKEA restaurant. But behind this fast-food image lies a dish whose roots lie deep in the Swedish past. Köttbullar is a symbol of Swedish home cooking, whose history once began on royal tables.
The oldest traces lead us back to medieval England. It seems that spiced meatballs were already being served at the court of Richard II around the year 1000, the recipes for which probably originated in the Middle East. Arabic cookbooks from that time contain the forerunners of today’s meatballs – delicately seasoned, steamed or fried.
Another theory is that it was Charles XII (1682-1718) who introduced meatballs to Sweden (along with such important things as coffee beans and cabbage rolls). However, the only certainty is that köttbullar first appeared in Cajsa Warg’s famous »Cookery and Housekeeping Book« from 1755.
However, their triumphal march through Swedish kitchens began slowly. It was not until the 19th century, with the spread of meat grinders and wood-burning stoves, that they also found their way into middle-class households and quickly became indispensable.
Today, they are seasoned a little differently in every family. Traditionally served with cream sauce, lingonberries and mashed potato, they are just as much a must for Christmas as they are for everyday lunches. Perhaps that’s why Köttbullar are so popular: because they are simple, but never banal – and because they tell of a world in which recipes traveled long before people did.
Ingredients
- 500 g minced meat or vegan mince
- 2 tbsp breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs
- 1 chopped onion
- 1 egg or 2 tbsp tomato puree
- Salt and pepper to taste
- paprika powder to taste
- Garlic to taste
- margarine
Step by step instructions
Step 1
Thoroughly mix the minced meat with the breadcrumbs, chopped onion, egg and spices. Moisten your hands and shape the mixture into ping-pong ball-sized balls.
Step 2
Fry well in a greased pan. Shake the pan gently from time to time so that the köttbullar don’t burn and keep their shape.
Serve with mashed or boiled potatoes and a sauce of your choice. Don’t forget the cranberry jam!
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