At Christmas, The Swedish Smörgåsbord Redefines Over The Top
First rule of smörgåsbord: Pace yourself. You've got to make your way through dozens of dishes — fish courses, ham, cheeses, warm entrees. And don't forget dessert. Or should we say desserts?
Ask any Swede and they'll tell you that a smörgåsbord table without herring is (gasp) unthinkable. While there are other foods they may rattle off as equally important ––gravlax, cured ham, meatballs and rice pudding –– it's these tiny, pickled fish that are the backbone of the elaborate buffet, which likely traces its roots back to high-society gatherings in the 1500s.
The spread was smaller then, and was called the "aquavite buffet." Since people were traveling long distances, it was a way to entertain guests, mostly men in earlier, writer and illustrator of the book, says it's possible the tradition was borrowed from the Russians who liked to mingle around eating caviar, herring and vodka.
