Posted by mariaw | Under Food
Thursday May 10, 2012
Oyser safari in Grebbestad
A taste of the ocean with oysters, herring and cod. The west coast of Sweden has rich flavours to offer. I was invited to spend a day in London at the home of the famous food blogger Ms Marmitelover (Kerstin Rodgers) – to be the storyteller alongside Swedish Chef of the Year Gustav Trädgårdh. My suitcase was packed with goodies such as Lunator beer, a rich in flavour beverage from Grebbestad’s very own brewery – made once a year on full moon. – as well as Knäckebröd, a crisp ryebread, cheeses from Dalsspira, Sivans and chokeberry jam from Torgunnehagen.
Emilia Björk from VisitSweden in New York is sharing her favorite spots around Lysekil – a place where she used to spend her childhood summers and still returns to every year.
Photo: Jonas Ingman
Lysekil, the quaint little seaside resort is a gem in the west coast archipelago, for foodies and nature lovers alike. During the 16th century, Lysekil was a fishing community, flourishing because of the Swedish herring boom. During the 17th and 18th century it prospered and became one of Sweden’s five major fishing ports. In the end of the 19th century, the little town got an upswing when Swedish king Oscar II decided to use it as a seaside resort and let the cream of society build their summer houses in the area. Yet, the signs of Lysekil as a fishing community are still very much present; the town is placed between stone slabs and islets, with the deep Skagerrak ocean just alongside. Its white, red and yellow painted fishing cottages are competing for space between the rocks, making a beautiful setting against the light blue sky and the sparse green vegetation. For a first time visitor in Lysekil, it will probably be satisfying enough to stroll along the wooden piers between the ocean and the fishing cottages, to breath in the fresh ocean air and to sit down at one of the many fish eateries. Choose between a simple but genuine seafood kiosk at the pier or, for instance, the cozy Old House Inn Restaurant, located in one of Sweden’s most ancient and historical hotels; Grand Hotel Lysekil.
Photo: Lisa Nestorson
Considering that Lysekil is located at the outfall of Sweden’s only real fjord, Gullmarsfjorden, with Sweden’s cleanest water and most varied marine life, a visit to Havets Hus is a must. Here, you can see and touch around 100 species, many of them unique for the fjord area, possessing species that you otherwise only can find in the deepest areas of the Atlantic Ocean. During the 19th century, the fjord reached world fame as a marine biological goldmine, and still, many marine biological research centers are located here. Another way to experience the treasures of the ocean is to join a fishing boat and catch your own mussels and oysters, or why not join a seal safari – and if you wouldn’t spot the seals in the ocean, you are almost guaranteed to see them leaping sun on one of the small skerries.
If you don’t feel like catching your own dinner, you can always savor it on a classic archipelago boat, while spotting seals and zigzagging between the islets. If you’re exceptionally lucky, you might even spot a whale due to the plentiful marine food supply. While you’re out at the water, you should definitely make a stop at Fiskebäckskil, located just across the inlet from Lysekil, which, if possible is an even more picturesque fishing society.
As a sailing enthusiast, I love watching Lysekil’s women’s sailing match race every summer. It is a great sailing event easy to watch from one of the many islets or skerries, just a stone’s throw from the center of the town, and entirely free. The north-south water-way is running just outside Lysekil, so even when the event is not running, sitting at one of the small islands with fresh-off-the-boatshrimps or a picnic basket in the sunset is an unbeatable way to finish off your day.
Even after spending weeks around Lysekil and Gullmarsfjorden, I am craving for more archipelago, seafood and fishing towns. So if you’d be lucky enough to visit the area, Lysekil is located perfectly in the middle of Bohuslän, with 50 miles fantastic archipelago in both directions along the coast – waiting to be explored.
Photo: Jonas Ingman
For more information about Lysekil, visit westsweden.com
Posted by mike | Under Gothenburg
Monday Feb 27, 2012
When Sweden’s global soft power is mentioned, it is usually with regards to IKEA or the well-known music export. Since Ericsson became a major technology power, however, the Scandinavian country is more and more associated with hi-tech products. This has been even more emphasized in the wake of the clean-tech hype rolling over the world since Al Gore told us that global warming is something that we should probably worry about. It is often Swedish companies that are supplying the demand for everything from expanded cycling schemes to wind power. ESW decided to look deeper into this growing industry.
Posted by mariaw | Under Culture, Interview
Thursday Feb 16, 2012
Swedish crime writer Camilla Läckberg has already conquered Sweden and Europe. Now her focus is on the United States. The dream is to hit the top of the New York Times bestseller list.
She is one of the hottest crime writers in Sweden today, having sold three million books in Sweden alone and 6 million worldwide. Camilla Läckberg grew up in the picturesque fishing village of Fjällbacka, on the Swedish West Coast north of Gothenburg. And this is where all her detective stories play out.
Now her crime novels are being translated into a 10 x 90 minute television series based on the characters from her novels. The series, called “The Fjällbacka Murders” will be set in the very same small village, Fjällbacka, as she was born and where all her novels take place. “It’s the most beautiful place in the world—just to take a boat out in the archipelago is a magical adventure”, Läckberg said when we interviewed her in 2010.
www.nordstjernan.com met with Camilla Läckberg at a book signing at the Greenwich Avenue book store Partners & Crime in New York earlier this month:
A slick new hotel in set to open in Gothenburg at the end of January 2012 – the new Clarion Hotel Post is a listed former Post Office from the 1920s which has been restored and extended into a sleek 500 bedroom hotel. Designed by the international architects Magnus Månsson of Semrén and Månsson and Erik Nissen Johansen of Stylt Trampoli, the central-based hotel retains its original awe-inspiring grand hall and high ceilings.
It also boasts a trendy rooftop pool and bar, indoor spa and the top-class ‘Norda Grill & Bar’ restaurant, managed by the famous New York based chef Marcus Samuelsson. Read the rest of this entry »
So, what was the most popular answer? A huge majority of you really want to see Liseberg Christmas Market (118 retweets revealed this), which isn’t too surprising considering it is Scandinavia’s grandest! With five million twinkling lights, 700 Christmas trees and 80 rustic market stalls, it takes Christmas markets to a whole new level.
Posted by mariaw | Under Food
Tuesday Nov 29, 2011
Reinforcing its status as the culinary hotbed of Northern Europe, Gothenburg has been named the Culinary Capital of Sweden 2012.
At a recent ceremony led by Sweden’s Minister for Agriculture, Eskil Erlandsson, the city was awarded the prestigious title in recognition of its wealth and quality of natural produce, often incorporating fresh ingredients from the west coast.
Judges were impressed by Gothenburg’s fantastic partnerships within West Sweden – connecting town and countryside, small-scale and industrial food production – explaining that this helps to make the city very attractive to national and international visitors.
This evening, Christmas at Liseberg Amusement Park opens its doors. Decorated with five million twinkling lights and 700 Christmas trees, Liseberg’s Christmas market is Scandinavia’s grandest. It features 80 rustic market stalls selling arts and crafts, as well as festive foods, such as traditional Swedish marinated herring, roasted reindeer meat served by indigenous people from Lapland (the Sami), marzipan pigs and traditional mulled and spiced wine, known as glögg. There’s also a bar made entirely of blue ice, an ice skating rink, the chance to see awesome ice sculptorsturn blocks of ice into works of art and a Lapland area with a reindeer-drawn sledge which takes visitors on rides through the park. Liseberg Christmas Market opens from 18 to 27 November on weekends (Friday to Sunday) and then daily from 30 November to 23 December.
Nature, needless to say, is a reason for many people to visit Sweden. Getting a first-hand experience of stunning landscapes is one of the main attractions of going to Sweden and local entrepreneurs have been quick to realize this. There is now a plethora of trip organizers profiting from this latest trend in eco-tourism, not only giving you a chance to see nature itself but also the creatures inhabiting it – lobsters, wolves, bears and so on. Thanks to a portal, there is now a single place where you can plan and book your nature trip – all over Sweden!
Posted by mariaw | Under Uncategorized
Friday Oct 28, 2011
A group of hungry foodie bloggers (from the UK and Denmark) visited West Sweden recently, on a quest to indulge in the region’s sublime seafood.
Their trip took place during West Sweden’s renowned Shellfish Journey – an event across the west coast during autumn that sees a greater choice of educational and mouth-watering seafood safaris available.
Their trip included a mussel safari in Lysekil, the best seafood buffet (quite possibly in the world) at Café Ferdinand, the incredibly peaceful South Koster island, set at Sweden’s first Marine National Park, Kosterhavet, an exquisite five-course lobster feast at Sydkoster hotel Ekenäs and oyster tastings and a lobster safari in Grebbestad fishing village.
Many people say theshellfish in West Sweden, including lobster and oysters, are among the best in the world – but did the bloggers agree? Find out, by reading about the adventures (click
on the blog links) of Jeanne Horak-Druiff: Cook sister, Su-Lin: Tamarind and Thyme, Chris Pople Cheese and biscuits, Helen Graves Food Stories and Lizzie Mabbott Hollow Legs. Danish readers can also read Nadia Mathiasen’s blog articles on Food fanatic.
