Unique ingredients from West Sweden
An inland covered with lakes and fertile plains, and salty seas along the coast. West Sweden takes pride in its wealth of distinctive, surprising ingredients.
There’s so much to discover – the food and drink of West Sweden. Let us introduce you to the best from our forests, farms, lakes and seas. The tang of freshly boiled crayfish from the Göta Canal, about to be served at a nearby restaurant. In the fertile plains of the inland they are harvesting ramsons and mushrooms, brewing beer and fruit juices, and ageing flavourful cheeses. Continuing to the salty seas of the west coast, our taste buds are treated to delicate langoustine, prawns, mussels and freshly caught fish.
Photographer: Jonas Ingman
The ingredient from the West Swedish larder are taste sensations that can be enjoyed throughout the year. West Sweden is a culinary melting pot, where you can let the ingredients determine your route through the region.
The flavours are sweet, salty and fresh when chefs, farm shops and food craftspeople collaborate. They get together and reach out with the very best local ingredients. When talented people get to work with highly distinctive ingredients, the result is the inspiring menus that you find throughout the region. Our chefs and restaurateurs are privileged, being able to select the best ingredients from around the corner. You could call it a terroir approach, where they create a delicious palette of flavours, based on local conditions.
In Bohuslän you can experience the harvest of wild oysters and mussels on fascinating tours. Like when Orust Shellfish takes you out in their vintage wooden boat for a tasting in the archipelago off Lysekil. Another enjoyable and interesting tour is to the island of Klädesholmen, to discover the traditional herring.
Photographer: Jonas Ingman - M2B AB
Heading inland we reach Västergötland, with verdant fields of garlic-scented ramsons and tender asparagus. Here you’ll find many more fine ingredients, including the bleak roe from Lake Vänern and Sivan’s aged cheeses.
Photographer: Åsa Dahlgren
The flavourful goat cheeses from Halltorp’s Dairy are other delicious cheeses worth sampling – preferably together with artisanal hardbread. You can quench your thirst with beer from Dugges and Qvänum Mat & Malt. Or taste Resville’s prize-winning fruit drinks and pure apple juice from Bramleys. At farm shops you can buy sustainably grown meat from animals that live a peaceful life in natural pastures.
Wherever you go in West Sweden, you can be certain that the local ingredients enhance your culinary experiences, and reflect the essence of each location.
