Köttbullar: How to make real Swedish meatballs

Ikea may have made them famous all over the world, but köttbullar existed before the furniture store was founded. Swedish meatballs are usually served with a special sauce, mashed potatoes, cucumber salad and lingonberries. We traveled to Gothenburg to learn more about the recipe of Sweden's national dish. But do they really come from Sweden? Let's find out.
CREDITS
Report: Jens von Larcher
Camera: Christina Karliczek Skoglund
Edit: Thorsten Wagner
Supervising editor: Ruben Kalus
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:23 A Swedish staple
01:40 The ingredients
02:47 How to make Köttbullar
03:44 The sauce
04:06 The orgins of Swedish meatballs
#swedishmeatballs #köttbullar #sweden
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[@affexxe]

To all americans out there. Lingon berry jam or raw mixed lingon berries can't be replaced with cranberries. Sorry🙃

[@per-olamjomark7452]

And Swedish "ansjovis" is normally translated to English as anchovies, but they are rather different to Mediterranean anchovies. Really they are little sprats and they are normally cured in a spiced brine and sold as fillets in tins, but you can also get whole sprats in glass jars. Ansjovis have a sweeter, milder taste than Mediterranean anchovies, so they are not really interchangeable in recipes.

[@Lucinda_Jackson]

🙄

[@soavemusica]

Cranberries are not inferior, sorry. I also wonder whether the potato is about texture and good food, or just accommodating a special diet.

[@soavemusica]

@@per-olamjomark7452 Anchovies, as well as cranberries, are arguably both superior ingredients, so...The potatoes are highly dubious. Fresh bread-crumbs probably work better.

[@RcAddict88]

Facts

[@HerrBrutal-bl2fk]

1. Anchovies are seldom used in the sauce 2. Meatballs are often served without any sauce whatsoever (for instance on a traditional smörgåsbord and julbord) 3. Swedish cookbooks written prior to the reign of Charles XII include meatballs

[@bekirilkyaz2368]

I like them when i go to Ikea, and i am sure that they would make it even better in Sweden. Greetings from Turkey.

[@per-olamjomark7452]

Swedish "ansjovis" is normally translated to English as anchovies, but they are rather different to Mediterranean anchovies. Really they are little sprats and they are normally cured in a spiced brine and sold as fillets in tins. Ansjovis have a sweeter, milder taste than Mediterranean anchovies, so they are not really interchangeable in recipes.

[@ismaela.6973]

Thank you for the clarification. I am going to make it with regular anchovies to aid the saltines:)

[@TwoHands95]

Yes, very important! Do not make this mistake! What the English-speaking world calls Anchovies are instead called 'sardeller' in Swedish.

[@lilacscentedfushias1852]

Thank you for that gem of information 😀 as a person who doesn’t know much at all about Swedish food (except ikea) I would have never known that 😀

[@j.d.4697]

That does sound better...

[@micheleemcdaniel389]

Thank you for the tip. I thought they looked much wider than the kind I am used to.

[@ardiris2715]

Replacing bread crumbs with mashed potatoes. This is a gamechanger for me. (:

[@missdenisebee]

Yes! My mind is kinda blown…I’ve just never thought of trying that before.

[@mohammaddavoudian7897]

Those fantastic contrasts must produce an absolutely great taste. It really looks delicious.

[@nick1lvov]

With great appreciation and admiration of wonderful Swedish master! Everything is just perfect! I will try to reproduce the meatballs exactly as they are described. The details are given very carefully and openly. Special Thank you for uplifting manner of presentation. With the very best wishes, Yelena, Sunnyvale, CA, USA

[@jivepatrol6833]

Nice!!! I shall try the recipe ... thank you!

[@pvoshefski]

Awesome that it's a very cross cultural dish! My Polish grandfather made an amazing version of Swedish meatballs that he served in his tavern.

[@lqr824]

pretty much everything is cross-cultural. Potatoes (in this recipe), along with tomatoes, corn, and bell peppers are from the Americas and there was not even one in Europe until 1500 or so.

[@Aibouify]

A tip is to grate the onion instead of shopping it :)

[@j.d.4697]

But then they lose so much juice and overcook faster.

[@Temptation666]

no thanks. Grating is what you do when you want to disguise the onion so the kids don't know they are in. Grownups eat them chopped

[@kevinn1158]

My god, he sounds just like the Swedish chef from the Muppets!!

[@gaurangkarmakar4046]

Bork Bork Bork???

[@kevinn1158]

@@gaurangkarmakar4046 oh yah Bork!!

[@mrfitz96]

@kevinn1158. The Swedish Chef from the Muppets is actually Norwegian. Not a lot of people know that.

[@kevinn1158]

@@mrfitz96 Dang really????

[@mrfitz96]

@@kevinn1158 I know, mind blown right? But despite his name he has a very clear & obvious Norwegian accent

[@yankeejade]

Great video! How did he make the bouillon sauce? There are many different varieties.

[@j.d.4697]

I know Spanish households that make big meatballs with lots of onion, so another possible link to ME cuisine, and the onions make a huge difference.

[@tech1media842]

where can I find this recipe?

[@yonghoju]

Anchovy sauce would really make it a wild experience. 🤣🤣🤣

[@lilacscentedfushias1852]

Dishes like this we’re probably created by many, many people. I seriously doubt just one person thought to make meatballs, chicken fried in batter or breadcrumbs. I’m rather partial to Swedish style meatballs, I can’t stand meatloaf and meatballs in a tomato based sauce don’t tickle my tastebuds

[@lqr824]

1:35 byork byork byork!

[@axelwiren337]

Uhm... Actually pea soup is swedens national dish. Meatballs are just more famous.

[@markwarnberg9504]

Swedish pea soup goes back to the 30 years war if not longer. It was the standing diet for the Swedish army.

[@Clara-cy1rj]

Omg I'm hungry now and its midnight i need to sleep😢

[@freudvibes10]

Love DW Food Channel. Deep respect for every traditional food, just wanted to say that nothing beats my Albanian mom's meatballs.❤ Much love to you all people!

[@philippedevienne9659]

Never compete with someone’s mom or grandmother 😉 it always come with a side of unconditional love

[@tumppi121]

What makes this swedish?

[@Haupialani]

I didn't understand the sauce. Is it BOULLION and cream? Black currant jelly and anchovies?

[@maroon2k]

There's a few mistranslations here, Swedish ansjovis are NOT anchovies, they're not the same fish and they're pickled very differently. Just skip the ansjovis (and DON'T use anchovies!), it's very uncommon and not normally used. She said bouillon, what you want is veal stock or beef stock. Black currant jelly (just a little), butter, cream, a dash of soy sauce, and all the stuff left in the pan where you fried the meatballs.

[@fashiondiva99]

I love meatballs but hate onions! Is it possible to use shallots and garlic instead?

[@annakolisnychenko3071]

Shallots and garlic in the meatballs should be good, they will add some sweet and garlic taste to the meatballs.

[@affexxe]

Not garlic but shallots works just fine. Dont know why you would like shallots but not onion though as its also an onion😂 just a bit more delicate

[@resorband]

Shred the onions and don't fry them. Also use less. You won't notice the onion flavor the same way and they blend in

[@resorband]

@@tekinsal8396 yes they should. why tf would you even put it in there otherwise? Use shredded raw onions. they'll cook but add more flavor to the meat. COOK WELL

[@maroon2k]

Absolutely, shallots should be excellent but you want just a hint of garlic, a tad too much and it's not Swedish meatballs!

[@BillyraycyrusIII]

What a beautiful culture.

[@MarkSu88]

I heard these were made with humans that never found the exit at ikea?

[@elvenkind6072]

Wow, first impression: What a great Scandinavian pronunciation of meatballs. The same would work in Norway, and nobody would say "what?" or "what did you say?"

[@fiorarosa1090]

complaining about Sweden having meatballs from Turkey is like complaining about Italy having pasta from China. Ridiculous!

[@resorband]

It's not from there. It MAY have drawn some inspiration from köfte but sweden has had meatballs longer than that

[@Neilos-sd6ti]

Meatballs arent really something so hard and unique to think about. Its just a ball of fried meat. Romans already made pasta sheets altough it wasnt very popular so pasta doesnt come from china, it appeared in multiple places and just developed independently

[@Rikard_A]

Köttbullarna inte från Turkiet inte heller Itwlien sedan de är gjorda på helt olika sätt och äts på helt olika sätt. Pasta är inte sammasak som nudlar.

[@Shadow962775]

I really do hate when people seem to want to "copyright" a food item or preparation. People in America even try to attribute "barbecue" to specific cultures, as if smoking or grilling meat is something nobody in the world thought to do until so and so did it pretty recently in historical terms. If meatballs are made and served a certain way in Sweden, and we all associate this style of meatball, then they are a Swedish dish, regardless of who else has or had something similar. It seems to me a cheap attempt at deconstruction to attack national cultures, or a "gotcha" of some sort. I apologize if I'm making this political, but the "x food is exclusively owned by y people and you must praise them every time you eat it" crowd are pretty much always motivated by resentment against the country where they live. American food products and styles have had an influence in South Korea and Japan, for example, yet I would never say "this budae-jjigae has hot dogs and spam in it, so it's American, and not legitimately Korean," because that could only be a shallow and pathetic attempt to "own" Koreans.

[@DannyRiley-vx9se]

Ah yes, the Vikings in the 700s, famous for their meatballs. Lmao@@resorband

[@johnnyadler1013]

Yes! And I don't think the turks uses pork meet.

[@gergk5]

Did I miss the part with someone complaining & why do some cultures have a hard time giving credit to others?

[@bfrost7]

wow, the swedish chef was perfect parody i guess

[@flargosa]

Don’t want to be disrespectful to the Swedish heritage, but the iKea meat balls taste all right. I would pick Thai food or Texas bbq over the meatballs.

[@maroon2k]

Ikea is a furniture store, not a restaurant. Their meatballs can't be compared to properly cooked ones. Of course it's absolutely ok to prefer Thai or Texan food. But if you've only eaten at Ikea you haven't really tried proper Swedish food.

[@Tuzganaq]

For me, it looks like a Scandinavian version of Köfte. 😊

[@thefreedomguyuk]

Abi, it's the other way round 😊

[@j.d.4697]

What's different?

[@morrikai]

The question about köttbullars origine as turkish was at least very fast concluded to be false and made up by a turkish immegrant that had given the responsbilty for the official Sweidhs twitter acount. Since several recipe for köttbullar that is over 100 yeras older than Karl xii exist in Sewden. However if they were based on older recipe or of french/italian origin was never really resolved.

[@johnhamond6379]

Well, it's meatball in general not Swedish but now surely it's a Swedish dish.

[@petejames1326]

im so proud of my european heritage, i love meatballs be they italian or german or swedish

[@baaa-uq8du]

İts from Ottomans "Köfte"

[@petejames1326]

@@baaa-uq8du please there is no need for your conspiracy theories

[@baaa-uq8du]

@@petejames1326 swedish government confirmed XII.Karl Stole once he was a Guest 🤡

[@Kokkikoulussa]

Köfte is those Mother called...

[@johnnyll91]

I dont like the raw onion especially diced If raw, grate it If diced fri it first❤

[@Rikard_A]

Det är inte en nationalrätt. Det är väldigt populär rätt.

[@georgewbushcenterforintell147]

Don't care I love meatballs from all over the world . Nothing beats a meatball and pesto sandwich.

[@ottomatic3123]

I always quadruple the gravy/sauce portion of recipes. Animal flesh is overrated. The sauce IS the BOSS.

[@Nikkolina88]

It’s all about the sauce!!!! I’m always wishing there was extra, great idea!

[@micheltibon6552]

I was watching the video after, but after 1.5 minutes I was thinking noooo we ( I am Dutch Indonesian) do it better! A quick search on Indonesian meatball Goreng or Bakso Bakar and I found lots of examples on the internet and on KZbin. Give the search a try. Must admit the small meatballs in Italian tomato sauce is also a favourite of mine. I love a big meatball with mashed potatoes!

[@MichaelBoyce-tm2vw]

Ours is spicier and served with potatoes.

[@Fred-ck1gh]

Swedish meatballs are served with potatoes or mash potatoes, but ours are not spicy!

[@malackaraj]

I thought kebab is the traditional Swedish food...

[@pvtmalo3217]

Is this some AI voice? wooot so strange

[@exenderlloyd7750]

PLEASE stop saying köttbullar every time. Meatballs is a word. You're butchering the language worse than a Peruvian speaking Tagalog

[@blankblank9819]

According to IKEA they're made with horse meat 🍖 😂

[@DEXTER-TV-series]

Yes, I tried it in IKEA. It is bad.

[@affexxe]

Ofcourse its bad if you eat it at IKEA. The best isn't at any big restaurant & definately not at a fkng furniture store but homemade as we make it or small lunch restaurants here in sweden

[@DEXTER-TV-series]

@@affexxe maybe you are right. 😉

[@markwarnberg9504]

These guys don´t think so: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5nVmIyphrisgas

[@frusen_sol]

turkey instead of pork and its yummy

[@resorband]

Turkey is dry and lacks flavor. The pork makes it juicy and helps shape the meatballs nicely

[@robzsarmy5471]

Sweden has worse cuisine than the british but Swedish meatballs are very nice

[@BigmanDogs]

Yes Scandinavia might have the worst cousine on earth.

[@robzsarmy5471]

@@BigmanDogs I dont know for world but for Europe they do especially Iceland .

[@BigmanDogs]

@@robzsarmy5471 Outside of europe I would say places like Mongolia and pacific islands have quite bad food due to lacking access to spices and ingredients etc.

[@resorband]

you haven't had swedish food even. Also polish food exists

[@thefreedomguyuk]

​@@BigmanDogsFood in Denmark and Finland is actually decent. Simple but good. Sweden and Norway have abysmal cuisine. Norway is worst 😮

[@DavidMonico-lh5tv]

It is pronouced 'ikea' not 'aikia' !!!!

[@Finnish_Man]

finnish meatballs much better

[@per-olamjomark7452]

Go home Finland - you are drunk ;)

[@thefreedomguyuk]

​@@per-olamjomark7452Finns can hold their drink. Swedes are passing out by 22.30 😂

[@lqr824]

1:48 why are you showing us pictures of eggs, just get to the point, have more respect for your viewers' time please. EDIT: you don't even give an example recipe. Total waste of time. Whoever made this video should be fired.