Day 247: Culinary heaven

Over lunch today, one of my friends asked me to name the best and worst things about living in Sweden. Best was easy. Worst was tougher so I settled for what I missed a lot. Very high on the list is culinary adventures. Or even novelty. I find the food in Scandinavia devoid of imagination.

Naturally, this is relative and depends on what you compare it to. I'd venture to say that most places in the world would pale in comparison to the rich variety of eating pleasures you can have in New York. It isn't simply the variety of ethnic restaurants to be found. It is also the variety of dishes that you can find within any one ethnicity. Point in case, we ate lunch at a Mexican restaurant today. On the menu were three different types of guacamole, one (the one I ordered) with pomegranate, cilantro and pineapple. I've never seen that on the menu at any other Mexican restaurant I've ever visited. And this was not the only unique dish. And this restaurant was not an exception to the rule, and not particularly pricey either.

Perhaps the Nordic climate causes the imagination to freeze? Some would argue that Swedes in general are not particularly adventurous eaters and offering unusual combinations of flavors would not attract customers. I'm not convinced. I've yet to meet a Swede who did not appreciate good cooking. So, loosen up those imaginations folks and get cooking! In the meanwhile, I'm off to my next food adventure...happy as a clam!