Köttbullar and other observations

By Guest Blogger: Andrew Kohn

Much has been written about the now infamous Köttbullar, known to many as simply the IKEA Swedish meatball. Both chewy and light, these little balls are smothered in a brown cream sauce and served with potatoes and a generous glop of lingonberry preserves. Loved by many, hated by some, these meatballs are frozen and can be purchased at the College Park IKEA in Maryland - a classier option than sneaking in Tupperware and packing them up from the very American high school-like cafeteria located on the second floor. For those of you with the true Swedish spirit, however, pop in a CD by The Hives (ABBA may prove too overwhelming), roll up your H&M sleeves, and dive headfirst into the original recipe. (Be warned that a serving of these little beasties (6) is 210 calories and contain 13 grams of fat - 5 of which are saturated. In the cafeteria, a regular meatball meal sees 15 spooned onto your plate.)

I've heard of people who will drive to IKEA first for these meatballs and second for the furniture. These are the same people who can tell me that Wednesday is rib night (a Scandinavian recipe?) and that it gets crowded quickly so one should get there early. I can't help but wonder, no matter how delicious they are, if these meatballs are a true representation of Swedish food or just Scandinavian-style fast food. Have we bought into the concept of genuineness because it's foreign and cheap or because they are, in fact, really good representations of the food? Probably, in the end, it's a little of both.

Next time I'm in the area, however, and looking to add to my ever-expanding cheap wine glass collection or searching for the elusive EKTORP, I think maybe I'll stop by one of the many pupuserias I pass along the way and save the meatballs for another day. Because when all is said and done, there is no Sven or Helga spooning these delights from the steam tray and not one sign of the reindeer or herring munched on daily from Stockholm to Santa's Shack. There are plenty of international foods in our region hand-made by those immigrants who now call our nation home. Let us dare to drop the frozen import from our fork and instead pick-up the fresh creation of a chef who prepares his meals from scratch on a daily basis.

Now don't get me wrong, I dare not suggest a boycott of the Swedish meatball - cocktail parties and IKEAS the world over would be less without them. But as we chase these delights down with a swig of lingonberry soda, let us not forget there is a world full of culinary surprises that extends well beyond those cardboard covered aisles. And who knows, if you explore a little, you may even discover a new aesthetic for your home in the process!