A Swedish Julbord Trivia Quiz

While all of the planned courses are laid out together, there is an accepted order of eating the various components (although this is flexible). It starts with fish - pickled, cold and hot - followed by cold meats, then warm dishes, cheese and dessert. Bread is an essential accompaniment to each course, especially because sharing bread is a traditional symbol of welcome. Different dishes require different types of bread as an accompaniment, so (as you can see in the image) it is usual to offer several types of bread and rolls, as well as an assortment of crispbreads/crackers.

Gravlax is a dish of salmon that has been cured using sugar, salt and dill. The name describes the curing process, in which the fish is covered with the dry ingredients for 1-2 days. It is then usually sliced thinly and served garnished with a sprig of fresh dill. In this case, the traditional mustard and dill sauce has been replaced by vendace caviar - the roe of the vendace being much less expensive than that of the sturgeon. Technically it's not caviar at all, but it sounds good.

Near the gravlax in the image are several jars of pickled herrings, another traditional part of the julbord. They would normally be the very first dish in the meal, followed by the other cold fish dishes. This family clearly do not care for the very traditional lutefisk (dried fish soaked in lye to produce a gelatinous reconstituted fishy item that is usually served smothered in white sauce or mustard), which would also be part of the fish course - hot fish at the end, for those who make that distinction. Then again, they may be observing the recent trend of having their lutefisk on Christmas Eve, rather than as part of the Christmas meal.

Hard boiled eggs have their yolks removed and combined with whipped cream that has been mixed with caviar (or other fish roe). This mixture is then replaced in the egg's cavity, and topped with a bit more roe. These eggs would be served as part of the cold fish portion of the meal.

The Christmas ham (julskinka) is a central feature of the cold meats course. The ham is prepared by boiling it until cooked, then coating it with breadcrumbs and browning it in the oven before serving it cold. It is usually served with mustard, which may have been incorporated into the breadcrumbs.

In many homes the liquid in which the ham was boiled is also presented as a stock into which bread is dunked (dopp i grytan) as the first element of the course of warm dishes (småvarmt).

Beetroot, as a winter vegetable, is plentiful at Christmas, and may be included in multiple guises. Pickled beetroot accompanies the cold meats, and a salad of beetroot mixed with herring and whipped cream is a popular addition to the table. Hot beet soup may be included as one of the warm dishes.

Liver pâté may be a more familiar form of the name for this dish. It is made from ground pork liver (and sometimes a bit of pork for texture), lard, onion, flour, egg and chef's choice of spices mixed together and baked in a terrine. Sliced, it can be served hot or cold, and therefore be part of the cold meat course or the hot dishes. If cold, it is likely to be spread on a piece of bread or crispbread, and may be topped with some of the assorted pickles and relishes on the table.

This small Swedish sausage, whose name means Prince's sausage, is made from spiced pork and veal, resembling a very small Vienna sausage. It can be boiled or fried, and is generally served hot with plenty of mustard. You will note that pork features large on the menu, stemming from the tradition of killing a pig close to Christmas to provide the holiday fare. Nowadays they are usually purchased meats, not home prepared.

This particular julbord did not include pork ribs with crackling, but that is common.

Jansson's temptation, the literal translation, is a dish prepared by layering matchstick potatoes, sliced onions and pickled sprats in a casserole, filling the casserole with cream, covering with breadcrumbs, then baking. Exactly who Jansson was is a matter of debate, but he is not the only one tempted by the dish! It is a relatively recent addition to the Julbord tradition, arising around the 1970s.

This will be served as part of the final group, the hot dishes.

Although it is called brown cabbage, this is actually white cabbage that has been braised (often in the stock from the Christmas ham) with soy sauce, vinegar and a local ingredient known as brown syrup (for which brown sugar or molasses can be substituted). Cabbage, as a winter vegetable, features on most julbords, but in the north it is more likely to be red cabbage that is used. Whichever, this is a hot dish, and served in that course, along with the assorted meat and potato dishes that have been selected.

The cheese would normally be the last of the dishes shown here to be eaten, although some might grab a bit to accompany one of their earlier dishes - ham and cheese sounds pretty good to me. There is likely to be a selection of cheeses, and in modern times they may come from all over the place: English Cheddar, Dutch Edam, French Roquefort and more may join the more traditional Swedish västerbottensost. This hard cow's milk cheese was developed in the northern village of Burträsk, which is still the only place where it is made. It has a strong flavour, said to resemble Parmesan (but better).

The image for this quiz did not include any desserts, but they will be there! The most important part of it is a rice pudding with an almond hidden in it that will bring good luck to the finder. Other dishes may include any or all of: pastries, dried fruits, sweet rolls, gingerbread, marzipan, nuts, toffee - you get the idea, I am sure.