Smörgåsbord Explained: History, Etiquette & How to Eat the Swedish Buffet

What is a smörgåsbord?

A smörgåsbord is a Swedish buffet with an ordered progression of cold and hot dishes. The word combines smörgås (buttered open-face sandwich) and bord (table). In Sweden, it still refers to a specific traditional spread—not just any buffet.

From brännvinsbord to smörgåsbord

The tradition starts in the 1500s–1700s with the brännvinsbord (schnapps table): standing appetizers served with spiced spirits before the seated meal. Bread, butter, cheese, herring or salmon, cold cuts. This custom spread among Sweden's upper classes in the 1700s.

By the 1800s, the brännvinsbord had expanded into the smörgåsbord, often served as a first course—exactly what the museum photo's bottom diorama shows: "1800-talet – Smörgåsbordet som förrätt."

Around 1912, restaurants in Stockholm shifted from offering smörgåsbord as an appetizer to presenting it as a full meal. The 1912 Stockholm Olympics marked a turning point—restaurants showcased the spread to international visitors as a main course, not just an opener.

The smörgåsbord reached a global audience at the 1939 New York World's Fair, where Sweden's Three Crowns Restaurant featured it on a rotating platform. American press coverage turned "smorgasbord" into a household word.

Tore Wretman and the modern structure

In the mid-20th century, Stockholm chef Tore Wretman codified the tradition. In his 1976 book Smörgåsbordet, Wretman outlined a five-course structure:

1. Herring in many styles

2. Other cured/smoked fish

3. Cold meats and pâtés

4. Small hot dishes (Jansson's Temptation, meatballs)

5. Dessert/cheese

That sequence—fish first, then cold cuts, then warm dishes, then cheese or dessert—is the etiquette most Swedes still follow.

How to eat a smörgåsbord

Small plates, many rounds. Don't heap everything at once. Return several times.

Start with sill (herring). The classic opener. Pair with crispbread, butter, and a small snaps.

Move through the courses. Other fish (gravlax, smoked salmon), then cold meats, then warm dishes. Finish with cheese and dessert.

Take your time. Wretman's first rule: this is not a meal you rush through.

Today's smörgåsbord: julbord and beyond

Modern Swedes still gather around seasonal buffets—most famously the julbord (Christmas smörgåsbord). Expect julskinka (Christmas ham), prinskorv, Jansson's frestelse, lutfisk, and several kinds of herring. The structure remains, even as families and restaurants adapt the menu.

Keywords: Swedish food culture, Nordic cuisine, julbord, pickled herring, gravlax, Jansson's temptation, Stockholm museums, Nordiska museet, Tore Wretman, brännvinsbord, Swedish Christmas, smörgåsbord etiquette

Hashtags: #Smörgåsbord #SwedishFood #NordicCuisine #Julbord #Herring #Gravlax #ToreWretman #FoodHistory #Stockholm #NordiskaMuseet #ScandinavianFood #TravelSweden