With 97% of Sweden uninhabited it is always easy to step into the wild and with the Freedom the Roam written into the constitution, people have the right to hike where they want, camp where they like and forage for berries and mushrooms, all that is asked it that you treat people’s property and nature with respect.
The Edible Country program organized by Visit Sweden, is a new program that turns 100 million acres of wild deciduous and coniferous forest land into a restaurant where visitors can forage and cook the ingredients themselves.
The chefs involved in The Edible Country, Titti Qvarnström, Niklas Ekstedt, Jacob Holmström & Anton Bjuhr have created special menus according to the territory and the season and with recipes for how to prepare each dish. Recipes include forest broth with poached perch and broiled herb butter, or smoked char with chanterelles, juniper berries and wood sorrel.
Foraging has become an integral part of the New Scandinavian cuisine and while there has been a concerted effort to promote Scandinavian countries as culinary destinations, this is an innovative approach to tourism in Sweden.
You can book a handmade wooden table, equipped with kitchen kits and all the utensils you’ll need to prepare each course, in a range of different territories, in Skåne, West Sweden, Lapland, Jämtland, Småland, Värmland and the Stockholm archipelago, each offering their own unique natural environs and natural bounty. All you have to bring with you is some butter, salt, pepper and honey, a good pair of boots!