Study in Lund: Q3 Cultural observation: food/eating habits in Sweden. // LUND UNIVERSITY - Swedish Society and Everyday Life 2016
Cultural Observations.
Food/Eating
Observation: The hidden Swedish cuisine in public space in Lund.
Group 3
Elina Priede
SASH60 Swedish Society and Everyday Life 2016
Department of Arts and Cultural Sciences, Lund University
Abstract
Comparing our own ideas on Sweden in comparison to our own background and experience within food and eating field, we observed a phenomenon of the lack of accessibility of Swedish cuisine in public space in Lund. We debate what are the possible reasons focusing on Lund, why an international student cannot be introduced to local Swedish food while on a culture exchange study experience. As with our individual experience we claim that ‘local food’ is one of most important ways how to explore a new culture. In the conclusion, we debate discourse of Swedish cuisine eateries by our own personal observations and interest in Swedish culture.
This cultural observation assignment for SASH60 course describes a phenomenon related to food and eating which is found culturally interesting to a group of four students each from Latvia, USA, France, and Venezuela. The cultural observation result of food in Sweden is related to our individual background and experience, and culture study background. The following paper describes an observation on accessibility to taste a local Swedish cuisine in public space in student city Lund. It simply examines the observation with cultural analytical terms than theorizing general national identity. And the result is based on collective as a group observation with foreign student perspective.
How we claim that this question is a cultural observation? The observation conclusion is based on our own individual and collective background and experience through living as international students in Sweden, and during the SASH60 course with fieldwork, course’s given literature, attended lectures and material outside the studies. Each person in the group has different experience living in Sweden, therefore we were fascinated on our similar observation before meeting each other.
Researching everyday life “involves the researcher living alongside the people they are studying” as it develops insider’s view which in this case is what one of the group members has done by going off grid to be close to Swedish culture and everyday life previously. (Scott, 2009.) The personal observation took 18-month long time, in total 3,5 years. Therefore, for this project it is a valuable information for the group as individual background. In the group, there is a background of cultural and anthropology studies, which gives an understanding of cultural analysis and theoretical approach to the subject. Even though everyone has a different experience and background, it is fascinating to notice the same observation from four different experiences.
The fact that it is difficult to find an eatery which serves traditional Swedish cuisine in Lund, interested us to observe and explore the subject. As in Lund University studies student from all over the world, it is expected to be introduced to a local food culture within university’s area. Food is one of the cultural observation ways how a foreign student meets the new culture, trying new tastes is a way of exploring. Therefore, we came to this discourse of the lack of Swedish cuisine eateries in Lund which is not internationally influenced in Swedish culture like falafel as it is historically known to come from Middle East countries. By internationally influenced we mean to not be presented with hotdog or croissant as Swedish mea and other stated before.
Researching for the situation or phenomena in food scenery of Swedish culture, we come across to a wide range of different traditional meals in virtual data. It creates a complex understanding of Swedish culture, as in virtual information exists a lot of information on Swedish food and different habits, then it hardly seems to be promoted in public space.
We look on international students and low budget traveller perspective. The group members individually has experience living, studying and traveling abroad in other cultures to our own. That we take into account making conclusion that personal beliefs, values and attitude has influenced our approach observing this situation.
Methodology
We explored and discussed what is Swedish cuisine to us, how much we know about typical Swedish food and how many of us has been introduced to and how we know about Swedish food. We shared our own experience and background with Swedish culture and society, learning how much each knows before starting SASH60 course and what we had learnt after each lecture. For our cultural observation project, we agreed that fieldwork suits to us by going out in the town together and make notes and discuss while all together. Individually we kept observing our question as well through our own everyday life.
In terms of literature we used Scott, Susie (2009): Making Sense of Everyday Life. Chapter 6: “Eating and drinking” (pp. 92-115) and Chapter 10: “Researching Everyday Life” (pp. 184-208) and online material in Swedish Institute and Study in Sweden websites. We looked at what kind of information on Swedish food is offered to international visitors in Sweden by the largest culture and travel organisations. We used to google search “what is traditional Swedish food”. These two stated sites offered many various visual materials and written information by international students or people experience living in Sweden. Many discussions within group was based on course literature and lectures as we organised meetings afterwards. Another source for insights of Swedish culture to some of group members is a SVT Tv-Show “Historieätarna” which has viewed before and during the course duration time, and made conclusions with the new knowledge through the SAS60 course.
Before the group’s fieldwork each individually researched online “Swedish cuisine” eateries on VisitLund website. Eateries which offers Swedish food translates as “svensk husmanskost” which we used in our search as a keyword. In means of public eatery spaces we observed any space which offers a hot meal. Three restaurants matched to our search through Visit Lund website and on GoogleMaps three other were offered. Visit Lund site provides information of 81 eateries in Lund.The offered Swedish cuisine eateries were by these two sites were: Kulturkrogen, Clemens, Mat&Destillat, Nått Gott, Spisen and restaurant Bellman.
On a fieldwork, we visited these stated places and observed from outside by reading menus and information on windows of eateries and collected visual data as photographs for cultural analysis. We engaged in conversation with locals at the Salluhall about buying more local products. Visiting the restaurant Bellman, Mormor’s bageri and Patisseriet we engaged with salesman in a conversation. We did not use this as our main observation information, it was for our own curiosity to continue the project’s subject. We asked them “How much from all assortment provided they would say it is typical or classical Swedish product?” or “If they went to United Nations organisation conference to represent Sweden, which product they would take?”
For getting more depth understanding of the possible reasons on why here is such a lack of Swedish cuisine, we engaged in conversations with locals and friends from Sweden. Discussing discourse amongst other international academics, our observation was noticed as not approved. However, we did not take one subjective opinion on ‘cultural acceptance’, but interviewed what are the thoughts on this observation through native perspective.
The other method to find a place we used Lund University nations by researching on their websites about food they provide and approaching each nation by sending an email. One of group members has experience with eating out in few nations in Lund. For conclusion on nations we used our group member’s personal experience eating out in nations, and what some of the nations replied to the email and we observed each nations website with provided information on food menus.
The audience for our research project is a foreign student with a low budget income living and studying Lund. That we could think with our own individual perspective when we view the menu and prices. We compared that students from abroad not often have a good income or savings, that international student creates a certain financial amount to spend on eateries out. The access to cheap hot-meal such as falafel is easy than finding a homemade cooked meal in public space. International students as a target group is interesting and complex at the same time. These students plan each spending but are willing to pay more for a new experience while living abroad such as new food tasting. (reference to bring together family meal scott). That lead us to discuss which from founded eateries with “Swedish cuisine” is suitable to this target audience.
Observation/results
The result of observation in comparison with our own background and experience, it is not easy accessible to Swedish cuisine in public space in Lund. Comparing to our own background, we expected to be provided more with local food experience as Lund has many international students each year coming to stay and explore the local culture. Discussing our observations, we agreed that the best option is to meet a Swedish friend who would cook more local homemade meal, or plan it yourself with new friends. As Scott claimed that often students living away from household likes to create together dinners in a feel of home (Scott 2009). As information on online researched sites is provided and easy to access.
In our group, we discussed that our personal experience and background gives us a deeper perspective in observing this question which at first seems vague. Some of us have a closer connection to living in Sweden amongst Swedish and already noticing remarkable differences in culture and going beyond the surface of the immediately observable, digging deeper to identify the meaning behind it (Scott, 2009). By engaged with three groups of natives which are international academics, locals as Swedish heritage, and immigrants as Swedish for their lifetime. We discovered complexity within our research. Talking to other international academics who after a certain time living here claims to be locals, has a strong opinion that all international eatiers are accepted as Swedish and is Swedish cuisine. While we collected opposite data from locals and people who owns these no-Swedish cuisine eateries. As interaction is based as much upon what is left unspoken (Scott, 2009), natives admit that our observation is noticeable, that themselves they ask the same question. Approaching our third group of natives who provides the international eateries, stated to not be mistaken with Swedish cuisine, that they cannot accept that ‘falafel’ would become ‘Swedish’.
The result of fieldwork visited eateries is that restaurant Clemens is a place where a student could go and try a classical Swedish cuisine, and we agreed that this is a student friendly prices under 100kr. But to have classical cuisine mixed with modern ideas and pay little bit more than 150kr is Kulturkrogen and Mat&Destillat. The provided information on Visit Lund site about restaurant Bellman was not correct as visiting the restaurant it had changed the name and the waiter noticed us that nothing on their menu is Swedish cuisine, but international mix. The restaurant Spisen has only kept classical Swedish restaurant interior and offers wide range of Italian-like cuisine. We did not go to Nått Gott, but online it states it is Swedish cuisine, unfortunately it did not have menu online.
We go to the grocery shops everyday buying ingredients we know we want, but during fieldwork together we noticed that grocery shop assortment is mainly very local ingredients which is a positive note, but we thought the problem lays in fact that not many students understand the local Swedish eating habits without having been introduced to it by a special university event for international students, or having this eatery where to try eating more local way once in a eatery and then learn to what liked the most was it crispbread with cheese or lingonberry jam with everything?
Another interesting find to our research questions is that the main grocery shops such as ICA and COOP monthly provides a free magazine with recipes of their assortment. The current ICA magazine focus is on classic cuisine mixed with innovative and modern ideas, promoting to buy more local products. We thought it is a good option and it could be an interesting culture exchange project to learn cooking Swedish cuisine with modern ideas and translating the text from Swedish language to student’s mother language.
We did not focus on “fika” in Sweden, but we observed that experiencing this Swedish food phenomena is much easier than finding a plate of meatballs with lingberry jam. Although both bakeries we visited admitted that their assortment only has 2 or 3 typical Swedish buns, and the rest of range of sweets is influence of other cultures, it is still easier to try a local brand coffee with cinnamon bun or ‘kardemummabullar’. On Swedish calendar, there are special days when each of buns is celebrated. It is an interesting food phenomenon which international students can experience through year.
Additional observation we made to alternative way to experience more Swedish food is “junk food”. As it is an important part to Swedish everyday life ‘Lördagsgodis’ (Saturday Sweets) (Sweden.se 2016) then to find access to sweets was easy. In Lund, there is wide range of kiosks selling korv (sausage rolls), and PressByrån and 7/11 where people can order their “fast on the go” meal than going to a restaurant. We learnt from our observations on history lectures, that Korv Kiosks are an old tradition which we see has survived, even though it is more American cuisine influence in our own observations, and it has been stated on ‘Historieäterna’ as it as well.
There are 12 nations in Lund University, and 5 of them replied to our inquiry. In result it seems that Malmö and Kristianstad nation occasionally have Swedish modern cuisine. Kalmar and Hallands nation replied with words “not really, but it can depend on the chef”. The rest of nations we observed online and in conclusion seems that often nations offer international American type food menus, but it seemed that Västgöta nation offers weekly “classical cuisine with modern influence”. The only one which stands out is Wermlands nation with strictly focus on local brand ingredients, but it does not say this nation cooks Swedish cuisine. And from all 12 nations certain is that Blekinges nation annually creates a Swedish cuisine event such as Crayfish party and soon it has Christmas dinner with traditional Swedish cuisine.
Conclusion
Research introduced us with facts that lingberry jam is eating with anything, that crispbread is widely used, and meatballs is the most famous Swedish dish known abroad and pea soup with pancakes on Thursday (Sweden.se 2016). And during the fieldwork we noticed the lack of accessibility to Swedish cuisine, which is an interesting observation of a situation/phenomena to all of us as in a group. This discussion connected us even though during the preparing presentation meetings with a teacher of study course it was claimed to be a not interesting observation and not suitable to guidelines.
We argue against the claims of having uninteresting subject, this question is a part of everyday life as it shows the wider picture. Digging deeper to identify the meaning behind (Scott, 2009) the food situation we found as culturally different, we learnt to see behind the norm, how historically Sweden has grown. In our conclusion, we came to terms that this is the extraordinary discourse, positive representation on Swedish attitude towards the part of a larger pattern of cultural blending and immigration. What is ordinary to Swedes, is mundane to us. As it is a different way of accepting multicultural environment, which is how Sweden is represented abroad, a country welcoming and friendly towards other cultures. We know from lectures on modernity that Sweden early begun to accept immigrants. At the start of discourse, it seems difficult to find an eatery with Swedish cuisine, and it seemed as a negative point. By observing this situation what we had learnt in our lectures on and outside academics material, Swedish are curious on other cultures, and are not afraid of trying new, different tastes.
This conclusion is also claimed in SVT TV-series “Historieäterna” which shows the wide range historical moments of Swedish culture reflecting how each social class lived. In these series, it has been shown that through centuries upper-class people enjoyed international cuisine than lower class people. We cannot state this as it is, but we might guess from our observations that perhaps culturally this has stayed in Swedish culture that international cuisine reflects the ‘richness’. Which might be read differently in today’s world. As having more international cuisine in public space makes them multicultural acceptable. While for international student it might be more difficult to find a Swedish cuisine, but on other hand that gives the opportunity to find a connection with a local person and create a Swedish homemade cuisine dinner together.
In modernity lectures we discussed the dark and positive sight of modernity in 20th century, that we understand the changes what Sweden has gone through to become this multicultural acceptable and international environment friendly country. As it is stated before that Lund has many international students, we think that having multicultural food scenery might make many international students feel much more welcomed and easier to find dining out evenings. We cannot claim this, it is our guess on observations we have made, particularly on personal experience and engaging with locals in conversations.
And in the end answering to discourse that the lack of Swedish cuisine seems as a ay Swedish show immigrants they are welcome to claim the public eatery space by offering their cultural food experience. But as for Swedish cuisine, in Lund are three good restaurants to visit which can be as a special occasion to go eat out for pleasure, leisure, and necessity (Scott, 2009). And as an international student to learn more about Swedish culture, can go out to find socializing within university or city Lund to meet other like minded and do own research on Swedish cuisine by cooking it together with new friends, as it is a big part of everyday life to connect with people as it helps to strengthen social solidarity (Scott, 2009). For example, Blekinges nation is offering such occasions. As stated before in grocery shops can pick up their free magazine to find inspiration to cook modern Swedish cuisine. And widely known ‘Swedishness’ food phenomena “fika” is very easy accessible and as I have read before on Study in Sweden student blog posts, many international students leaving Sweden takes this sweet coffee moment with them further in their lives. What can learn from Swedish food is the curiosity in trying new and observing the local market and grocery shop Swedish likes food , therefore we state that their interest in wide range food creates them to have more international cuisine eateries and keep Swedish cuisine for special occasions.
Bibliography
Scott, Susan (2009): Making sense of everyday life. Cambridge: Polity Press. ISBN: 987-0-7456-4268-0. (pp. 1-9, 49-68, 92-115, 139-160, 184-208).
Histoerieäterna (2016), SVT.
Wikdahl, Magnus (2016) Swedish Modernity 2 [Lecture to SASH60], Lund University. 14th November.
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