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Köttbullar — Swedish Meatballs

Köttbullar

Specialised

Small meatballs of beef and pork with breadcrumbs soaked in milk, onion and allspice, fried and served with cream gravy, boiled or mashed potato, lingonberries and pickled cucumber. ⚠ THE ORIGIN IS CONTESTED IN A PARTICULAR WAY: in 2018 Sweden’s official account stated that the recipe came back with Charles XII from the Ottoman Empire in the early 18th century. That claim is widely repeated and is NOT well evidenced; meatballs are a very old and very widespread European form. Both the claim and the doubt are recorded. ⚠ AND SWEDISH FOOD IS NOT MEATBALLS.

Atlas — where and when

Communities and languages

Languages: Swedish

What is recorded

  • The claim that Swedish meatballs derive from a recipe brought from the Ottoman Empire by Charles XII in the early 18th century was stated officially by Sweden in 2018 and is widely repeated. It is poorly evidenced. Meatballs are an old and widespread European form and no single origin is asserted here. disputed

Related foodways

This foodway relates to

  • related to Turkish Foodways disputed

    An official Swedish account of 2018 derived köttbullar from an Ottoman recipe brought back by Charles XII. The claim is widely repeated and poorly evidenced; meatballs are an old and widespread European form.

Recipes

No recipes are filed under this cuisine yet.