Fish is fairly inexpensive, so seafood is the bulk of the diet. Fish is also fairly delicious in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland, as cold northern seas produce the most flavorful fish in the world. It's one of Europe's oldest foods as well, with herring bones found in kitchen waste piles dating to the early Neolithic period. Despite these many techniques, the flavors tend to remain pure and simple, the preparations straightforward. Gravlax, the classic salmon dish, is cured with a mixture of sugar and salt, then served with a plain sauce of mustard and dill to let the taste of the fish shine.
Pork is a favorite meat, whether roasted and served with a fruit sauce or ground into meatballs.
Poultry is popular, and goose turns up on special occasions. Lamb is seen more in Norway than in the other Scandinavian countries. Dill, horseradish and parsley are favored seasonings, and butter and cream provide the base for many a sauce. Breads tend to be flatbreads and rye crisps, whole grain wheat, oat and barley, and fiber-rich ryes, from tangy sour rye to the sweet limpa bread with orange and fennel. Rye bread is the base for the elaborate open-faced sandwiches that the Danes call sm rrebr d .