Cranberries as a substitute for lingon is like making Carbonara with American "cheese". You're lucky swedes are way less angry about inauthentic food than Italians Andy.
Lingonberries are really not readily available outside of Scandinavia. Your only bet is really if IKEA carry lingonberry jam, but if you don't have that cranberries are as close as you can get. And Swedes definitely get very protective any time someone butchers Swedish meanballs/cinnamon buns, but this was probably the best recipe I've seen from a non-Swede on UA-cam.
@@MsZsc We also let the Engelbrekt Division through Sweden to join Operation Barbarossa in 1941. That is an act of war. The Soviet union "accidentally" bombed the swedish town Pajala during the winter war so i say we where even. To sum up. Sweden wasnt strictly neutral during the war. The reason Germany attacked Norway was so that the brittish wouldnt be able to stop the germans buying swedish iron ore.
Maybe this will finally be the incentive to make fresh or frozen lingonberries easily available for cooks outside of the Nordic nations. I've read that they are grown outside of the Nordic region (for ex: North America), so it is sad that they are not more widely available for people who want to make their own lingonberry recipes. In truth, they are related to cranberries, though they have a taste that is slightly sweeter and more distinct from cranberries. I would like to think Babish would have gone for the lingonberries (if they could source them) but it would be something very hard for viewers to be able to duplicate when cooking the same recipe themselves.
I'm guessing that the connection came with jul - köttbullar - glögg. But other than that - probably one of the better Swedish meatballs recipe I've seen from a non-Swedish person.
Meatballs should always be basically as small as possible. The smaller they are, the more surface area to volume there is, hence more browned flavour for the same amount of meat than if you made big ones.
Ja menar, köttbullar är ju också en jultradition, så jag kan förstå att de blandas ihop. But yeah, glögg isn't necessarily something you have with a meal, it's more of a drink for julfika, together with ginger bread.
As a swede I can tell you that a dash of soy sauce isn't as untraditional as you might think, my grandma always threw in a splash when she was making any kind of gravy, including when she was making meatballs.
Picture this: burly Vikings, clad in fur and wielding mighty swords, taking a break from raiding and pillaging to whip up some meatball magic. It's like a culinary time warp!
As a swede I need to correct you on this: glögg, the mulled wine, is never served alongside meatballs like that. They both occur as part of our Christmas foods, but served at different occasions usually. Meatballs are part of "the Christmas table" (essentially swedish Christmas food tends to be served kinds buffet style) alongside things like small sausages (what we call Prince sausage), devilled eggs, beet salad, Christmas ham etc. Glögg you will usually drink while eating gingerbread and such.
@@RaXXha ye, you typically just drink it during the christmas holiday perhaps with a lussebulle (i don't know the english name for them) it is not served with food at all ever. Never in my whole life have i seen a person drink glögg along with a meal
As a swede, I will opt to forget everything I just saw and patiently wait for the "botched by Babish" episode. Imagine not using a 1-2-3 pickling solution for pressed pickles.
A quarter of my family is of Swedish descent, and I've never had lingonberry jam in my whole life (that I know of, anyway). We always had brown gravy seasoned with nutmeg with them. :)
@@ModdingNewbie You can get a decent enough version at IKEA. As an expat I eat that as well. Sure, home made from Sweden is better, but IKEA works well enough.
Maybe in Sweden, but in America it is hard to acquire fresh lingonberries on short notice. If you would prefer he used rotten lingonberries, thus further insulting the Swedes, be sure to let Babish know...
My 103 year old grandmother used to add “kolorit” a thick soy like sauce mostly used to make the roux browner. So the soy is somewhat traditional in home cooking.
Me: This sounds like perfectly respectable recipe for Glög. Babish: Boils raisins and almonds in with the spices. Me: What's happening? No non nono... The toppings are in the boil...
The raisins will get soggy and the almond to soft. It's added when serving so you can take the amount you'd like. For me extra almonds and hold the raisins..
As a Swede, I'm delighted to see you getting both the meatballs and the gravy perfectly right, even if the meatballs are still a bit on the larger side. The addition of the soy sauce for colour in the gravy is actually more authentic than you might think - my great grandmas recipe included "colouring soy" (which is actually not soy but black caramel colour and salt).
My grandfather will tell you in no uncertain terms if you used too little gravy colour, noone wants to eat anemic gravy! In Denmark the caramel colour product is simply called "colour" (kulør). It's practically flavourless, only used for aesthetics.
1:49 Every time he says "X is a fine substitute" for a dish like this, I can hear an echo of "Welcome to another episode of Botched By Babish..." somewhere in the distance. Edit: These Scandinavian commenters make me believe I'm on to something.
As yet another swede........ no, nothing can replace lingonberries. And we do not drink glögg with the meatballs. It is more often then not a social drink (in my family we have it before the food at Christmas) or something to drink while curled up on the sofa during the winter.
Hot tip: the brunsås (gravy) goes exceptionally well with a teaspoon of blackcurrant jelly right at the end Also, lingonberries are just incomparable, if you ever have the opportunity, please try this with real lingonberries instead of cranberries
Blackcurrant is very rare in the US though. The whole plant was banned there for decades because it could be a carrier for a disease for which native North-American trees were very susceptible to.
This is true. I often replace the Lingon with blackcurrant/redcurrant jelly altogether actually. In my opinion, those are a more accurate substitute tastewise if you cant find lingon, although the texture is obviously very different. But...i am a dane living in Sweden, so dont listen to me if you want authenticity :D
Everyone's in the comments talking about lingon berries while I'm back here, wondering if Babish has ever tried making mashed potatoes using sour cream.
I just like butter, salt, and a little pepper...Not even milk or cream...nice and chunky. I think too much dairy mutes the potato flavor, which is what I want...especially with a great gravy.
As a Swede, I do approve of these meatballs (although substituting lingonberries with cranberries did make me shed a tear). The next step would be to serve these balls with ketchup and macaroni. The true Swedish household meal!
So, next time you're biting into a Swedish meatball, remember that it might just have a touch of Viking rebellion in it. It's like a slice of history tucked away in your plate. Who knew you could taste adventure?
As a swede, I don't get why Americans always make "swedish" meatballs HUGE, when they really are not. You made them smaller so that's a plus, but even yours was a tad too big I would say.
Making Swedish meatballs is not an American priority - we’d love to make pizza or hamburgers instead…although I will have turkey meatballs today made by Costco 😂😂😂
When did he say all Americans have made Swedish meatballs???? He said, to my understanding, that basically all Americans that HAVE mad meatballs make them too big, which is very true.
My foodie side was intrigued by the cranberries but my swedish side was offended, i say offended! Lingonberries are the berry of choice when it comes to meatballs. Also, we don't drink "glögg" with meatballs. It's just mulled wine we drink around christmas time the same way you can drink coffee or tea. Only that it's usually more or less alcoholic.
I assumed that he used cranberries because it would easier to find than lingonberries Either way, can't wait for the Botched by Babish episode for this
@@macvishal They should first of be half the volume. Then he should start making them without egg, cause thats for people who has to pre roll their balls.
I'm german and for the record that's not in scandinavia We have an ö an ä and an ü And I think the only problem we're really having with swedish is the k's and the å's wich we onften pronounce like our own ä's
Uhmm actually *adjusts glasses*, Glögg is not served with meatballs, it is usually served around christmas as a hot beverage with a traditional fika, usually called "Glöggfika". Other than that, very nice Babish, and don't be afraid of the lingonberry, embrace it.
Speaking as a Swede, I'm not sure about cranberries replacing lingonberries, but I can however say soy in the gravy actually is how I learned to make that particular gravy, so you get a pass from me. Also it looks mighty tasty, well done!
Cranberries are about as close as we can get in North America, unless you have a (probably Swedish-descended) neighbor who planted some or find an expensive specialty foods store that has Swedish food imports. Or you can buy premade jam at IKEA, but for a lot of people that’s a many-hour drive away.
Now, when we think of Vikings, we usually imagine fierce warriors sailing the high seas, not exactly gourmet chefs. But hey, who's to say they didn't have a hidden talent for meatball making?
Hey, did you know that Swedish meatballs might not actually be Swedish? It turns out that the recipe for these delicious little balls of goodness may have been borrowed from Turkey! According to some historical accounts, King Charles XII of Sweden traveled to Istanbul in the early 18th century and brought back a taste for the Ottoman cuisine. One theory suggests that the art of making meatballs was introduced to Sweden during this time and later adapted into their own unique version. So, it's quite possible that our beloved Swedish meatballs have roots in Turkish cuisine. Regardless of their origin, one thing is certain - they are absolutely scrumptious! Whether you choose to enjoy them with gravy or lingonberry sauce, there's no denying the irresistible charm of these tasty treats.
Even as a Dane I feel anger / annoyed confusion - Babish overcomplicated basicly all parts of this dish; and end up something not quite like meatballs, mashed potatoes, pickled cucumbers or classic pan-sauce. Only the jam recipe is fairly standard -jam. I'd still eat it, but I would claim that most scandinavians can make a more correct version in the classical 45 min "making dinner" window most families has between 17 and 18 oclock.
It's impossible to ship it fresh from Sweden because they don't export fresh lingon berries. Asian ingredients are much easier because they export a lot of it.
@@Chewbackman I taught a friend from an Italian family how to make Swedish meatballs once, he basically had a breakdown midway through "I--I can't make them any smaller!"
This was surprisingly accurate. We don’t prefry the onions and soy IS traditional in our gravy. Everyone’s grandma uses it and a bunch of REALLY old recipes call for it.
The meatballs are still a bit big btw and i feel like If you want to make real Swedish meatballs yous should search for Lingberry, also Glögg is a Christmas drink, we don't drink it with Swedish meatballs it usually goes with Saffron buns and gingerbread.
Usually you put the almonds and raisins in the glögg when you serve it as a garnish and not during cooking because then they get soggy. And cranberries is not the same as Lingon BUT when eating meat dishes you can sometimes eat black currant jelly with it which although not the same as lingon is still a very Swedish and acceptable substitute
I love this video, great work with the recipe! And as a Swede I can say that using soy sauce in the gravy is traditional by the way. At least I've never met anyone who doesn't use it for coloring and extra salty flavor.
@@simonandersson9179 Möjligtvis, men det är nog inte så många som dricker glögg på julbordet till maten, det dricker man oftast innan eller efter. Jag har inte hört nån som gör det iaf.
The dash of nutmeg in the mashed potatoes is the bomb. I've been doing that for several decades now ever since a visit to my favorite Bavarian restaurant where they were served that way. The meatballs look delish!
"It's an Earth food. They are called Swedish meatballs. It's a strange thing, but every sentient race has its own version of these Swedish meatballs! I suspect it's one of those great universal mysteries which will either never be explained, or which would drive you mad if you ever learned the truth" - Ambassador G'Kar, Babylon 5
I'd argue the allspice is only really added to meatballs for christmas, rest of the year it's usually left out and the main flavour (on top of the meat, of course) is onion
As a swede, I'm happy everytime Swedish cookery get some spotlight! I can live with the cranberries replacing lingonberries - I guess. But I have to say, "glögg" is not something "typically served with meatballs". Glögg is a christmas beverage here. And well, we do eat a lot of meatballs around christmas too but they are very rarely served together.
Now, if the Swedes are calling the Turks "angry" and wanting them to be more like the Thai people, that's definitely an interesting spin on things. I can just imagine a sign in a Swedish restaurant that says, "Enjoy our meatballs, the calm and zen version of Turkish köfte!"
As everyone has said. Lingonberry is hard to substitute, and in our family we often put a bit of lingonberries into the sauce itself to make it a bit sweeter.
@@micp4130 Agreed, I often do that for sauces with roasts and such, but not for meatballs (although I tend to use blackcurrant). In this case, if I didn't have access to lingonberries, I'd probably rather go for jelly in the sauce than cranberry jam on the side.
As a Swede, I approve this message. One note, while lingonberry jam is fine in a pinch , the proper condiment is raw-stirred lingonberries. Basically raw lingonberries stirred with sugar, and left to marinate. But Babish is the first american chef to come closest so far. Another thing you can do, is to simmer the meatballs in beef and pork stock after frying. My grandmother used to do that. Using soy in the gravy is fine, we do that as well.
As a swede this meatballs recipe is aprooved, but the glögg with meatballs? Idk but we've usually had it like a christmas drink with fika like gingerbreads or saffron buns/lussekatter. I've never seen it served with a meal like that.
Being a swede and watching you make cranberry sauce for Swedish meatballs makes me feel like an angry italian chef watching someone put cream in carbonara. >:(
I’m Swedish and my mom often used to make homemade meatballs with boiled potatoes, lingonberry jam and brunsås (the brown sauce) when I was a kid. She also added soy for the color and extra flavor so I’d say it’s pretty ”traditional” in my opinion. Great video!
honestly, this is the first time I've seen a swedish meatball recipe without wanting to yell at my screen. 10/10, job well done! ps. if you have moose meat, that's the best kind of swedish meatball.
Where did you get the idea that we drink Glögg to meatballs? That is mainly a Christmas time drink like how Americans use eggnog. It's what you drink while having some gingerbread cookies and Christmas candy.
This was one of the most authentic swedish meatball recipe ive seen in a while ( In my opinion ), But if you have the chance using rårörda lingon is better
@@Bamsebud Alltså det är väl en fråga om preferens. Jag har för mig man kan köpa delikatess köttbullar här i Sverige som ser ut så som han stekte dem. Bara färg på två sidor liksom. Kanske inte är klassiskt (Jag är ingen mästare på sann svensk tradition) men tycker personligen om lättare stekta. Mera kött-smak då upplever jag.
As someone who loves Sweden and is in love with a Swede/Icelander, this was an awesome surprise. I do think the Swedes would beg to differ about lingonberry substitutes 😂😅
I'm Norwegian and Swedish. Allspice goes into the meat mixture. You can pick up Lingonberry jam at Ikea, but frankly I prefer cranberry. My Mom made the gravy/sauce with sour cream and then some drops of Kitchen Bouquet to make it brown 😆! So do I...if it ain't broke...
Also, if you want the gravy darker, but don't want to overdo it with the soy sauce, deepen the color by adding some worcestershire sauce. Naturally it will go wonderfully with something as... "meaty" as meatballs and pairs well with the cream.
No swede ever uses unsalted butter ;( However the soy sauce is very common to use in the gravy, preferably dark Chinese soy! And also a teaspoon of black currant jelly!
Weird timing! My hometown has their annual Sewdish Festival - Svensk Hyllningsfest this Friday and Saturday (Oct 8th and 9th)! Also yes, you are saying Lingonberry correcrly but no cranberry sauce is not an acceptable substitute.
FINALLY someone who has rightfully represented my favourite dish! I've watched countless recipes over my time of scouring youtube in boredom and this is without a doubt the first recipe that I, as a swede, can really get behind. Thank you babish, godspeed
The most authentic recipe i have ever seen from a none Swede. Should have been Lingonberries but if you cant get them then there is nothing to do about that. Only a slight complain. The Meatballs themselves are to big. Sorry. But they really are 😂
Im from sweden and this is pretty close to authentic. Soysauce is actually pretty common to have in the gravy or if directly translated brown sauce or cream sauce. Only difference in this video from the traditional Swedish way of making this is the mashed potatoes. We usually use the normal potato masher as there should be a lot of small soft potato bits in it. We also just drain the water anf pour the milk directly into the saucepan before mashing. Then adding butter and salt to taste. Overall, pretty spot on!
Ehh. It may make the Scandinavians mad but I'm not making a special trip to IKEA just for this. I'll use a different jam. They can be as mad as they want.
I’m in central Wisconsin where there’s no IKEA for hundreds of miles (or kilometers, if you prefer), and we have at least two different brands of lingonberries in our grocery stores.
As a swede, I can say that nothing can replace lingon, not even cranberry.
Came here to say this as an American with Norwegian roots
Yes, lingon are essential. Glögg to Swedish meatballs? Is that a thing?
@@AakeTraak maybe at christmas but even thats a stretch
@@AakeTraak only sometimes, and only for a julbord
@@AakeTraak Nope, never heard of it. Glögg is for saffron buns and gingerbread cookies!
Cranberries as a substitute for lingon is like making Carbonara with American "cheese".
You're lucky swedes are way less angry about inauthentic food than Italians Andy.
You'd think so right?
Deploy Gripen.
Lingonberries are really not readily available outside of Scandinavia. Your only bet is really if IKEA carry lingonberry jam, but if you don't have that cranberries are as close as you can get. And Swedes definitely get very protective any time someone butchers Swedish meanballs/cinnamon buns, but this was probably the best recipe I've seen from a non-Swede on UA-cam.
We are..? Oh...ok...*puts away the meat cleaver*
@@Arat1t1 well atleast he is not using raspberries as sortedfood did..
Lingonberries, the forest neighbor of blueberries, are similar in taste to cranberries but much less tart.
as a swedish person, seeing this in my sub feed put a smile on my face :)
(sidenote: cranberries cannot and should not replace lingon berries.)
"Cranberry sauce makes for an acceptable substitute"
Sweden as a country has been in peace for around 200 years...until now
they kinda had to let the nazis use their iron
@@MsZsc and?
@@MsZsc Yea but we also intercepted german communications and sent it to the allies so. 🤷♂️
@@MsZsc We also let the Engelbrekt Division through Sweden to join Operation Barbarossa in 1941. That is an act of war. The Soviet union "accidentally" bombed the swedish town Pajala during the winter war so i say we where even. To sum up. Sweden wasnt strictly neutral during the war. The reason Germany attacked Norway was so that the brittish wouldnt be able to stop the germans buying swedish iron ore.
It’s ok. You can use black or red currant gel too.
Saying that Swedes drink Glögg with their food is exactly like saying that Americans drink Eggnog with their food
He didn't even say glögg, he called it "gloog" for some reason.
BAHBHABHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHA TRUE, at least he pronounced it righ- well.. better than frozen did 😂
Well... The amount of gingerbread I eat with glögg... I suppose I can call it food.
do other Americans not drink Eggnog with their food?
@@midshipman8654 Only at Christmas and New Year's Eve. So much so that it is not even available for sale the rest of the year.
"Cranberry sauce makes for an acceptable substitute"
*So you have chosen death*
"All five nations of the Nordic region descend upon you!". That's like hundreds of angry Nords.
For an aceptable even he know that it’s not the same
Craneberry? That is considered a crime for lifetime in prison ;)
no fr
Maybe this will finally be the incentive to make fresh or frozen lingonberries easily available for cooks outside of the Nordic nations. I've read that they are grown outside of the Nordic region (for ex: North America), so it is sad that they are not more widely available for people who want to make their own lingonberry recipes. In truth, they are related to cranberries, though they have a taste that is slightly sweeter and more distinct from cranberries. I would like to think Babish would have gone for the lingonberries (if they could source them) but it would be something very hard for viewers to be able to duplicate when cooking the same recipe themselves.
I was so impressed, up until the "glögg typically served with Swedish meatballs" part. Who pranked you? xD
Danskarna
@@LFHiden Ah, självklart
@@LFHiden ☹️
@@LFHiden Dom slog tillbaka efter någon visade dom "rumpesnus"
I'm guessing that the connection came with jul - köttbullar - glögg. But other than that - probably one of the better Swedish meatballs recipe I've seen from a non-Swedish person.
It would have been funny if IKEA sponsored this episode.
Where's the horse meat lol
IKEA be like - providing you with minced meat so you can assemble your own animal
Seconded
I came here to say this, but knew in my heart it had already been said
Coincidentally I'm going to an IKEA for the first time tomorrow! Immediate chance to try this!
I love how this man can get his hands on $7000 cognac, chinese scallops and bull testicles but not cheese curds or lingonberries
We protect our lingonberries like the national treasure they are!
I'm pretty sure he's eating lingonberry jam in the video but decided to make it with cranberries from scratch since it isn't very popular in the US.
To be fair, the cheese curd supply is tightly controlled by the Canadian mafia
As a local asseater of Canadian descent, I heavily approve of this message.
The TJ Maxx near me regularly gets jarred lingonberry preserves. Is that the same?
As Babish was saying "These guys are really small", my (swedish) thoughts were "Wow, those guys are really big"
hahah samma här... fan är van vid små delikatessbullarna :P
Yeah, those were some big balls, right? Way too big to be traditional Swedish meatballs!
supersize allt, i guess.
Yep, those were some huge meatballs. Imagine him doing delikatess köttbullar, maybe then they'd be the right size!
Meatballs should always be basically as small as possible. The smaller they are, the more surface area to volume there is, hence more browned flavour for the same amount of meat than if you made big ones.
"The quick pickling process" ah yes, the quickling.
Yes, but there can only be one 😁
Use a French press if you have one.
That sounds like a horror movie....that I'd watch.
Ah, the D&D Fey creature.
Lol
Gluug, or as its called Glögg, is something we never ever have with Swedish meatballs. It's a Christmas tradition just like eggnog.
Very similar to the German equivalent, glühwein. Even shares the name elements, if I'm not wrong. (Glühwein = Glowing Wine or Glow Wine)
Just a big glass of "red" whole milk will do fine.
You can do with mellanmjölk in a pinch.
Metmovie Får inte glömma att det finns folk som dricker blått också!
@@dehavillandvampire8397 Blå mjölk är absolut nödsituation xD
Ja menar, köttbullar är ju också en jultradition, så jag kan förstå att de blandas ihop. But yeah, glögg isn't necessarily something you have with a meal, it's more of a drink for julfika, together with ginger bread.
As a swede I can tell you that a dash of soy sauce isn't as untraditional as you might think, my grandma always threw in a splash when she was making any kind of gravy, including when she was making meatballs.
Jag skulle säga att de är rakt av traditionellt.
My family use it alot in gravy too.
Yeah I think its more or less a traditional addition at this point, soy sauce has been available in sweden for quite a long time.
Picture this: burly Vikings, clad in fur and wielding mighty swords, taking a break from raiding and pillaging to whip up some meatball magic. It's like a culinary time warp!
You need it for the colour and to get that extra umami taste.
As a swede I need to correct you on this: glögg, the mulled wine, is never served alongside meatballs like that. They both occur as part of our Christmas foods, but served at different occasions usually. Meatballs are part of "the Christmas table" (essentially swedish Christmas food tends to be served kinds buffet style) alongside things like small sausages (what we call Prince sausage), devilled eggs, beet salad, Christmas ham etc. Glögg you will usually drink while eating gingerbread and such.
Glögg isn't "typically" served with meatballs. It's a drink we have for pretty much everything around christmas.
it’s never served with meatballs and o n l y enjoyed around chirstmas
It's never served with food though is it? It's more of a fika thing. 😅
@@RaXXha ye, you typically just drink it during the christmas holiday perhaps with a lussebulle (i don't know the english name for them) it is not served with food at all ever. Never in my whole life have i seen a person drink glögg along with a meal
As a swede, I will opt to forget everything I just saw and patiently wait for the "botched by Babish" episode.
Imagine not using a 1-2-3 pickling solution for pressed pickles.
I waited for the 1-2-3 lag comment!
Hahaha that's a great outlook for this, just go ahead and schedule out a watch party for the Botched.
Would be nice with a botched video, I'm pretty sure he can get his hands on some rårörda lingon somehow
Did he even add vitpeppar to the pressed pickles?
@@MeAndMira no he went with svartpeppar istället
Swedish meatballs aren't "commonly" served with lingonberries. It is a MUST. And your pronunciation is correct enough for an American. ;)
Your pronunciation is correct! - 😃
...
For an American - 😐
A quarter of my family is of Swedish descent, and I've never had lingonberry jam in my whole life (that I know of, anyway). We always had brown gravy seasoned with nutmeg with them. :)
@@ModdingNewbie You can get a decent enough version at IKEA. As an expat I eat that as well. Sure, home made from Sweden is better, but IKEA works well enough.
I put lingonberries on crumpets.
The must is actually the correct drink.
Babish, Swede here. I'm in contact with the Hague as we speak regarding this "you can just substitute cranberry sauce" statement of yours.
To be fair, Swedish immigrants did the best they could with what was available 🤷♂️
Only one state in the US grows lingonberries and the state is barely populated. Canada doesn't share them much so we have to make due.
Maybe in Sweden, but in America it is hard to acquire fresh lingonberries on short notice. If you would prefer he used rotten lingonberries, thus further insulting the Swedes, be sure to let Babish know...
My 103 year old grandmother used to add “kolorit” a thick soy like sauce mostly used to make the roux browner. So the soy is somewhat traditional in home cooking.
Exactly! I would agree that it is traditional. I've always made gräddsås with soy sauce, because that's how I was taught to do it.
Me: This sounds like perfectly respectable recipe for Glög.
Babish: Boils raisins and almonds in with the spices.
Me: What's happening? No non nono... The toppings are in the boil...
I can agree with an almond but the raisins aren't meant to be there
The raisins will get soggy and the almond to soft.
It's added when serving so you can take the amount you'd like. For me extra almonds and hold the raisins..
@@jennybroman9034 we usually presoak the raisins in port/whisky/brandy....
@@annejeppesen160 and we just put them in a bowl 🥣 😁
A Danish comedian have coined glögg as: "warm red wine containing müsli" 😂 I actually prefer it without any "filling" so basically glühwein
As a Swede, I'm delighted to see you getting both the meatballs and the gravy perfectly right, even if the meatballs are still a bit on the larger side. The addition of the soy sauce for colour in the gravy is actually more authentic than you might think - my great grandmas recipe included "colouring soy" (which is actually not soy but black caramel colour and salt).
Swede too, and my grandma also used this in her gravy. What was it called again? Collorit?
@@commondary9953 Yup. Ekströms brand Collorit. Personally I'd rather use dark chinese soy sauce for the extra umami, tho. :)
"perfectly"
Nej, nix, I helvete heller. Inte i mitt välfärdssverige iaf
@@Fiendir Nähe, okej. Hur ser ditt familjerecept ut då?
My grandfather will tell you in no uncertain terms if you used too little gravy colour, noone wants to eat anemic gravy! In Denmark the caramel colour product is simply called "colour" (kulør). It's practically flavourless, only used for aesthetics.
As an aside, that furniture store is a great place to pick up lingonberries.
exactly what I thought! the jarred stuff from IKEA would be hands down more authentic than cranberries!
Oh boy can't wait to see this one in Botched by Babish in a year.
give it a week
With the Swedish chef as special guest
1:49 Every time he says "X is a fine substitute" for a dish like this, I can hear an echo of "Welcome to another episode of Botched By Babish..." somewhere in the distance.
Edit: These Scandinavian commenters make me believe I'm on to something.
I feel like this video just evoked the spirit of the Viking warrior in every Nordic person here.
As yet another swede........ no, nothing can replace lingonberries. And we do not drink glögg with the meatballs. It is more often then not a social drink (in my family we have it before the food at Christmas) or something to drink while curled up on the sofa during the winter.
Hot tip: the brunsås (gravy) goes exceptionally well with a teaspoon of blackcurrant jelly right at the end
Also, lingonberries are just incomparable, if you ever have the opportunity, please try this with real lingonberries instead of cranberries
Thats true. if by some reason youre out of lingon AND the stores are closed youd chose blackcurrat jelly as we dont even have cranberries.
Blackcurrant is very rare in the US though.
The whole plant was banned there for decades because it could be a carrier for a disease for which native North-American trees were very susceptible to.
if you can't find blackcurrant jelly in the USA, grape jelly is generally substituted. or at least that's what my grandmother did
This is true. I often replace the Lingon with blackcurrant/redcurrant jelly altogether actually. In my opinion, those are a more accurate substitute tastewise if you cant find lingon, although the texture is obviously very different. But...i am a dane living in Sweden, so dont listen to me if you want authenticity :D
Everyone's in the comments talking about lingon berries while I'm back here, wondering if Babish has ever tried making mashed potatoes using sour cream.
But it’s so much tastier with sour cream so I support him
ok
I don't think I've ever made mine without
I just like butter, salt, and a little pepper...Not even milk or cream...nice and chunky. I think too much dairy mutes the potato flavor, which is what I want...especially with a great gravy.
Mashed potatoes with cream cheese is the move
As a Swede, I do approve of these meatballs (although substituting lingonberries with cranberries did make me shed a tear).
The next step would be to serve these balls with ketchup and macaroni. The true Swedish household meal!
no one makes homemade meatballs for the makaroner and ketchup combo tho lol. that would be overkill
@@mintpaintome This is Babish. Overkill is the name of the game.
For köttbullar and makaroner you need mamma scans delikatessköttbullar.
So, next time you're biting into a Swedish meatball, remember that it might just have a touch of Viking rebellion in it. It's like a slice of history tucked away in your plate. Who knew you could taste adventure?
Well, if you don't have lingonberries, you have to go with it's sister fruit, the cranberry.
As a swede, I don't get why Americans always make "swedish" meatballs HUGE, when they really are not.
You made them smaller so that's a plus, but even yours was a tad too big I would say.
I'm American and I've never made Swedish meatballs in my life.
@@AmandaFromWisconsin Stop lying.
@oaktree_ I don't believe that.
Making Swedish meatballs is not an American priority - we’d love to make pizza or hamburgers instead…although I will have turkey meatballs today made by Costco 😂😂😂
When did he say all Americans have made Swedish meatballs???? He said, to my understanding, that basically all Americans that HAVE mad meatballs make them too big, which is very true.
My foodie side was intrigued by the cranberries but my swedish side was offended, i say offended! Lingonberries are the berry of choice when it comes to meatballs.
Also, we don't drink "glögg" with meatballs. It's just mulled wine we drink around christmas time the same way you can drink coffee or tea. Only that it's usually more or less alcoholic.
Haha does seem a bit strange. It’s like someone saying eggnog is a traditional American drink and serving it with a hamburger
I assumed that he used cranberries because it would easier to find than lingonberries
Either way, can't wait for the Botched by Babish episode for this
I see a Botched episode for meatballs in the future with so much disagreement in the comment section.
yeah I'm german and even I found it weird he substituted them they don't really taste alike imo
@@macvishal They should first of be half the volume. Then he should start making them without egg, cause thats for people who has to pre roll their balls.
IKEA has always been one of my favourite restaurants. Did you know they recently started selling furniture too?
Why isn't this top comment
Also is awesome how they host daily hide and seek tournaments
They will release gaming stuff too soon
Say whaaaaat. ;)
Soy sauce is actually quite traditionally used in swedish meatballs.It's even in a cookbook from the sixties I've found.
soy sauce and mustard!
@@friday3592 aldrig hört senap förut
@@LFHiden gärna dijonsenap 👍🏻
@@LFHiden det har jag också inte hört talas om. det har alltid varit soy sauce
Agreed, that or Collorit, that is kind of a soy sauce, but made from sugar.
"If you can't get lingonberry, cranberry is an acceptable substitute."
My viking ancestors are disgusted
😂
Your Viking ancestors did exactly that while exploring the New World, bet you a dollar.
@@amybee40 I'm sure they did, and probably said "Ólafur, hvar fékkstu þessi skítaber?"
@@ValleysOfRain Lol, what does that mean?
Would prefer black currants before cranberries to the meatballs. It's not right, but not as wrong as cranberries.
The splash of soy is actually my mother did when she made her sauce for meatballs. So actually done in some parts of Sweden.
Hearing non-scandinavian people attempt to pronounce words with 'ö' or 'ø' in them is always funny, and Babish did not disappoint!
Was he trying to say Glög or Glüh? Anyway it sounded more like Glugg.
It's perhaps the wrongest pronunciation of glögg I've heard so far.
@@AccAkut1987 The really prolonged vowel made me think "Gloogg"
Non-scandinavians: "why can't you be normal?"
Scandis: *screaming*
I'm german and for the record that's not in scandinavia
We have an ö an ä and an ü
And I think the only problem we're really having with swedish is the k's and the å's wich we onften pronounce like our own ä's
Uhmm actually *adjusts glasses*, Glögg is not served with meatballs, it is usually served around christmas as a hot beverage with a traditional fika, usually called "Glöggfika". Other than that, very nice Babish, and don't be afraid of the lingonberry, embrace it.
Or..... A way to make the chef happy while preparing the great meal called "Julbord" 😎
As an aside, that furniture store is a great place to pick up lingonberries.
Speaking as a Swede, I'm not sure about cranberries replacing lingonberries, but I can however say soy in the gravy actually is how I learned to make that particular gravy, so you get a pass from me.
Also it looks mighty tasty, well done!
Yeah, soy in the sauce is very traditional and standard!
Cranberries are about as close as we can get in North America, unless you have a (probably Swedish-descended) neighbor who planted some or find an expensive specialty foods store that has Swedish food imports. Or you can buy premade jam at IKEA, but for a lot of people that’s a many-hour drive away.
Agree on the soy sauce
Now, when we think of Vikings, we usually imagine fierce warriors sailing the high seas, not exactly gourmet chefs. But hey, who's to say they didn't have a hidden talent for meatball making?
The soy sauce in the brown sauce IS traditional. Source: am Swedish.
But Chinese mushroom soy sauce, eller hur? :)
Other than saying that you can replace Lingonberries with Cranberries, this has to be the best Swedish Meatballs I’ve seen a non-swede make!
Agreed
A bit too big tho!
Hey, did you know that Swedish meatballs might not actually be Swedish? It turns out that the recipe for these delicious little balls of goodness may have been borrowed from Turkey! According to some historical accounts, King Charles XII of Sweden traveled to Istanbul in the early 18th century and brought back a taste for the Ottoman cuisine. One theory suggests that the art of making meatballs was introduced to Sweden during this time and later adapted into their own unique version. So, it's quite possible that our beloved Swedish meatballs have roots in Turkish cuisine. Regardless of their origin, one thing is certain - they are absolutely scrumptious! Whether you choose to enjoy them with gravy or lingonberry sauce, there's no denying the irresistible charm of these tasty treats.
Glögg is not "typically server with swedish meatballs". We do drink it around christmas, preferably with ginger bread or a similar christmas snack.
Or just when ever I feel like it and I can buy it in a store 🤣
So this is how the italyans feels when people make carbonara
True
Now I understand their anger when someone puts cream in Italian dishes such as carbonara haha🇸🇪
Even as a Dane I feel anger / annoyed confusion - Babish overcomplicated basicly all parts of this dish; and end up something not quite like meatballs, mashed potatoes, pickled cucumbers or classic pan-sauce. Only the jam recipe is fairly standard -jam.
I'd still eat it, but I would claim that most scandinavians can make a more correct version in the classical 45 min "making dinner" window most families has between 17 and 18 oclock.
@@b5fie go cry some more
It's impossible to ship it fresh from Sweden because they don't export fresh lingon berries.
Asian ingredients are much easier because they export a lot of it.
Begin a Swede I find this incredibly fun, (btw glögg has more or less become a christmas drink, it ain't something we have with our Swedish meatballs)
Eller borde vi kanske ha det 🤔 hmm
@@jompzan Naaaaaaaaaaj
@@jompzan Bättre med snaps i så fall 👍👍👍
@@jompzan gud nej! Det skulle var lika hemskt som om vi drack julmust med gröt!
"I'm shooting for no bigger than an inch..." STILL TOO BIG
Waaaaay too big!
@@Chewbackman I taught a friend from an Italian family how to make Swedish meatballs once, he basically had a breakdown midway through "I--I can't make them any smaller!"
😂
Yep, my big problems were the cranberries, the glögg and meatballs size.
This was surprisingly accurate. We don’t prefry the onions and soy IS traditional in our gravy. Everyone’s grandma uses it and a bunch of REALLY old recipes call for it.
The meatballs are still a bit big btw and i feel like If you want to make real Swedish meatballs yous should search for Lingberry, also Glögg is a Christmas drink, we don't drink it with Swedish meatballs it usually goes with Saffron buns and gingerbread.
judging by the number of comments about lingonberries i’d say that the botched episode on this should be coming soon
Agreed
Lol as soon as I saw the title my first thought was they must need some botched content
Oh that's just one of the reasons this one needs a botched episode. 🤣
Yes
Usually you put the almonds and raisins in the glögg when you serve it as a garnish and not during cooking because then they get soggy. And cranberries is not the same as Lingon BUT when eating meat dishes you can sometimes eat black currant jelly with it which although not the same as lingon is still a very Swedish and acceptable substitute
Yes, black *currant* jelly is common with meatballs or roast. But I think blackcurrant is unusual in the US aswell?
@@matildacarlstedt Yes. It is an expensive, often hard to find, gourmet product. The *only* place to get Lignon berry jam is Ikea stores.
Made a typo, meant black currant lol
@@ishirokasumi3818 I had a feeling you did 😊👍
@@ishirokasumi3818 Unfortunately, black currants carry a fungus which is really bad for US pine stocks so it's borderline illegal to import.
I love this video, great work with the recipe! And as a Swede I can say that using soy sauce in the gravy is traditional by the way. At least I've never met anyone who doesn't use it for coloring and extra salty flavor.
My mom always added some Chinese soy sauce to the gravy with her meatballs.
When it comes to the pressed pickles I like a bit of fresh dill in it :)
Didn't expect the glög! That's a very nice welcome, tho I've never heard of anyone drinking it with the meatballs, outside of christmas time.
but on the flip-side we eat meatballs at every feast or celebration.. be it midsummer, christmas or easter...
Glögg ”typically served with swedish meatballs” hahaha no Swede has ever had glögg with their meatballs 😂🤣
I see the Scotsmen are bickering over sweetened porridge again.
Nope
But probably the best way to fit the sponsorship to the video
@@CuzlmBored That is true, but it is almost like saying that eggnog is typically served with burgers.
Julbordet kanske
@@simonandersson9179 Möjligtvis, men det är nog inte så många som dricker glögg på julbordet till maten, det dricker man oftast innan eller efter. Jag har inte hört nån som gör det iaf.
As a Finn, replacing lingonberries with cranberries seems like a crime xd
Took me a moment to realize you didn't mean Finn from Adventure Time
@@everythingpizzaandknuckles6268 eenvie la solicitud d0e comida ya nos permiten hacer un abrazo cualqrircpoacetbbpag delgreditohipotacsrio
6
Its is
Should be.😊
The dash of nutmeg in the mashed potatoes is the bomb. I've been doing that for several decades now ever since a visit to my favorite Bavarian restaurant where they were served that way. The meatballs look delish!
"It's an Earth food. They are called Swedish meatballs. It's a strange thing, but every sentient race has its own version of these Swedish meatballs! I suspect it's one of those great universal mysteries which will either never be explained, or which would drive you mad if you ever learned the truth" - Ambassador G'Kar, Babylon 5
Roopa balls!
Ahh this quote needs more likes!
This quote is actually why I decided to click on this video. Had to see if the comments section had any B5
@@KiryuuMimi94 B5 has a quote for everything. Kinda like Supernatural and gifs.
Snyggt byggt, fräsig måltid!
👍☕
Rulla ut å rulla på.
Jävligt fräckt
Nämen ser man på, en grunka!
What
"Now this is not traditional..."
And just like that we have our next Botched by Babish.
I'd argue the allspice is only really added to meatballs for christmas, rest of the year it's usually left out and the main flavour (on top of the meat, of course) is onion
Min familj brukar ha löken i köttbullarna, hur övertygar jag dem att de behöver terapi?
@@saab35draken39 Genom att själv inse att lök hör hemma i köttbullar.
Vi brukar ha lite kryddpeppar i våra köttbullar till julbordet
@@Riiludragon Aa men bara till julen.
Honestly it was pretty much a shock to me that we use allspice in meatballs. But my grandma disapproves of allspice so that's probably why.
The music in your videos is so soothing, watching your videos after coming back from class is such a therapeutic experience
"Cranberry sauce makes for an acceptable substitute"
YOU JUST MADE AN ENEMY FOR LIFE!
Cranberries? I’m italianly outraged in Swedish!
As a swede, I'm happy everytime Swedish cookery get some spotlight! I can live with the cranberries replacing lingonberries - I guess. But I have to say, "glögg" is not something "typically served with meatballs". Glögg is a christmas beverage here. And well, we do eat a lot of meatballs around christmas too but they are very rarely served together.
Also, coming from a swede, I don't recommend anyone trying glögg. It's so yucky.
@@escadri4407 I liked your first comment, then had to remove it after reading your second. Glögg is the light in the long dark of Winter.
It can literally be served together, together as one.
Now, if the Swedes are calling the Turks "angry" and wanting them to be more like the Thai people, that's definitely an interesting spin on things. I can just imagine a sign in a Swedish restaurant that says, "Enjoy our meatballs, the calm and zen version of Turkish köfte!"
As everyone has said. Lingonberry is hard to substitute, and in our family we often put a bit of lingonberries into the sauce itself to make it a bit sweeter.
This is definitely the way
As a Dane we often add redcurrant jelly to the gravy for dishes like meatballs or pork roast. Works quite well.
@@micp4130 yeah. Currant jelly (red or black) to the sauce is really tasty
@@micp4130 Agreed, I often do that for sauces with roasts and such, but not for meatballs (although I tend to use blackcurrant). In this case, if I didn't have access to lingonberries, I'd probably rather go for jelly in the sauce than cranberry jam on the side.
A teaspoon or two of blackcurrant jelly in the sauce is also very nice, brings a little sweetness to the gravy.
As a Swede, I approve this message. One note, while lingonberry jam is fine in a pinch , the proper condiment is raw-stirred lingonberries. Basically raw lingonberries stirred with sugar, and left to marinate.
But Babish is the first american chef to come closest so far.
Another thing you can do, is to simmer the meatballs in beef and pork stock after frying. My grandmother used to do that.
Using soy in the gravy is fine, we do that as well.
As a swede this meatballs recipe is aprooved, but the glögg with meatballs? Idk but we've usually had it like a christmas drink with fika like gingerbreads or saffron buns/lussekatter. I've never seen it served with a meal like that.
Yeah, ikr. Glögg with some christmas fika, sure. But not with a meal. *Never* . That actually sounds disgusting.
they are way too big tho, one ball should be able to be eaten without cutting it up.
Will I don't disapprove off the mixture as such, I think he under mixed it a bit, and he certainly under cooked them...so pale, så trista
@@adrianflo6481 this is... Debatable.
@@sickelej3620 most people cut their balls in half, but if you HAVE to cut it to eat it its italian.
Being a swede and watching you make cranberry sauce for Swedish meatballs makes me feel like an angry italian chef watching someone put cream in carbonara. >:(
Meh. As a Swede, I don't eat lingon at all. Bläää!
@@kallemon And you still call yourself a swede? Nah
Knöt du näven i fickan innan du skrev ditt inlägg?
Hahah typ så
@@kallemon Håller med, ta bort lingon,
Every Swede in the general vicinity: >:/
Babish: **slowly started prepping a Botched episode in the background**
Actually, as a Swede, I grew up eating brown sauce darkened with soy sauce. Just not the really salty umami one. So not too controversial :)
so do i and everyone i know use soy sauce,
I’m Swedish and my mom often used to make homemade meatballs with boiled potatoes, lingonberry jam and brunsås (the brown sauce) when I was a kid. She also added soy for the color and extra flavor so I’d say it’s pretty ”traditional” in my opinion. Great video!
honestly, this is the first time I've seen a swedish meatball recipe without wanting to yell at my screen. 10/10, job well done! ps. if you have moose meat, that's the best kind of swedish meatball.
Har du tvättat glasögonen på ett tag? Han glömde väll löken? Han använde tranbär...
@@LFHiden Han rev och stekte löken som man ska.
Where did you get the idea that we drink Glögg to meatballs? That is mainly a Christmas time drink like how Americans use eggnog. It's what you drink while having some gingerbread cookies and Christmas candy.
Meatballs is a stable for swedish christmas dinner julbord, så pilutta dig
@@Swedsman Ja men brukar vi verkligen dricka glögg på julbordet.
@@Swedsman Dricker du glögg til själva julmaten och inte vid sidan om så är jag allvarligt oroad för dig :(
This was one of the most authentic swedish meatball recipe ive seen in a while ( In my opinion ), But if you have the chance using rårörda lingon is better
Håller med, utöver lingonen så kan jag skriva under på detta receptet
@@Mrgecko413 Skulle viljat att han vågade få lite mer färg på köttbullarna bara
Instämmer
Meatball meatball ikea
/j
@@Bamsebud Alltså det är väl en fråga om preferens. Jag har för mig man kan köpa delikatess köttbullar här i Sverige som ser ut så som han stekte dem. Bara färg på två sidor liksom. Kanske inte är klassiskt (Jag är ingen mästare på sann svensk tradition) men tycker personligen om lättare stekta. Mera kött-smak då upplever jag.
As someone who loves Sweden and is in love with a Swede/Icelander, this was an awesome surprise. I do think the Swedes would beg to differ about lingonberry substitutes 😂😅
You are 100% right
Yes, but that's not all... this episode is ripe with inaccuracies. 😅
True that
man tager vad man haver
Can’t wait to watch this one on Botched in a couple years
Soy sauce has actually been used in Swedish cuisine since the 18th century, so perfectly fine :P
Sure love seeing commenters in the first few minutes commenting on how tasty the recipe looks.
"Now this is not traditional..."
And just like that we have our next Botched by Babish.
Oh yeah, I've been waiting for meatball basics! We love meatballs on the Balkans!
♥ We like ćevapčići in Sweden too! ♥
Spherical meat food solidarity here, love to see it ❤️
I'm Norwegian and Swedish. Allspice goes into the meat mixture. You can pick up Lingonberry jam at Ikea, but frankly I prefer cranberry. My Mom made the gravy/sauce with sour cream and then some drops of Kitchen Bouquet to make it brown 😆! So do I...if it ain't broke...
Already looking forward to the botched with babish episode
Also, if you want the gravy darker, but don't want to overdo it with the soy sauce, deepen the color by adding some worcestershire sauce. Naturally it will go wonderfully with something as... "meaty" as meatballs and pairs well with the cream.
No swede ever uses unsalted butter ;(
However the soy sauce is very common to use in the gravy, preferably dark Chinese soy! And also a teaspoon of black currant jelly!
I have never understood the use of unsalted butter. Butter is supposed to be salty, right?
@@IhniWinterwind yeah! The only reason you use unsalted butter, is if you hate flavour! ;)
I’m going to be living out my classy IKEA dreams with this recipe.
This is getting turned into a Botched by Babish immediately, right? Cool, can't wait.
Whenever Babish says "Substitute" I can't help but think "Am I watching a future Botched?"
Weird timing! My hometown has their annual Sewdish Festival - Svensk Hyllningsfest this Friday and Saturday (Oct 8th and 9th)! Also yes, you are saying Lingonberry correcrly but no cranberry sauce is not an acceptable substitute.
Where do u live? :D
"Swedish meatballs better than you can get at any furniture store"
Without context, this sentence would sound crazy.
FINALLY someone who has rightfully represented my favourite dish! I've watched countless recipes over my time of scouring youtube in boredom and this is without a doubt the first recipe that I, as a swede, can really get behind. Thank you babish, godspeed
But but but... The lingonberries :(
Yes herr konstapel, this comment right here. Please revoke his Swedish citizenship immediately, as the law requires.
Ima start asking Andrew on ever one of his videos, when is he gonna do a basics with babish on Venezuelan food? this will be day 2
The background music that starts at the 5:06 mark is one of my favorite bits from the Basics with Babish vids.
The most authentic recipe i have ever seen from a none Swede.
Should have been Lingonberries but if you cant get them then there is nothing to do about that.
Only a slight complain. The Meatballs themselves are to big. Sorry. But they really are 😂
"But we got the biggest balls of them all"
We make everything bigger here in the US.
thank you for everything you do and make, i can’t tell how much your videos mean to me :)
I literally ate Swedish meatballs at ikea yesterday, you read my mind Babish
IKEA - providing you with minced meat so you can assemble your own animal
Off topic. But who wants to see Jess dye his beard hot pink.
@@jessemosgrove2027 that would be epic.
I still have never been to ikea.
American southwest doesnt have them that I know of
@@TheSlavChef yeah it would
Im from sweden and this is pretty close to authentic.
Soysauce is actually pretty common to have in the gravy or if directly translated brown sauce or cream sauce.
Only difference in this video from the traditional Swedish way of making this is the mashed potatoes. We usually use the normal potato masher as there should be a lot of small soft potato bits in it. We also just drain the water anf pour the milk directly into the saucepan before mashing. Then adding butter and salt to taste.
Overall, pretty spot on!
Why are the meatballs so big!?!
*cries in Swedish*
as a swede i think this is pretty accurate, maybe the meatballs where a bit big though
If you are Swedish, Please say some phrases in swedish
As a Swede, I disagree lol
Jo dom var lite stora men smaken är som baken..
@@degenererad Hårig och brännande.
Babish: Can find all the most obscure ingredients until it comes to Lingolnberry Jam, which they sell at... every IKEA 😂
Ehh. It may make the Scandinavians mad but I'm not making a special trip to IKEA just for this. I'll use a different jam. They can be as mad as they want.
Murica!!! Lol 🤪
I’m in central Wisconsin where there’s no IKEA for hundreds of miles (or kilometers, if you prefer), and we have at least two different brands of lingonberries in our grocery stores.
Adding soy sauce to the gravy is actually very traditional in Sweden, so points there.
So happy for the shout-out for Better Than Bouillon. I've been using that stuff for years and it's great.
Keep your wits about you. The best kitchen advice ever!