About The Nordic Dish

What you’ll find here

The Nordic Dish is a place for simple, honest cooking rooted in Scandinavian traditions — with recipes and guides designed to help you succeed on the first try.

• Reliable Nordic recipes with clear steps, substitutions, and both metric & US measurements.
• Modern Scandinavian comfort — gravlax with hovmästarsås, kanelbullar, silky fish soups, cozy casseroles.
• How-to guides for curing, pickling, roasting, and baking, so you can build technique at your own pace.
• Ingredient notes & sourcing tips for rye flours, cold-water fish, wild berries, and mushrooms.
• Seasonal inspiration for Midsummer feasts, Julbord spreads, and relaxed weekend dinners.

Start here

If you’re new to The Nordic Dish, these five recipes are a great place to begin — approachable, comforting, and full of classic Scandinavian flavor.

• Swedish Meatballs in Creamy Gravy
  A cozy classic with warm spices and a silky brown gravy — perfect with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam.
• Gravlax with Homemade Mustard-Dill Sauce
  An elegant but incredibly simple cured salmon served with bright hovmästarsås. A true taste of Scandinavian simplicity.
• Simple Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto)
  A comforting bowl of salmon, potatoes, and leeks in a light, creamy broth — easy enough for a weeknight.
• Classic Nordic Cinnamon Buns (Kanelbullar)
  Soft, cardamom-scented rolls twisted with cinnamon butter — an essential part of fika culture.
• Jansson’s Temptation (Swedish Potato Gratin)
  A creamy, savory potato bake flavored with onions and sprats — a beloved Swedish comfort dish, especially at Christmas.

My cooking philosophy

• Start with good ingredients: choose what’s available and high-quality near you — Nordic food is defined by approachability, not geography.
• Technique over complexity: season well, develop deep browning, control heat, and give dishes time to build flavor.
• Cook with calm and clarity: create space, slow your pace, and let the food guide you.

Work with us / Press

We work with brands, publishers, and media on Nordic recipe development, food photography, sponsored content, and culinary storytelling. For collaborations or press inquiries, please get in touch.

Email: hello@thenordicdish.com / Karri Liintola

FAQs

Is Nordic cooking hard to learn?
No. Nordic cooking is known for its simplicity — most dishes rely on a few good ingredients, proper seasoning, and straightforward techniques like gentle poaching, slow roasting, or basic pan-browning. Beginners can learn the essentials quickly.

What ingredients do I need to start cooking Nordic food?
You can make most Nordic recipes with everyday ingredients: potatoes, dairy, root vegetables, common spices, broths, and accessible cuts of meat or fish. When a recipe uses a traditional Scandinavian ingredient, I always offer easy alternatives.

Can I substitute ingredients in Nordic recipes?
Yes. Every recipe on The Nordic Dish includes suggested substitutions for common items, plus notes for gluten-free or dairy-free cooking when helpful. This makes the recipes flexible for home cooks around the world.

Do your Nordic recipes use US or metric measurements?
Both. Every recipe includes metric measurements and US cups/spoons, so you can cook confidently no matter where you live.

Are Nordic recipes beginner-friendly?
Absolutely. Many classic Scandinavian dishes — such as creamy soups, oven-baked casseroles, salmon dishes, and meatballs — are naturally easy to follow and perfect for weeknight cooking.

Where can I find easy Nordic recipes to start with?
Visit the Start Here section above for five approachable, beginner-friendly Nordic dishes chosen to help you learn the basics while achieving great flavor.

Do I need to buy specialty Scandinavian products to cook Nordic food?
Not necessarily. Most recipes can be made with ingredients available in regular grocery stores. Specialty items are optional, and I always list accessible substitutions.

Credits & ethics

All recipes on The Nordic Dish are developed and tested by me, sometimes with help from modern digital tools for brainstorming and drafting. Every recipe is cooked, refined, and edited by hand before it’s published. If a post contains sponsored content or affiliate links, it will always be clearly labeled — and I only recommend products I genuinely use and trust in my own kitchen. Some content on this site may include fictional characters presented in a realistic manner for storytelling purposes. Any resemblance to any person, living or deceased, is purely coincidental.