This is the column that till appear in the Uniontown Herald-Standard on September 19, 2014.
Below the column are photos, informational and food links!!
A look at
the evolution of food in southwestern Pennsylvania – SCANDINAVIANS: 12 A
There are over 12 million
Scandinavian-Americans in the US. Several counties in western PA have multiple traces
of Scandinavian populations: Washington, Greene, Westmoreland, Somerset, Warren,
Erie, Crawford, Jefferson, Mercer and Allegheny. Although there is no actual count of the
amount of Scandinavian-Americans in southwestern Pa, there is evidence that the first to arrive were the Finns that settled
in the Monessen/Charleroi area. They came to work in the mining and steel
industry as did the Swedes who settled in the Braddock/Swissvale area. There
are two active Scandinavian organizations in Pittsburgh. The following is just a sampling:
DENMARK:
Cheeses:
Danish Blue and Havarti
Beverages:
TEHO (energy drink)
Alcohol:
Akvavit (caraway or dill flavor), Absolut vodka, beer and wines (Cabernet grapes)
Sausage:
Meats, Fish and
Veggies:
Sweets:
Pfeffernusse or
pebernodder (tiny spice cookies served as holiday treat)
Confectionary:
Lontoon rakeet (Lemon drops) and liquorice
candy
FINLAND:
Cheeses:
Aura (blue cheese), Leipajuusto (curdled bread cheese) and Oltermanni (similar
to Havarti)
Beverages:
TEHO (energy drink)
Alcohol:
Vodkas, whiskeys, beer,
mead and Lakka (liqueur made from the cloudberry fruit)
Sausage:
Mustamakkara (Finnish blood sausage eaten with lingonberry jam)
Meats, Fish and
Veggies:
Cabbage rolls with a
variety of fillings
Sweets:
Wiernerbrod (similar to puff pastry)
Confectionary:
Licorice wheels, Chocolate-coated marshmallow treats, London drops (liquorice candy)
ICELAND:
Cheeses:
Hofoingi (creamy-soft, semi-runny
cheese with a white rind and a smooth, mild flavor)
Beverages:
Engifermjolk (ginger milk), Kumenkaffi (caraway coffee) and
Heitt sukkulaoi (hot chocolate)
Alcohol:
Beer, Brennivín (clear, unsweetened schnapps flavored
with caraway and is Iceland's signature distilled beverage)
Sausage:
Slátur (blood pudding and/or liver sausage)
Meats, Fish and Veggies:
Whale, seal, shark meat and seafood
Sweets:
Kleina (a fried pastry)
Confectionary:
Liquorice, hazelnut and
chocolate candies
NORWAY:
Cheeses:
Most known in this
country: Jarlsberg (mild and buttery cheese with a yellow-wax rind and a
semi-firm yellow)
Beverages:
Farris (mineral water), Julebrus and Solo (soft drinks)
Alcohol:
Beer,
Vodkas and Akvavit (caraway or dill flavor)
Meats,
Fish and Veggies:
Sautéed reindeer, smoked
salmon, Lapskaus (leftover meat and vegetable stew)
Sweets:
Krumkake (waffle cookie rolled
into small cones & filled with whipped cream or other fillings)
Confectionary:
Nugatti (chocolate
spread made from hazelnuts and nougat) and Lingonberry
jam (served with pancakes
served as a relish meatballs beef stew or liver dishes)
SWEDEN:
Cheeses:
Grevé (cow's milk cheese, similar
to Emmenthal), Moose cheese (created
from moose milk)
and Hushållsost (a semi-hard cheese, with small granular holes)
Beverages:
Alcohol:
Sausage:
Falukorv (large cooked
sausage) and Swedish meatballs with Lingonberry sauce
Meats, Fish and
Veggies:
Reindeer which is thinly
sliced, sautéed, spiced with pepper and then cream or beer is
added
Sweets:
Hallongrotta (thumb
print cookies) and apple pie (like our double crusted lattice woven)
Confectionary:
Ischoklad (Christmas candy
made of chocolate and coconut oil) and Knäck (a traditional Christmas
toffee).
For recipes
from 1700s to 1960s and modern day links visit www.ThePAMeltingPot.com. Christine Willard, a
native of western Pennsylvania, researches and blogs about the food unique to
Western Pennsylvania. She currently resides in North Carolina. Her blog can be
found at www.ThePAMeltingPot.com .
PHOTOS (below photos are LINKS)
FOOD PHOTOS
LINKS:
Scandinavian Society of
Western Pennsylvania: (http://www.pittsburghscandinavians.org/)
Representing the five Nordic countries, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, it promotes cultural and social activities in the Pittsburgh area.
324 Thompson Run Rd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
Phone: 412-531-2609
Representing the five Nordic countries, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, it promotes cultural and social activities in the Pittsburgh area.
324 Thompson Run Rd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
Phone: 412-531-2609
§ Finlandian
Foundation, Pittsburgh Chapter: (http://www.pittsburghfinns.org/)
The Finlandian Foundation is an organization dedicated to the support and preservation of Finnish culture. The Pittsburgh chapter sponsors regular meetings, and annual holiday party, a newsletter and other cultural or social events. Membership is open to anyone interested in our purpose and events.
The Finlandian Foundation is an organization dedicated to the support and preservation of Finnish culture. The Pittsburgh chapter sponsors regular meetings, and annual holiday party, a newsletter and other cultural or social events. Membership is open to anyone interested in our purpose and events.
FOOD LINKS:
Danish food link from About.com
Finnish food link from About.com
Icelandic food link from About.com
Norwegian food link from About.com
Swedish food link from About.com
FOOD AND WINE
United Kingdom TV
AllRecipes.com
VIDEOS
