I love Christmas! It really is one of my favourite celebration and my favourite time of year. I always felt very lucky growing up – as we would celebrate not one but TWO Christmases (is that even a word?).

We would celebrate the Swedish Christmas on the 24th with traditional Swedish Julbord (literally translated into Christmas table which is similar to smörgåsbord) and then the English Christmas on 25th with Turkey and stuffing! As I grew up in Singapore, which is naturally a hot tropical country, my mother would shut all the windows and blast the aircon on high – so it felt slightly cool, and reminiscent of her Christmas she would spend in Sweden! 

Like many aspects of my life – I feel far more affiliated to Sweden then I do to England. This is probably due to my mothers strong Swedish rootes, the fact that my grandparents on my Swedish sides were alive the majority of my adolescence and that we would go back to Sweden year after year to visit them and spend long lazy summer days there.

Hence Christmas is not Christmas without Swedish food! So now, that I am all grown up and just about to start my own little family with C, it is really important to me that I bring these Swedish traditions with me and share them with him and make them part of our own traditions.

This year, I have invited a few friends over to celebrate Christmas Eve – what started as a dinner for 8 has rapidly increased to a dinner of 15! Slightly daunting I may add – BUT I am really looking forward to it. So what am I going to serve? A type of Julbord that my mum would make. Here is my menu and cooking plan schedule…

Starters

• Glögg – Swedish mulled wine (make over the weekend of 21-23)
• Chicken Liver Pate, served with crusty bread (make on Sunday 23rd)
•  Candied nuts, pretzels and nibble (store-bought)

Julbord

• Gravlax with mustard sauce (make on Thursday 20th)
• Boiled Eggs with Kalle’s Caviar (make on 24th)
• Dark Rye Bread/Pumpernickle (store-bought)
• Cheese (store Bought)
• Meatballs (Make Monday 17th and freeze)
• Baby sausages (store-bought)
• Ham (make on 24th)
• Cured Pork Belly (make Saturday 22nd)
• Jansens Frestelse (potato gratin) (make Sunday 23rd)
• Red Cabbage (make on 24th)

Desert

• Kladig Chokolad Kaka (chocolate cake) make 24th
• Vanilla Ice-Cream (store-bought)
• fruit compot (make on Sunday 23rd)

I think I have everything covered. What is obviously missing is the pickled herring, but unfortunately I am unable to find pickeled herring here…and until IKEA decides to open their doors in Mexico City, I will just have to live with out it (that and cheap modern furniture!)!

Hopefully I will be able to make all of the above, and as I do, I will add them to The Travelling Chopsticks and link them to this page so you all can see what is served on a traditional Swedish Julbord and how to make them.

Wish me luck ;)