Traditional Food in Jämtland

Author: Jennifer Kristensson

It’s hard to go hungry in Jämtland Härjedalen. This is a perfect place for experiencing Nordic cuisine – a region that perfects the combination between high quality restaurants, world-class cheeses and dairies, micro-bakeries, chocolatiers, brewers, roasters and farm stalls, awaiting your visit to serve only the best that Jämtland Härjedalen provides.

Östersund, located in the heart of Jämtland, has been designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. In this area, a love for serving great food has been a deep part of the culture for generations. Today, there is a strong focus on preserving traditional food craftsmanship while also exploring the diverse flavours nature provides. For the locals, eating food produced nearby is a priority. Thanks to the Gulf Stream, a surprising variety of crops can be grown here despite the northern location. Below are key elements that make the food experience in this area of Sweden unique:

Cooking Food Over an Open Fire

Living close to nature means the outdoors often serves as both a kitchen and a living room when it’s time to spend quality moments with friends and family. Cooking over an open fire is a cherished tradition—a way to gather together and turn meal preparation into a shared experience.

Children in Jämtland Härjedalen learn from a young age how to start a fire in the forest and are often involved in preparing and serving meals cooked outdoors. It’s not just about eating; it’s about embracing a way of life that connects people to nature and to each other.

Hunting our own food

For many people in the area, hunting is important, and we enjoy the food more when we know that the animal has lived a good life in the forest all its life. In this area, bird hunting, moose hunting, and fishing are important parts of the culture.

Sami food

The native people of Sweden live in the north of Sweden, and the area of Jämtland Härjedalen is a part of the native people's land. They call their land Sapmi, the region of the Sami people. An important part of their culture is the reindeer which plays a big role in a lot of parts in their life. When it comes to the food a few Swedes have tasted Sami food, but it’s really good!

Reindeer tenderloin with chanterelle mushrooms at an up-market restaurant is wonderful, without a doubt. But, until you have tasted blood pancake or reindeer broth with marrow, you haven’t even begun to explore the Sami food culture.

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“Kolbullen”- The national dish of Jämtland Härjedalen

Once upon a time, Kolbullen was a food for charcoal burners and lumberjacks. Nowadays, it is eaten on excursions and as a festival food. This simple food has a rich history and many followers. This is traditional Swedish food as good as it gets.

It’s unclear whether Jämtland Härjedalen has a national dish, but a leading candidate has to be Kolbullen – thick pancakes served with bacon and lingonberry jam. Every winter, there are long queues in Östersund, as young and old patiently stand in the smoke of the fires for a quarter, half or whole Kolbulle with lingonberry jam. During the summer, they are sold during the local music festival in Jämtland to fill the stomachs of hungry festival goers. Kolbullen is loved all year round and is a great example of superb traditional Swedish food.