Don’t be fooled, expats in Sweden. If you are offered a smörgåstårta at an event, this is NOT a cake! Yes, “tårta” is the Swedish word for cake, but “smörgås” is the Swedish word for sandwich and that’s where everything goes wrong.
The first time I saw a smörgåstårta, I was genuinely excited. There it was, beautifully decorated with what I thought were frosting rosettes and fancy garnishes (have I mentioned before that I’m nearsighted?). My brain screamed “dessert” while my mouth got ready for sugar. What was served on my plate instead was an iceberg of shrimp, mayonnaise, ham, eggs and mystery paste between soggy layers of white bread.
I’ve never emotionally recovered.
So let’s break down this Swedish “cake.”
Typical ingredients in a Smörgåstårta
- White bread (cut into layers, stacked like a castle of sogginess)
- A generous slathering of mayo and butter slathered like insulation foam
- A suspicious mix of cold cuts, eggs, liver pâté, shrimp, cucumber, and of course, dill
- Decorated with the enthusiasm of a deranged and disgraced former pastry chef
Basically, it’s a sad sandwich who never got to grow up to be a pretty dessert (unlike the semla, which is a Swedish masterpiece).
Understanding the Social Significance of the Swedish Sandwich Cake
So let’s get into the background of the Swedish smörgåstårta and why we encounter it so often at family gatherings. Traditionally, this dish is served at birthdays, graduations, funerals or anything that screams “festive, but soggy and mayonnaise-based.”
And it’s not like Swedes serve this to punish us. They genuinely believe this is a treat!
If you live in Sweden for any length of time, you will encounter a smörgåstårta at some sort of gathering. There’s no escaping it.
Apparently, this cake came to power around the 1940s-1950s, when the severely culinary-limited Swedes, with the invention refrigeration, became excited by layered cold dishes, like potato salads or salmon mousse mold. (By the way, Swedes should be very grateful for later immigration’s contribution for vastly improving food culture.)
The sandwich cake could easily be made the day before for a large crowd and then stored in the fridge. No reheating required. It really took off in the 70s, when the thinking of the time was cold cuts + mayonnaise = party
These days, the explanation is probably something between nostalgia and that Swedes genuinely like it. But they eat pickled herring and surströmming too, so we shouldn’t be too surprised.
How to Survive the Smörgåstårta
So you’ve been invited to a graduation or an office farewell party. You get your stomach ready to receive a sweet treat only to be confronted with the sad reality that is a Swedish shrimp sandwich cake. But don’t panic! Here are a few survival strategies:
- Reclassify it Mentally
Just forget everything you’ve ever known about cake. Think of this as an aggressive, chilled sandwich. - Choose the Smallest Possible Slice
If anything else is available, load your plate with that and then put the smallest possible slice of smörgåstårta on your cake. Leave it sadly huddled to the side until you can dispose of it while no one is watching. - Bring a Backup Treat
Keep a backup package of cookies on your person at all times. This is for your “special diet” if anyone asks. Offer to other foreigners. You will be their hero.
The Inevitable Surrender
Whether you love it or hate it, the smörgåstårta isn’t going anywhere. It will continue to show up at Swedish events, taunting you with its creamy shrimp layers masquerading as tasty frosting. It mocks your expectations.
My advice is to bring a small fork, taste the madness and realize you are one step closer to morphing into a full-fledged Swede.
(originally published 2020)
Yikes!
What about a fish cake? That’s a thing right?
In this country, I’m sure it is!