What we miss, Part I: Sweden

Being expatriates most of our lives, we are often asked the question, "What do you most miss from home?" It's not always easy to answer. First of all, we have both lived in so many places that we are often confused about where home actually is. Secondly, we are not even sure what people actually mean by home. Current home? Birthplace? Where we've lived the most? It's all very complicated.

I'm going to try to answer one very small part of that question. Erik's Heimat (we'll talk about that concept another time) is Sweden. In 2009, I actually spent more time there than he did, having had a concert tour there in April. I was there a grand total of 5 times. So, what do we - mostly Erik, but more and more me as well - miss from (not about) Sweden?

Food! We came home with half a suitcase full of favorite items. Back row, left to right: Lingonberry preserves, 2 organic cheeses from the Alps which Erik's sister imports to Sweden, organic Dinkelmehl (spelt flour), marzipan cake topper and mandelmassa (almond mass, more or less like marzipan), Swedish coffee, flat bread (which actually comes from Norway), powdered blueberry and cloudberry soup, pearl sugar for baking. Front row: two types of Knäckebrot, reindeer meat and three jars of organic preserves, including one with cloudberries.

Erik is very allergic to wheat and I don't tolerate lactose very well. Swedish grocery stores have so many alternatives for us both. I wish I had taken a picture of the dairy section alone. There is lactose-free milk, yogurt, butter, whipping cream, sour cream, buttermilk and probably lots of other items I'm forgetting. For Erik, although it is still hard to find bread that is wheat-free, there are plenty of dry bread alternatives. We like that stuff better anyway. Crunchy.

Here's hoping we land back in Sweden one of these days. The eatin' is good!