Human Interest

Scandinavian cuisine is a product of geography and climate, plus some seafaring Viking history.

Although its praises are seldom sung, traditional Scandinavian fare — full of seafood, berries, roots and rye — has a lot to recommend it. To be clear, we're not talking fancy French technique or expansively layered spice palettes. We're talking about simple farm fare, hearty whole grain breads and rich seafood stews, food meant to sustain you during the winter. And according to some studies, it may actually be fairly healthy.