Taste of Arctic Sweden: The guide to 88 culinary stops in the north

Taste of Arctic Sweden, is a new culinary guide featuring 88 places to eat, taste, shop and stay across Sweden’s Arctic region.  - Digital version

The guide takes visitors along the food routes of Arctic Sweden – from small farm shops at the end of gravel roads to world-renowned destinations open year-round. Along the way, it introduces local food producers, cafés, restaurants, bakeries, beverage makers, farm shops, activities and places to stay, all connected by a shared passion for local ingredients and the stories behind them.

Food is shaped by the landscape. Mighty rivers, mountains, forests, the brackish sea and cultivated land all contribute to a distinctive food culture. For generations, people here have dried, smoked, salted and fermented what nature and the land provide. What was once a way to survive the long winter has become a proud culinary heritage.

Why food tastes different this far north

The Arctic climate gives ingredients a character of their own. Long summer days, cool nights and the midnight sun help create berries, herbs and vegetables with depth, sweetness and intensity. A strawberry ripened under the midnight sun, freshly caught Arctic char, cloudberries from the forest or coffee cheese served in hot coffee all tell stories about place, season and tradition.

The guide also highlights why local food from Arctic Sweden matters: short transport distances, clean growing conditions, rich biodiversity, low use of antibiotics, strong local food production and support for rural jobs and small businesses.

Photos, from left to right: E Wernerlich, Håkan Stenlund, Ted Logart

From everyday food to Arctic delicacies

Taste of the Arctic brings together both everyday food culture and exclusive delicacies. Readers will find classic flavours such as Kalix vendace roe, reindeer, Arctic char, cloudberries, coffee cheese, palt, game meat and fermented herring. These are not just ingredients. They are part of everyday life, local identity and culinary storytelling in the north.

Photo: Carl-Johan Utsi

88 stops across Arctic Sweden

The guide is divided into four regional routes:

Arjeplog, Arvidsjaur, Piteå and Älvsbyn
Boden, Jokkmokk and Luleå
Gällivare and Kiruna
Haparanda, Kalix, Pajala, Överkalix and Övertorneå

Together, the 88 stops offer a broad picture of the region’s food culture: from bakeries, farm cafés and small-scale producers to fine dining, destination hotels and food experiences rooted in Sámi and Tornedalian traditions.

Opening hours may vary, and many places are small-scale or seasonal, so visitors are encouraged to check before travelling – and to take a detour now and then. In Arctic Sweden, that is often where the best flavours are found.

Story ideas for media

The Arctic food routes
How a new guide maps 88 culinary stops across one of Europe’s northernmost food destinations.

Food shaped by light
Why long summer days and cool nights give berries, herbs and vegetables from Arctic

Sweden their distinctive flavour.
From survival food to fine dining
How drying, smoking, salting and fermenting have moved from necessity to culinary heritage.

The people behind the flavours
Meet the producers, chefs, farmers, bakers and guides building Arctic Sweden’s local food scene.

A taste of Sápmi and Tornedalen
How Sámi and Tornedalian food traditions continue to shape contemporary culinary experiences in the north.

Kalix vendace roe, coffee cheese and cloudberries
A guide to some of Arctic Sweden’s most distinctive ingredients.

Press opportunities

Arctic Sweden Visitors Board can assist media with:

The new Taste of Arctic Sweden guide
High-resolution images
Story ideas and background information
Contacts with local producers, chefs and guides
Interview opportunities
Suggestions for individual press visits and themed itineraries

About Taste of Arctic Sweden

Taste of Arctic Sweden is a guide to 88 taste experiences across Arctic Sweden. It features local food producers, farm shops, cafés, restaurants, beverage makers, activities and accommodation where food, place and people come together.
The guide is a collaboration between Arctic Sweden Visitors Board and Nära Mat, Norrbotten’s regional food strategy.

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