Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 186, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 August 1915 — Land of Cheap Living [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Land of Cheap Living

FROM Elsinore, in Denmark, the haunt of Hamlet's ghost, it is but three miles across the sound to Helsingborg, Sweden, and here one is in the land of pickled fish, cold meats and the notorious Swedish punch. These are the principal regalements, but there are many others. Sweden may not be widely famed as an epicure’s land, but for variety and cheapness of food and individuality In cookery it offers successive surprises to the stranger. Though so near and accessible to the continent, Sweden is little known to the gastronome. It is a country much neglected by the tourist. Yet with its wonderful stretch of territory, reaching through 14 degrees of latitude, from as far south as Hull, England, for 1,000 miles northward, far up into the polar regions, no country offers a wider range of dietary or a more interesting field of gastronomic exploration.

The Lapland express on the northernmost railroad in the world makes the 900-mile jump from Stockholm to Narvik, 100 miles beyond the polar circle, in 40 hours. At Narvik, which is on the Atlantic coast of Norway, this road connecting the grain fields of the south with the ice fields of the North makes steamboat connection with regions still farther remote —the North cape, the Lofoden islands and Trondhjem.

Abundant Game.

Many kinds of fine water fowl are supplied by the lakes and rivers, including wild ducks, geese, snipe and occasionally,the wild swan. The sheltered coasts of the Baltic and the Gulf of Bothnia are the resort of immense flocks of sea fowl. From the woods' and plains are obtained many feathered creatures, such as the woodcock, the blackcock, the orre and other kinds of grouse. The elk furnishes the finest sport of all, however, 1,500 of them being shot every year. From the far North is brought down the snow-white ptarmigan, which is the Arctic grouse, and the jet black capercailzie, the finest game on wing. From the polar regions the Lapps send down the Arctic goose and the meat of elk and reindeer, the wonderful reindeer cheese and the hardfleshed salmon from the northern rivers. These and other of the best salmon called graflax, are eaten raw on the best tables, being considered too dainty a morsel to spoil with fire. They are served with oil, vinegar, pepper and a sauce of sweet herbs.

Cereals and Fruits.

The southern lands produce a variety of cereals, garden produce, fruits, and here are located some of the principal food industries. Great quantities of grain are exported from Helsingborg. The country grows delicious apples and pears and a wonderful variety of small berries, which when cooked into sauces go well with the game dishes. To know how well the gooseberry can be made to taste, it is necessary to go to Sweden. Cloud berries, too, are among the national dishes. They are a delightfully flavored, amber colored fruit, a species of raspberry. Cranberries are as plentiful as in America. So are the cherries, and the Swedes excel in their preparation. Oatmeal is as much of a staple in Sweden as in Scotland. It is eaten in all sections of the country and by all classes.

Oats is the main cereal crop of the country. Next in quantity and first in importance, perhaps, is rye, for this forms the principal breadstuff. Barley ranks third in order and is cultivated in all parts of the country except the extreme North. The wheat production is less than half that of barley and one-tenth that of oats. The national bread is made in the form of a large, round cake, from one to three feet in diameter, about as thick as a plate and nearly as hard. It is called flat bread. Considerable interest In live stock raising is being shown just now, and some good beef is being grown in the

central and southern sections. Dairy interests have made phenomenal progress. Butter enough to supply the enormous home industry and large quantities for export is produced. Nettle soup is an epicurean novelty served at the Continental restaurants in Stockholm. It Is made from tender young nettles. A Land of Fish, -

Sweden is a land of fish. Trout and grayling are caught in every mountain stream. Sardines, herring, crayfish, oysters, clams, crabs and an almost endless number of other water foods contribute to the dietary. No less than eighty -kinds of fresh and salt water fish are sold in the markets of Gothenburg. Turbot and ling are taken in considerable quantities. The Swedes first gave to the world fish balls. They taught us how to prepare boneless codfish, and they have added more than any other nation to the knowledge of pickling and curing fish.

Stewing is the most popular manner of cooking fresh fish, and stewed fish are found everywhere. A palatable dish is made of salmon baked in a small dish with creamed potatoes, onions, eggs and other ingredients and called Lax Lada.

But the principal fish of Sweden is the herring. Fresh, smoked * and pickled it is eaten from one end of tflto land to the other. Sweden is the original land of pork and beans. And, strange to say, Upsala, the intellectual center of Sweden, is the headquarters for the best grade of the baked product. "Beware the Swedish punch!" This is the advice commonly given to every man starting on his first visit to Sweden. But even with the warning he is liable to fall a victim to it, for this strange drink is as seductive as it is potent. The Swedes imbibe it fearlessly, but its effects on the uninitiated are sad.

VIEW OF STOCKHOLM