Misc Swedish Things I Really Like

That will probably trend at some point (or have already)

I love learning about culture-specific kitchen gadgets, miscellanea and tchotchkes. In Taiwan, it’s the Tatung steamer, the gaji bags, a 1980s toucan lamp. My husband became such a convert of the Tatung that he insisted we lug one all the way to the countryside of Sweden.

Here are some things I’ve picked up from him/Sweden over the last decade that I find absolutely delightful:

Cheese slicer

A small spatula with a hole in the middle. Press and slide it over a block of cheese for paper-thin slices. It was invented in 1925 by a Norwegian but has become an irrevocable part of Swedish culture as well (they have a giant statue of it in Northern Sweden!) Hot tip: they sell this at IKEA.

Sponge wipe

I don’t know why more people don’t use this. It’s a cross between a sponge and a washcloth. We use it to wipe up messes in the kitchen and clean the tables. It’s extremely absorbent, dries really quickly, and holds up for a good month or two. I stock up on a pile of these every time we’re in Sweden (it seems to be available in the States as well).

Egg cup

We don’t use this regularly, but it does come out for special occasions. Boil a jammy egg—do not peel it. Put the egg on top of the cup and crack the top open with a tiny spoon. The egg sits with you throughout breakfast/brunch, and you can scoop out its contents throughout the meal. It's whimsical yet practical.

Dish brush

I have mixed feelings about this one. I prefer a sponge for everyday dish cleaning, but whenever we’re in Sweden, we almost exclusively use the dish brush because that’s just what the family uses. It makes sense; you can scrape off food and clean the dish without getting your hands soapy. The type of brush matters. The bristles can’t be too coarse; they should be soft enough that they get a good lather.

The two duvet system

It's not a misc item, per se, but a neat feature of Scandinavian households. Everyone gets their own duvet—even if you share a bed. No more blanket tug-of-wars in the middle of the night. We haven’t adopted this in Taiwan yet, but we really should.

---

Signed copies of my James Beard-nominated cookbook Made in Taiwan can be purchased at Omnivore Books, Book Larder, or Kitchen Arts and Letters. Amazon is also currently having a 45% off sale.