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Loimulohi is a traditional method of preparing salmon or rainbow trout. The fish is smoked on a wooden plank that's placed vertically over an open fire. Before the process, the salmon is usually seasoned with sea salt and drizzled or brushed with lemon juice, honey, or juniper berries.
The cooking time depends on the distance from the coals. Once done, the smoky fish can be eaten straight off the plank.
Gravlax is a Scandinavian dish consisting of raw, salt-cured salmon that is traditionally seasoned with dill. Originally, the dish was made by fishermen who used to bury the salt, sugar, and dill-rubbed salmon above the line of high tide and leave it to ferment.
At the time, it was characterized by its pungent flavor and odor, but today, gravlax is cured under refrigeration. The name gravlax comes from a combination of two words, grav, meaning buried, and lax, meaning salmon, referring to the original method of production.
MOST ICONIC Gravlax
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Lohikeitto is a creamy Finish salmon soup, similar to laxsoppa in Sweden. Apart from chunks of salmon fillet, it traditionally incorporates diced potatoes and carrots cooked in a flavorful, buttery broth infused with fish stock and cream.
This comforting winter dish is generously seasoned with dill and served alongside buttered rye bread or lemon wedges.
MOST ICONIC Lohikeitto
Kalakeitto or fish soup has been a staple of traditional Finnish cuisine for a long time. Although there are numerous ways to prepare this classic Finnish specialty, it typically consists of cleaned and filleted fish chunks and diced vegetables that are simmered in a rich, buttery fish broth.
Carrots, potatoes, onions, and leeks are among the most common vegetables used for the soup’s preparation, while the choice of fish includes salmon, rainbow trout, vendace, pike, perch, zander, or burbot. Traditionally, the soup is enhanced with the addition of butter and cooking cream (ruokakermaa), and it is usually flavored with dill, allspice, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
Sake nigiri sushi is a Japanese type of nigiri sushi, with origins in Norway. It consists of hand-pressed sushi rice that's topped with slices of salmon. The dish has a soft texture and a clean finish that makes it good for sushi newcomers, although the flavor can be a bit fishier than maguro (tuna) nigiri sushi.
Traditionally, this type of sushi is eaten by hand in a single bite. It's usually accompanied by soy sauce, wasabi, or pickled ginger (gari) on the side.
Sild og poteter is a traditional dish originating from Norway. The dish is usually made with a combination of herring fillets, potatoes, pickled and sliced beets, onions, butter, dill, and sour cream. The herring fillets are placed on a platter and garnished with sliced beets and sliced onions.
The combination is topped with sour cream and dill sprigs, and it's then served accompanied by boiled buttered potatoes sprinkled with dill. The dish is especially popular during summer.
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In Denmark, fried plaice fillets are a restaurant staple as well as a common home cooked meal. They are usually breaded or lightly dusted with rye flour before they are pan-fried until golden and crispy. Fillets are often incorporated in the open-faced stjerneskud, a variety of smørrebrød, but are also commonly enjoyed as the main course, usually accompanied by potatoes, Danish rémoulade, parsley sauce, salads, sautéed vegetables, or lemon wedges.
MOST ICONIC Rødspættefilet
Stekt fisk is a traditional fish specialty that is made by braising seasoned and floured fish fillets in melted butter. Although it usually features smaller fish varieties, this dish can be prepared with various types of fish. With a slightly crispy crust on the outside, the tender pieces of fish are typically drizzled with the braising sauce before serving, and they are usually paired with some creamed peas or creamed carrots and boiled potatoes on the side.
Sursild is a Norwegian pickled fish delicacy that is traditionally consumed during the winter holiday season, particularly on Christmas. The dish is usually made by combining slices of salted herring, onion slices, and a variety of spices such as allspice, black peppercorns, and mustard seeds in a jar, which is then filled with a boiled vinegar-based mixture.
A common breakfast meal, the pickled fish is usually consumed with slices of fresh bread, smeared with butter, and topped with onion slices, or with a side of boiled potatoes as a part of a large dinner. In Norway, jars of pre-made pickled herrings are also sold in numerous supermarkets in the country.
This dish is an Icelandic version of the classic English fish and chips. In the UK, the batter is made with flour, vinegar, salt, beer, and baking soda, while the Icelandic version is made from spelt flour and without beer, making the rape seed oil-fried fish lighter and similar to tempura in texture.
The fish is typically caught from the Icelandic waters and it's always as fresh as possible. Icelandic organic chips are not fried, but roasted in the oven and topped with chopped parsley, resulting in a texture that's crispy on the exterior and creamy within.
MOST ICONIC Fiskur og franskar
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TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 24 Northern European Fish Dishes” list until April 15, 2025, 1,077 ratings were recorded, of which 929 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.