Ingredient guide
What these recipes use that your usual shop may not stock: what it is, where to find it, and what you can put in its place.
aquavitScandinavian spirit distilled from grain or potatoes and flavoured with caraway, often with dill.1 recipecardamomDried green seed pods of a plant in the ginger family; the small black seeds inside taste floral, resinous and faintly lemony.2 recipesfish roeThe eggs of fish, usually lightly salted: depending on the species, small crisp grains or large, bursting pearls with a salty, briny taste.1 recipefresh yeastFresh baker's yeast pressed into a moist block, used to leaven doughs such as bread, cinnamon buns or braided loaves.4 recipesjuniper berriesDried blue-black berry cones of the juniper shrub, resinous and spicy with a hint of pine and citrus.1 recipejuniper berriesDried blue-black berry cones of the juniper shrub, resinous and spicy with a hint of pine and citrus.1 recipelingonberriesSmall red forest berries from northern Europe, tart and sour with a slightly bitter edge, usually eaten cooked down with sugar.1 recipelingonberry jamLingonberries cooked or simply stirred with sugar, tart with a faintly bitter edge, the classic partner for meatballs and game.1 recipelow-fat quarkA fresh cheese made from skimmed milk, thick, creamy and mildly tangy; standard in every German supermarket, but in English-speaking countries often found only in larger supermarkets, if at all.1 recipeNorwegian brown cheeseNorwegian whey cheese, made from whey boiled down with milk and cream. Caramel-brown, firm and slightly sticky, sweet-salty with a caramel note and, depending on the kind, a hint of goat.1 recipepearl sugarHard, opaque white sugar nuggets that hold their shape in the oven and stay on top of baked goods as a crunchy topping.2 recipesredcurrant jellyA clear, set jelly made from redcurrant juice, sweet with a distinct tartness.1 reciperye flourFlour milled from rye, robust and slightly sour in flavour, the basis of dark Nordic breads.1 recipesaffronDried stigmas of a crocus flower that turn baked goods and dishes golden yellow and add a bitter-floral aroma.1 recipeskyrIcelandic cultured dairy made from skim milk and strained until thick and creamy, with a mild tang.1 recipeSmoked ham hockThe cured and smoked lower leg joint of the pig, with bone, rind and plenty of connective tissue, which gives smoke and gelatine to the broth during long cooking.1 recipestar anise!The dried, star-shaped fruit of an evergreen tree from southern China, with a strong, sweetish anise aroma.1 recipesyrupLight or dark sugar syrup as used in Nordic baking, thick and sweet, the dark kind with a slightly bitter caramel note.2 recipesvanilla sugarSugar flavoured with vanilla, sold in German-speaking countries mostly in small sachets of about eight grams.2 recipes