If you’ve ever ventured into an IKEA, you’ve probably eaten a plateful of their delicious Swedish meatballs. Aside from their affordable furniture, their food is one of the things the company is best known for. But did you know that Sweden has been hiding a secret from us this whole time? It turns out, Swedish meatballs aren’t even Swedish.
Sweden has a Twitter account that’s run by the Swedish Institute. Recently, they used their feed to reveal that the recipe for Swedish meatballs actually originated from King Charles XII, who brought it home with him after visiting Turkey during the 18th century. So really, the tiny meatballs you’ve loved so much are Turkish meatballs.
It’s not like this is going to stop anyone from eating them, but still — it feels weird to know that the world has been crediting the wrong country this entire time. Turkish food, in general, is pretty delicious, with many of their top cuisines featuring vegetables, eggs, and lamb. They’re rightfully known for another ball of meat called köfte. Köfte, which is typically made from beef or lamb, is a popular and versatile dish that can be served with a yogurt dressing or as-is on top of a salad.
Here’s the tweet that got people talking:
Swedish meatballs are actually based on a recipe King Charles XII brought home from Turkey in the early 18th century. Let's stick to the facts! pic.twitter.com/JuTDEjq9MM
— Sweden (@Sweden) April 28, 2018
People from Turkey were quite thankful to finally get some credit.
For fans of IKEA, the lingonberry was also questioned. Aside from meatballs, the store is known to have a ton of lingonberry products for sale — from jams to drinks. While they don’t just grow in Sweden, they’re known for being consumed heavily by the country — so, phew.
But Lingonberries are still Swedish, right?
— WillieT (@WillieTheGeek) May 2, 2018
They don't grow in Sweden exclusively. But lingonberry jam accompanying meatballs is damn near as Swedish as it gets!
— Sweden (@Sweden) May 2, 2018
It’s a good thing that Sweden cleared everything up. Next time you chow down on Swedish meatballs, make sure to give thanks to Turkey for creating such a yummy dish.
