Dining with Queen Christina at Grythyttan

Summary

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The name of the Swedish 17th century village Grythyttan refers to a place where pots are made, since "gryta" means pot, and "hytta" is a smelting-house or foundry. The only problem with this perfectly reasonable-sounding linguistic theory is that, as far as the historians know, no pots have ever been made in Grythyttan!

Don't be surprised if you see the Swedish Prime Minister or various other celebrities strolling by outside your window as you enjoy your meal at Grythyttan Inn. This is a very special inn and restaurant which attracts prominent visitors from all over the world, despite its location a 3 1/2 hours drive from Stockholm. When I visited Grythyttan for a three course dinner in summer 2005, a group of six Brazilian journalists wearing traditional party hats were enjoying a crayfish party in an adjacent room, while a Dutch couple was sampling a cheese plate in another comer. In February, Grythyttan hosted an international cook-book contest, attended by luminaries including prize-winner Art Smith, who has served as the personal cook of Oprah Winfrey.

One dines at Grythyttan in a slate-roofed building which has been little changed from the year the inn was established, in 1640. Perhaps the acoustics or lighting could be better, but guess what -- the tranquil atmosphere of an authentic 360-year-old inn can't be denied. Looking at the menu with the portrait of a Swedish monarch at my shoulder (Queen Christina, of course), I had a difficult time trying to make my selection of starters. One could choose between vodka marinated scallops with garlic puré; spicy tuna with avruga (Spanish) caviar, artichoke and quail egg; or smoked duck-breast accompanied by celery- and goat's cheese roll with cherry- and elderberry compote. As if that wasn't enough, vegetarians could have a starter of Tortellini filled with Prästost, a tasty Swedish cheese, which responds well to aging.

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Dining with Queen Christina at Grythyttan

The name of the Swedish 17th century village Grythyttan refers to a place where pots are made, since "gryta" means pot, and "hytta" is a smelting-house or foundry. The only problem with this perfectly reasonable-sounding linguistic theory is that, as far as the historians know, no pots have eve...

See the full content of this document

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