Cultural appropriation at its ugliest: https://nyti.ms/2Kwc5JB Swedish Meatballs Are Turkish? ‘My Whole Life Has Been a Lie’ By CEYLAN YEGINSUMAY 2, 2018 LONDON — Sweden, land of Ikea and social welfare, has something to tell the world — news that could shock the palate. Swedish meatballs, the signature national dish, are really Turkish. The country’s national Twitter account made the announcement in a tweet this week. “Swedish meatballs are actually based on a recipe King Charles XII brought home from Turkey in the early 18th century,” the tweet said. “Let’s stick to the facts!” It was not immediately clear why Sweden decided that now was the right time to set the record straight, but the admission created a storm of reaction. Turks rejoiced. Some Swedes were dismayed. And the revelation set off some good-natured ribbing between the two countries. Continue reading the main story Related Coverage A GOOD APPETITE Swedish Meatballs, From the Comfort of Home JAN. 6, 2017 Meatballs and Instruction Manuals: Indiana Braces for Ikea. NOV. 10, 2015 ‘Calling Sweden. You Will Soon Be Connected to a Random Swede, Somewhere in Sweden’ APRIL 8, 2016 FRONT BURNER The Scoop on Swedish Candy: It’s More Than Fish APRIL 16, 2018 “My whole life has been a lie,” one Swede lamented on Twitter. Some Turks urged Sweden to change the name of its meatballs to the Turkish name, “kofte.” Turkish media called the Swedish tweet a “confession” and suggested that Charles, who reigned from 1697 to 1718 and spent some years in exile in the Ottoman Empire early in the 18th century, took other Turkish products back to Sweden, including coffee beans and stuffed cabbage. Sweden’s national Twitter account, apparently not wanting to start a culinary war, responded somewhat neutrally: “Mind you, we love coffee even more than meatballs! At one point, we even had a coffee prohibition in Sweden!” But it also seized the opportunity to highlight some of the country’s inventions. (Behold, the three-point seatbelt.) The private Turkish news agency Dogan went to the northwestern city of Inegol, which is famous for its meatballs, to get reaction to the Swedish announcement. Ibrahim Veysel, a chef at a local meatball restaurant, exulted, “It is an honor that these tastes have become an example to different cuisines all over the world.” The Swedish statement raised many burning questions, among them: What does it mean for Ikea? The Swedish furniture giant has long made Swedish meatballs a staple of its cafeterias in stores worldwide. more at the link
