After the Christmas tree rumor – that Swedes eat it up: “I would recommend fresh fir”
The rumor that Scandinavians eat their Christmas tree is not out of thin air.
According to chef Lena Flaten, there are many ways to prepare the fir.
– I would recommend a fresh tree, not a dusty Christmas tree that has been inside, she says.
This week, the Belgian health authorities issued a warning: Do not eat your Christmas tree, something that is done in Scandinavia.
But it is actually possible to eat spruce, according to chef and restaurateur Lena Flaten – provided it is fresh.
– We use spruce, birch and pine, which we have a good supply of here. It suits our cooking very well, says Flaten, who himself prepares dishes with spruce.
Can be used in sauces and for marmalade
However, she emphasizes the importance of using the right kind of spruce.
– Not a dusty Christmas tree that has been inside. But there is a lot you can do with spruce.
It can be used in various sauces, such as spruce mayonnaise or to make marmalade and spruce sugar.
– Spruce salt is nice to use if you want to bury some fish or perk up a vegetable. Spruce contains tannins that are lovely and bring out other flavors.
Spruce can also be used in various sauces such as a spruce mayonnaise, also to make marmalade and spruce sugar.
– Fir sugar is nice to use in cakes, pastries or on a crème brûlée, where you burn it off.
“If you’re going to eat the Christmas tree – wash off the dust”
However, Flaten emphasizes the importance of checking that the tree is not sprayed, just as the Belgian health authorities have warned.
– Fir trees that are cultivated are not edible because they are often sprayed. If you are going to eat your Christmas tree, you also need to make sure to rinse off the dust.