Smörgåsbord

Buffet of Swedish origin gathering many hot and chiefly cold dishes, from which each guest helps themselves freely. The word combines smörgås (buttered open sandwich) and bord (table). Descended from the sixteenth-century aristocratic brännvinsbord, it took its modern form in the nineteenth century, pairing herring, smoked salmon, cold cuts, cheeses and schnapps. A celebratory meal, it shapes Nordic palace buffets.