There are many Scandinavian recipes to keep you warm through the winter, but this one is probably the most fun! It’s mulled wine Nordic-style and it tastes a bit how Christmas feels.
Ingredients
For the mulled wine:
- 1 bottle of red wine
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tbsp orange zest
- 2 tbsp raisins
- 1 tbsp cardamom
- 2 tbsp ginger (fresh root)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 8 cloves
- 1 and ½ cup of bourbon, vodka or aquavit (this is optional)
Serve with:
- Orange slices
- Raisins
- Blanched and slivered almonds
Directions
Tip: Don’t be afraid to make this recipe your own and play around with the ingredients. There are countless different concoctions and you’ll find that all your Nordic friends have a version that their grandmother “makes better”.
- Pour the wine, spirits (optional), sugar, orange zest, raisins, cardamom pods, a slice of ginger root, cinnamon stick, and cloves into a large pot.
- Heat the pot to 175°F (77°C) and let it simmer for 2 minutes. Ideally, the sugar should fully dissolve.
- Take the pot off the heat and let it stand for 1 hour.
- Strain out the spices.
- When serving, reheat it (but don’t let it boil) and add a few slivered almonds and raisins to the bottom of each cup before you pour the mixture in.
- Top it off with a slice of orange as a garnish.
Background: Mulled wine
This Scandinavian recipe is popular all throughout the Nordic region, with each country giving it their own twist and different spellings.
It’s known as Gløgg in Norwegian and Danish, Glögg in Swedish and Icelandic, and Glögi in Finnish.
It’s a definite Christmas staple (in Sweden they love it so much they even host Glögg parties!) and an essential drink for the winter season. But it’s also just a common drink for all sorts of Nordic celebrations.
Alternative serving suggestion: It’s typically made with alcohol, but you can also make a non-alcoholic version by replacing the wine and spirits with things like juice.
Scandification. Discovering Scandinavia.
Check out these mouthwatering Scandinavian cookbooks on Amazon…
