Taste Test: (Almost) All of the IKEA Food

[Photographs: Robyn Lee and Dave Katz]

After the dizzying, draining shopping experience that is IKEA, the shopper is rewarded with its Nordic foodstuffs. Or maybe you didn't even lift a golf pencil; maybe you were strictly there for the Swedish meatballs and lingonberry juice. In addition to the IKEA cafeteria, there's the mini market that sells most of the cafeteria items in frozen or jarred form. It's like teleporting to a Swedish grocery store where they do in fact carry Swedish Fish near the register (as they all should).

Were the frozen meatballs as springy as the SULTAN FLORVÅG foam mattress? Could the Swedish pancakes be as warm and soft as the MYSA RÖNN comforter? There were some winners, some losers, and some fish pastes that come in toothpaste tubes.

There's plenty more we didn't try, but this was all we could fit into our big blue bag. All of our tasting notes in the slideshow >>

Our Favorites

• Pannkakor (Pancakes)
• Sylt Lingon (Lingonberry Preserves)
• Kakor Haverflarn (Sweet Oat Crisps)
• Paj Ost (Cheddar Cheese and Leek Pie)
• Chocolate Covered Oat Balls With Coconut Sprinkles

Not Bad

• Marzipan Dipped in Chocolate
• Rösti (Potato Fritters)
• Potatischip Saltade and Potatischip Gräddfil & Lök (Potato Chips)
• Paj Rabarber (Rhubarb Crumble Pies)
• Knäckebröd Rag (Rye Crispbread)
• Finax Brand "Good For You" Muesli
• Dryck Lingon and Dryck Fläder (Lingonberry and Elderflower Drinks)
• Te Med Rabarber and Vaniljsmak (Rhubarb and Vanilla Tea)

Skippable

• Smörgåskaviar and Pastej Krabba (Fish Roe Spread and Crab Spread)
• Köttbullar (Meatballs)
• Mashed Potatoes
• Lax Gravad (Gravlax)
• Pizzabitar (Pizza)

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