Swedish food safaris for truffle and lobster lovers

Food safaris, as the name suggests, are as much about the experience as the dishes that will eventually end up on your plate. Scenic foodie destination Sweden has a great deal of these culinary adventures up its sleeve, including some fine-dining options involving truffles and seafood. Autumn is the perfect season to set off on a food safari if you’re after Gotlandic truffles or the sought-after lobsters found around the west coast of Sweden – a location synonymous with delicious fresh seafood. 

An introduction to some of Sweden’s best food safaris:

Gotland Truffle Festival – a celebration of an icon 

Those on the hunt for Gotlandic truffles should head to the paradise island off the east coast of Sweden. A truffle hotspot – there’s even an annual festival dedicated to this rare treat – the Gotland Truffle Festival. Come November you’ll be able to immerse yourself in every aspect of this regional delicacy.

During this weekend-long event, you’ll get to visit a truffle market and participate in truffle-hunts and demonstrations, while mingling with truffle experts – and possibly even with the dogs trained to sniff them out. The Truffle Academy will hold a seminar with a focus on truffle cooking and cultivation, and there will be a glittering award ceremony, during which the truffle chef of the year will be crowned.

There are also, of course, plenty of opportunities to devour truffles. Among the many participating restaurants offering truffle-focused menus is Smakrike Krog & Logi, which is gearing up to dish out a truffle brunch, while a six-course, truffle-based banquet prepared by Gotland’s top chefs will be served at Clarion Hotel Wisby.

Lobster safaris and other seafood adventures on the Swedish west coast

The west coast of Sweden is known for its fresh fish and seafood, and it’s easy to see why it’s celebrated as a culinary hotspot – top class restaurants, chefs and food producers thrive in this picturesque part of Sweden. The region’s seafood experts are more than happy to welcome you into their world. Why not join a lobster or mussel safari, touring the seafood-rich waters around the Bohuslän archipelago accompanied by a local fisherman? With expert help at hand, you’ll get to harvest oysters and mussels – or any other type of seafood that takes your fancy – before sampling your mouth-watering catch.

On the hunt for lobster

The lobsters found in these Swedish waters are often referred to as “black gold” – considered to be some of the best in the world. The harvesting season for this delicious breed of shellfish starts the first Monday after the 20th September each year – and you’re invited to join this much-anticipated calendar highlight. Setting off from the iconic seaside spot of Marstrand, you’ll be boating around the rocky islets, accompanied by experienced guides who’ll be happy to chat all things lobster.

Fiskahummer.nu is a well-established lobster safari organiser that also offers crayfish and crab fishing adventures. While out at sea, you’ll no doubt catch other fish too – most likely cod, saithe and mackerel. These fishing experiences can be combined with packages including accommodation and dinner at the atmospheric boathouse. You can also add options such as tasting sessions and cooking activities to your tailor-made package. Also consider the eminent seafood safari organisers Marine Events, and Smögens Fiske & Skärgårdsturer (Smögen’s fishing & archipelago adventures) to experience life as a fisherman, pulling up lobster pots and traps before feasting on your fresh catch.

Harvest mussels and oysters – and enjoy!

One for the oyster and mussel enthusiast, Lysekil Oyster and Mussel Adventure is another west coast safari-style experience (an hour and a half’s drive from Gothenburg). Very much a hands-on affair, you’ll hop aboard Signe, a beautiful 1950s boat, that will take you to the shellfish farm. On arrival, you’ll get to learn the craft of mussel farming, before the actual harvesting of these delicacies begins. Next, you’ll head out to one of the few oyster banks in Bohuslän, where the exclusive oyster species Ostrea Edulis is grown – a variety simply referred to as “Swedish oyster” on local shores. In this case, too, you’ll take part in the unforgettable harvesting process. 

Once you’ve picked enough, you’ll go ashore on a beautiful islet to cook your mussels and open the oysters, enjoying your fresh catch to the soundtrack of lapping waves against rocks.