Swedish seafood safaris – from lobster and crayfish to oysters and seaweed

Food safaris, as the name suggests, are as much about the experience as the dishes that will eventually end up on your plate. Sweden has many of these culinary adventures up its sleeve, on both water and land.

Autumn is the perfect season to set off on a food safari around the west coast of Sweden – a location synonymous with delicious fresh fish and seafood. With expert help, you’ll get to harvest oysters and mussels – or any other type of seafood that takes your fancy – before sampling your mouth-watering catch.

Here is an introduction to some of West Sweden’s best seafood safaris.

On the hunt for lobster

The lobsters found in these Swedish waters are often referred to as “black gold” – considered some of the best in the world. The harvesting season for this delicious breed of shellfish starts the first Monday after 20 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 offering crayfish and crab fishing adventures. While out at sea, you’ll undoubtedly 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 like tasting sessions and cooking activities to your tailor-made package.

Also, consider the eminent seafood safari organisers Marine Events and Smögens Fiske & Skärgårdsturerto experience life as a fisherman, pulling up lobster pots and traps before feasting on your fresh catch.

Harvest mussels and oysters

For the oyster and mussel enthusiast, Lysekils Ostron & Musslor is another west coast safari-style experience, an hour and a half 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 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.

Sustainable seaweed safari

Fish and shellfish aren’t the only delicacies you can enjoy on a seafood safari. The Swedish waters are also inhabited by some 300 types of seaweed, of which at least 20 are edible. Seaweed has several health benefits and can be harvested sustainably. Catxalot is a small company in Grebbestad that offers a range of seaweed experiences, from safaris and cooking classes to kayaking. Join a tour and learn how to identify and forage seaweed and then how to dry, store and turn the produce into a tasty lunch or dinner.