Welcome To Lund - Lesson Two

By now you have undoubtedly noticed the cost of everything in Sweden. For anyone from the states the sticker shock is extra shocking as our homeland has spoiled us with cheap goods that we import with low tariffs and huge economies of scale. Sorry fellow statesman, there's no super Wal-Mart up here. So, presented in my second lesson is a cost survival guide for food. At least this way you can eat (which is about all you can afford to do up here). Most of the living arrangements in Lund have a kitchen of some sort...either it's a corridor where you share the kitchen with flat mates (like me), or you have a small kitchen in your room that consists of basic microwave, sink, etc. In either case you need to learn how to cook and take advantage of such luxuries.

When you just can't stand your own culinary concoctions anymore and decide to venture out for a meal here are some tips. Sit down meals are very expensive....a big burger at a nice place (Hercules Bar) can easily run 140sek ($20 USD) and a salad most 'nice' places are 60 sek. Thus why I have yet to step foot inside a sit down restaurant for a meal....I say, if you want to eat a proper meal, buy a ticket to the Baltic states and spend a weekend there. You'll come out ahead. So, if nice sit down places are out what is a person to do? Simple, falafel and pizza!!

There are numerous falafel and kebab stands throughout Lund. These are the equivalent to the American fast food dining experience (except there is limited variety and it is way healthier). My favorite falafel is a place I refer to as Kebab Huset Centrum which is located at the corner of Kyrkogaten and Paradisgatan (adjacent to the central library Stadsbiblioteket). These guys run a good place. The oil in the fryer is changed regularly and thus makes the falafel taste true to form. In each wrap there is a load of vegetables jammed in and you can pick between several sauces for toppings (I recommend spicy). A wrap will set you back 25sek ($3.50 USD). If you want to upgrade throw on an order of pommes (fries) and you are set for the rest of the day for under $5 USD. If you get tired of falafel the other option in the city is pizza.

There are several pizza options around and I haven't tried enough of the different places to comment on a 'favorite'. That being said, since it is Sweden, everything is more of less the same so the pizza experience won't differ much from shop to shop. You have two options when you go to a pizza place...take away or dine in. This is tricky business.....if you are solo, take it to go. The reason for this is that the pies are huge. They run around 60sek so you need to stretch it into at least two meals if not three (I've even heard tales of petite women splitting one 4 ways....oh to be thin again) and the only way to do that without insulting the place is to take it to go. The whole 'doggy bag' concept is elusive in Scandinavia. If you are with someone else you can usually maximize your money by dining in as most of the shops have a cabbage salad that they serve along with their pies that you can load up on (unlimited self serve refills) and thus have plenty of food even for two hungry lads. The tricky part about dining in is that the shop owners assume that if there are two people there will be two pies being ordered. They will be astounded when you order one pie and there are two of you....I don't really understand this, but you'll see what I mean when you try to do it. My favorite pie is a ‘kebap pizzor’ with garlic sauce. You will find these everywhere. They are basically a thin crust Italian margarita pizza with kebab shavings loaded on the top and drenched in garlic sauce. A few hot (mild) peppers on top and you are set. Bon appetit and welcome to Lund.