Visit a store Ikea It always has some risk. It is a challenge that tests any couple and a kind of black hole from which it is difficult to get out. Recurring jokes aside, even if we go with clear ideas about what to buy, utensils and accessories always fall that we didn’t even know we needed, and it’s also hard to resist to food.
Because the tempting Swedish food store that is usually right in front of the checkouts, between the exit door and the entrance door, calls to us with its eye-catching posters, its products to taste for free and its weird names of fancy foods and drinks. For those of us who live almost 24 hours a day with the kitchen and eating things on our minds, it is difficult not to walk through its corridors to browse.
In the team of DAP We are also weak in the face of temptation, and even more so when going to Ikea is not like going to the supermarket on the corner; It requires some planning and are usually specific and sporadic visits. So, when we pass by there, we have to take advantage.
The most attractive thing about the furniture giant’s food store is being able to find products still hard to see in other stores, even some that have already spread to more common businesses maintain an aura of Nordic authenticity and distinct quality. Articles also attract more seasonallimited editions and new items that come out from time to time, such as special Christmas sweets or Easter foods.
These are our favorite food products, the ones that always tend to fall into the basket when we go to a shelf or replace the dishes. Some references are not available on the website and others they come and go depending on the store and the season, but most are easy to find.
They are so popular that everyone knows them as “Ikea-style cookies”, and there are many versions of homemade recipes on the internet. The original version of the thin and crispy pasta, without further ado, is difficult to find today, probably because the version has gained popularity. with chocolate black.
Is a typical Swedish cookie call havreflarnwhich Ikea includes in its KAFFEREP series, dedicated to classic sweets for the art of fikathe coffee break or mid-afternoon snack to disconnect and enjoy a comforting drink and a sweet bite.
I admit that I really liked oatmeal cookies at the time, but over time I have found them too sweet and crunchy for my sensitive gums. Still, if I have some on hand I’m sure they will go down well, especially with a good coffee, since dark chocolate combines wonderfully with them.
Miguel Ayuso also confesses to them and confirms his addictive character: “I love these cookies that I never buy because I’m fat, but my mother sometimes has them at home and they are a vice.” Carmen Tia Alia also remembers them with pleasure, especially that thickness so fine and the “superb” crunchy texture.
More typically Christmas, the thin and spicy gingerbread cookies, Nordic style, were brought to us by Ikea when they were practically unknown in Spain. They are also one of my favorites to drink with coffee or an infusion, delicious for their intense flavor of spices and that characteristic texture.
Pakus agrees: “although they are now available on more surfaces, in the past they were the easiest to get at Ikea and I got used to their thickness and texture crunchy”.
Jaime de las Heras is something more gourmet in the biscuit field. “Although I am especially a fan of gingerbread cookies, I do understand that they are not something to binge on and that, if it is a flavor that does not convince us, they can repel us. Therefore, the alternative that goes with almonds is win-win cookie jar from Ikea that, to make it even more Scandinavian, I would mix with the blueberry jam that they also have.
4. Jams
Speaking of jams, is another of the most legendary and popular sections of the Swedish food store. I remember them from the first day exactly the same, probably only the price having changed and perhaps some flavors were abandoned. But the most in demand remain.
Pakus is a fan of blueberry jam, which stands out for its texture and which is not very cloying, while Carmen Tia Alia confesses that she likes all of them, but especially the ones from Fruits of the foresta classic flavor that is not seen so much in national jams.
Personally I have to highlight the cranberries, since it is still a flavor that is difficult to see in other stores, of which Joana Costa also declares herself a fan. Our colleague praises its flavor as something different from the typical raspberry, and she likes to add it to the homemade yogurts that she prepares, as well as to combine with meats or cheeses. I especially highlight the delicious orange and elderflower jam, very special and with a delicious bitter touch.
5. Cinnamon rolls
We close the breakfast and sweet snacks section with the also ultra-popular cinnamon rolls, delicious buns that, yes, will be ultra-processed from the factory, but that are pure pleasure and they are not very cloying or heavy.
Personally, I have only tried the fresh classics, whose small size is ideal for an after-dinner indulgence, although it may not taste like much. slightly warmed in the microwave They are a vice, with their tender texture and intense cinnamon aroma.
Carmen Tia Alia, although she prefers to make homemade cinnamon rolls, confesses that for a while she used to buy frozen ones, as they last longer and are a quick resource for a pinch. Of course, she warns that “they are very dangerous.”
6. Fried onion
We have another case of Ikea being a pioneer in Spain, as Miguel Ayuso points out. “At least I discovered fried onion, which is now available in many places, at Ikea. And it’s a move that I really like for salads“. I agree with him on everything; at home it is already a pantry staple to give that point of flavor and texture to salads and also to hot dogs or even vegetable creams.
Although we already bought it at the neighborhood supermarket, if we stop by Ikea we take a bottle or, better yet, a large format bag to fill ours. In the end it pays off, it always wears out before it goes stale. It may be a little more expensive than in other stores, but its quality is generally superior.
7. Sour Cream and Onion Crisps
Fans of French fries like Miguel Ayuso have another possible one at Ikea kryptoniteif you prefer more intense flavors and with its sour spot, in the style of those that are usually liked in Anglo-Saxon lands and Central Europe. No fanciful flavors full of artificial aromas with dubious results, nor with sweet touches.
The sour cream and onion flavored potato chips are perfect for giving variety to the simpler ones at aperitif time, and the truth is that they pair very well with a fresh blonde beer. Are fried with the skin and they have a great texture, both to eat as is and to dip in a sauce.
8. Herring fillets
Ikea will have a lot of smoked salmon, but what Jaime de las Heras comes to recommend in the marine section is a very rare preserve still on our tables. “In Ikea it is one of the few places where you can find canned herring, a fish that we don’t usually see in Spain and that is very good to get out of the salmon or cod routine. I like them for the texture they have, which is pleasant to bite and also for a slightly sweet touch that the marinade provides.”
I have to confess that I also like them a lot, although you have to have palate and hobby for this type of preserves. Having a German uncle from Bremen, where they are truly passionate about any boat and boat with marine products, in my house they are enjoyed with pleasure.
9. Caviar spread
More peculiar is another product that comes and goes from the Ikea shelves, since perhaps the Spanish consumer is not so used to it. The caviar spread in a tube container is very much to Pakus’ taste, which precisely highlights its format and economical price. It is a condiment very popular in Swedennot exclusive to the furniture store.
10. Crispy Rye Bread
In Spain we call it bread wasa because it is the most widespread brand in the world that arrived first in our stores, although today it is even marketed with white brands from national supermarkets. But crispy nordic breadthe genuine one, is made of rye and usually has a round shape, like the one that Ikea still maintains since its beginnings.
Super crispy and of good thickness, it is precisely called KNÄCKEBRÖD, literal translation of “crusty bread” or “that crunches”, a name that it also shares in German, as it is a type of dry bread that is very popular in Central Europe. I love its pure taste whole rye and how delicious it is with cheeses and jams.
11. Licorice
Unfortunately they no longer usually have salty licorice, a delicacy to which I am confessedly addicted, but at least they have a variety of sweets in their assortment. economic package consisting only of pieces of classic sweet licorice, without sugar and without strange fillers.
I like the texture tender and juicy when the bag is just opened, and that, despite being a sweet gummy, is not too cloying, with a good flavor aniseed. But let the salty range come back, please.
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*Some prices may have changed since the last review
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