"Salmon buried in salt, sugar and dill for 48 hours — 'gravlaks' means buried salmon. Sliced paper-thin, eaten on rye bread with mustard-dill sauce."
About Gravlaks
Scandinavia's ancient curing method at its purest — fresh Atlantic salmon fillets buried under a mixture of salt, sugar, white pepper and dill and left to cure for 48 hours until the flesh firms and the flavour concentrates into a silky, delicate, translucent pink slice; served on rugbrød with mustard-dill sauce; the gravlaks tradition predates refrigeration by centuries.
Gravlaks — a staple of Norway's cuisine
Scandinavia's ancient curing method: fresh Atlantic salmon fillets buried under equal weights of salt and sugar with white pepper and enormous quantities of fresh dill, left for 48 hours until the flesh firms, turns translucent and concentrates its flavour. Sliced paper-thin with a long, slanted knife.
Gravlaks means 'buried salmon' — the original method involved burying the salted fish in the ground to ferment lightly. The modern refrigerator version is salt-cured rather than fermented but the name and the technique remain.
What to Expect
The gravlaks arrives already sliced, the pink flesh translucent and firm, the dill visible in the curing. On a piece of rugbrød with mustard-dill sauce, it is one of Scandinavia's clearest pleasures.
Why Try It
Gravlaks is Norwegian food preservation at its most elegant — a technique that predates refrigeration by centuries and still produces the best result.
Insider Tips
The slice must be thin enough to see light through — thick-cut gravlaks is improperly served.
Mustard-dill sauce (hovmästarsås) is the canonical accompaniment. Don't substitute with plain mustard.
Make it at home — the technique is simple and the result is better than any shop version.
