Muslims made first Swedish meatballs

Sweden has given up authority over the parts of the country with majority Muslims, why not give them credit for meatballs as well?

By NICOLE STINSON

PUBLISHED: 19:37, Wed, May 2, 2018 | UPDATED:

In the 18th century King Charles XII travelled to Turkey, which was then known as part of the Ottoman Empire, and brought the recipe back to Sweden.

Sweden's official Twitter account admitted the national favourite dish is in fact Turkish.

In a tweet, the account said: "Swedish meatballs are actually based on a recipe King Charles XII brought home from Turkey in the early 18th century.

"Let's stick to the facts!.

In a later tweet the account added: “We do love facts as much we love meatballs!”

King Charles XII reigned from 1697 to 1718 and also brought back coffee beans and stuffed cabbages as part of celebration of Turkish cuisine.

And now Turkish media has called for an official "confession" and for other nations to follow suit and admit the true origins of their national dishes.

The dish is known as kofte in Turkey, but in Sweden the meatballs are topped with gravy.

One heartbroken meatball fan tweeted: "My whole life has been a lie".

Meanwhile a happy Turkish resident praised the Swedish Government, saying: “I'm a Turkish man and I love Swedish meatballs. Thanks for your honesty.”

Serdar Cam, president of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), has even criticised Ikea's role in the selling of Turkish meatballs.

He tweeted: "By selling these meatballs as Swedish meatballs for years in their chain furniture store, they are also saying forget the furniture, I can even sell your meatballs as if they are mine, through my marketing and distribution organisation."

Express.co.uk has contacted Ikea for comment.

Other national dishes that have been disputed include the ongoing debate between China and Vietnam over who created the spring roll, while Australia and New Zealand continue to battle over the origins of the pavlova.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/954388/ikea-swedish-meatballs-sweden-turkey

Link at https://gatesofvienna.net/2018/05/gates-of-vienna-news-feed-5-2-2018/#more-45683

This rates high on the BS meter.