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Let’s clear up a few misunderstandings right from the start. Here on Gotland we call all sheep lambs, and we don’t talk about mutton. The adult animals are called lambs, and their young are known as just that – young lambs. Simple, isn’t it? All over Gotland, lambs graze on the grass and herbs of the island’s heaths and meadows. And, naturally, lamb is an important ingredient of the local cuisine.

Although lamb plays a key role in today’s cuisine, it has been a mainstay of cooking for centuries. The lambs are raised out of doors, and almost nothing goes to waste – the meat, wool and lambskin can all be used. What makes Gotland lambs so special is the herbs on which they browse, which impart a unique flavour to their meat.

How about a dish of Gotland lamb with spiced red cabbage, blueberries and potato dumplings, or marinated fillet of lamb with cinnamon and garlic sauce, or roast lamb with ramsons pesto and red wine sauce? These are just a few of the dishes you can sometimes expect to find on offer at the restaurants making up the Culinary Gotland network.

There are also many old-fashioned recipes for lamb.

A good example is glödhoppa – salted, boiled breast of lamb smothered in mustard and breadcrumbs and then fried. Good served with mashed swede, or strunkamos as it’s called on Gotland.

Another accompaniment may be senapspiggar – pears pickled in vinegar and a sugary syrup.

Lammsmäcka is what Gotlanders call lamb patties. They should be served with strunkamos, cream sauce and a raw vegetable salad consisting of grated carrot, swede and celery.

Among the more spectacular lamb dishes is lamb’s head, or lammskalle, which is coated with mustard, egg and breadcrumbs and grilled in the oven. At its best accompanied by the local drink known as gotlandsdricka. If you’d like to try a traditional lammskalle, you can place an advance order at certain restaurants.

Out on an island in the middle of the sea you’d expect people to eat a lot of fish. And we do. We love it, even though the number of fishermen has declined dramatically over the last few years.

Delicate, fresh-caught wild salmon has become a firm favourite of Gotland cooks. Another favourite is turbot, which not so long ago used to be thrown back into the sea. Today, turbot is highly prized for its firm, white flesh. It’s also Gotland’s national fish. In the Gotland dialect, turbot is called butte.

In the spring, ramsons and sand leeks spring up in the lime-rich soil of Gotland. These are wild members of the onion family and are extensively used in soups and salads.

Before, people wanted it white; now, it’s got to be green. For many, asparagus is the spring’s number-one vegetable. Much of Sweden’s asparagus is grown on the island, and the year’s first crop almost always comes from Gotland.

In these health-conscious times, baby carrots from Gotland have become a favourite all round the year, either eaten as they are or quickly cooked and served as a still-crisp accompaniment to other food. You’ll find some great recipes for carrots at one of the island’s farms. Visit their site at Widegrens gård

Burgundy truffles have been cultivated on Gotland since the turn of the millennium. The island’s mild autumns and calcareous soil have proved to be ideal for this excusive tuber.

Many Gotland restaurants use truffles in a highly creative manner. If you fancy making your own contribution to a gourmet truffle dinner, a truffle safari is an absolute must. Both Smakrike Krog and Fabriken Furillen arrange truffle weekends during the autumn; you’re taken out into the woods, where a guide and a specially trained truffle dog demonstrate how the truffles are harvested. In the evening, you’re served a gourmet dinner featuring dishes flavoured with the wonderful truffles you’ve harvested during the day.

Read more about Gotland

Gotland has any number of producers of fine local products. Many of them have joined various networks which have got together under the name of Goda Gotland. At Goda Gotland’s website you’ll find links to the networks and individual producers.

Another local speciality is Gotlandsdricka, or just dricke, as it’s often called. The art of brewing dricke is almost always passed on from generation to generation out on the farms. It is Gotland’s indigenous beer, tasting of juniper, hops and malts, and is a living drink that matures as it ages. That means that brewing has to start at exactly the right time ahead of big holidays such as Midsummer and Christmas. Every year, brewers flock to Southern Gotland to take part in the world dricke championships.

A full-bodied abbey beer, a Wisby Pils reminiscent of Czech beers, or why not the mead-like Medieval Beer? Gotlands Bryggeri brews a variety of styles of beer. It’s also open to visitors. Read more at Gotlands Bryggeri’s website

Thanks to the island’s mild climate, vines flourish on Gotland. There are several vineyards, both in the north and in the south. Several wines from Gotland won prizes at the annual meeting of the Swedish Wine Growers’ Association in 2007. Gutevin was awarded four diplomas, while Vinhuset Hallshuk, from Northern Gotland, garnered two diplomas and an honourable mention. Gutevin’s products can be purchased at Systembolaget, the State Alcohol Retail Monopoly. Gutevin also makes several types of spirits, among them a highly acclaimed type of grappa
www.gutevin.se

Sugar beets are widely cultivated on Gotland. With the closure of the sugar refinery at Roma in 1997 and difficulties in transporting the beets to other refineries, growers began finding it tough to make their crops pay. So it was good news when a few creative souls got together and started producing Gotland rum. Even better news is that the new drink has been widely acclaimed by the experts.

Träkumla Rom makes Gotland rum from sugar beets at a delightful farm in Träkumla just south of Visby. The company welcomes visitors for guided tours and sampling, and certain of its products are on sale at Systembolaget.
Red more about Träkumla Rom

Specially blended teas in huge variety can be had at Kränkus’ shop in Visby. By far and away the most popular is Guteblandningen, Gotland’s own special blend. The creators themselves describe it as ”a taste of Gotland that will help you remember the island of sun and wind all year round”. However, there are many more blends to try, and the company even has its own song …
Read more at Kränkus’ website