The traditional Swedish meal structure is based on the smörgåsbord (cold table: herring, breads, cheeses) and husmanskost, the simple and hearty everyday rural cooking. It includes cold buffet items, a comforting hot dish, fika (sweet coffee break), and preserves that help get through a Scanian winter.

Dill (dill) flavors almost everything in Sweden, and pickled herring (sill/inlagd sill) is the soul of the Scanian pantry. The potato, imported to Sweden in the 18th century and queen of the table from the 19th century onward, accompanies everything — Nilsson, a peasant's daughter from Scania, grew up with these flavors.