Photo Composite by The Daily Beast, Courtesy of @BritishBakeOff/Twitter
You may have heard the Swedish phrase “smorgasbord” before. It’s a big bounty of food with cheeses, meats, warm appetizers, and cold salads—almost like a barbecue. A whole smorgasbord of food sounds quite good right now! But have you ever heard of a “smörgåstårta?” If not, allow The Great British Baking Show to introduce it to you.
Or maybe not. This week’s showstopper challenge was a real doozy—but not for the bakers. It was a pain for us to watch at home. This year’s bread week included baking pizzas, crafting the perfect pain au raisin, and, lastly, the infamous smörgåstårta. The first two looked delicious. The last dish, however, had viewers questioning the whole show.
So, what is a smörgåstårta? Just like a smorgasbord, the smörgåstårta is a Swedish dish full of a bunch of flavors. But instead of laying them out like a buffet, with a smörgåstårta, bakers have to combine several savory ingredients into one big cake-styled bread. Smörgåstårtas are usually made out of rye bread, with fillings of cheese, ham, fish, and other delights you’d find at a bagel shop.