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Gothenburg Meal
Gothenburg has a new signature dish – Gothenburg Royale, created by Malin Boban. The Gothenburg Meal project has been searching for the city’s new signature dish in the spring of 2025 as a tribute to sustainable and local food joy.
What is the typical Gothenburg meal? There is the classic shrimp sandwich and the “half-special” (hot-dog with mashed potatoes), but now it is time to look at the food of the future and let the people come up with a completely new – or old – suggestion for what represents Gothenburg’s food culture.
In January 2025, a unique competition was launched that puts Gothenburg’s food culture on the map. Together with Switch Food Hub, (an EU collaboration between RISE and Chalmers University of Technology), the West Sweden Tourist Board and the City of Gothenburg, Göteborg & Co started the “Gothenburg Meal” – a project to create pride in local food, inspire healthier eating habits and contribute to a more sustainable future.
In March, a semi-final took place where three finalists qualified. On August 28, the grand finale took place during the Gothenburg Culture Festival 2025. The winner was Malin Boban. Her entry, Gothenburg Royale, will be Gothenburg’s new signature dish and will represent the city’s food culture in various contexts.
Finalists
On March 17, the semi-finals were held, where six finalists presented their entries, which were sampled and tasted by the jury on site. Now three entries have made it to the final, “Fiskpudding – De va la gött” (a fish pudding), “Taco’hej” (a West coast taco) and “Gothenburg Royale” (a new version of the lobster roll). The final will be held during the Gothenburg Culture Festival at the end of August.
"There were six very interesting entries that we test-cooked during the semi-finals. The jury was unanimous in their decision and it was fantastic to see that those who went through had sought inspiration in historical dishes for contemporary and future dishes. The dishes give a sense of a Gothenburg that likes to seek security in its food heritage but is also open to influences from world cuisines but with ingredients that reflect the region."
Patrik Sewerin, head chef at restaurant Nola, expert in circular farming/cooking and jury leader in the Gothenburg Meal.
Fiskpudding – De va la gött
By Maria Bodestig
A classic dish with origins from Gothenburg since the 19th century. Fish pudding with haddock and mussel stock decorated with dill and marinated blue mussel. Served with pea salad.
Gothenburg Royale
By Malin Boban
A new take on the internationally renowned dish, the Lobster Roll. A mix of crab and mussels with Vrångebäck cheese mayonnaise and horseradish, served on the local bread “Hönökaka” baked with wholemeal flour, and topped with dried sea lettuce.
Taco’hej
By Josefine Malmer
A Gothenburg taco consisting of locally produced ingredients such as fried mussels, sour cabbage salad, sugar seaweed and hot mayonnaise.
Grand Finale
On August 28, 2025, the finale was held during Frihamnsdagarna and Gothenburg Culture Festival. The dishes were served to 75 people in the audience, who had the chance to taste the entries, laid out on sustainable reusable plates, as part of Gothenburg Culture Festival’s environmental work. After the jury’s assessment, a winner was chosen: Gothenburg Royale, created by Malin Boban.
A Gothenburg dish created in an innovative way with carefully selected ingredients from the sea, that you can also adapt seasonally. The taste is very good and is tied together in a nice way with food crafts from the archipelago. This is an exciting dish with a lot of flavor that comes together. Innovative, lively and not least sustainable, reflecting the future of Gothenburg. A dish thst fits perfectly at home, at a restaurant, at the fish counter and in public kitchens.
Assessment from the jury
Malin Boban, from Hisingen/Gothenburg, has previously worked at Garveriet with an extra focus on sustainability and currently works as a chef at Gothia Towers/Swedish Exhibition and Convention Centre. From September 16, Gothenburg Royale will be available for purchase at the bar Twentyfourseven the Gothia Towers hotel lobby.
Make your own Gothenburg Royale at home
Timetable and criteria
- The competition opened on January 21, 2025, with the opportunity to submit your recipe until March 3.
- On March 17, a semi-final took place at GoCo House, where six dishes were sampled by professional chefs from Nola Bistro and tested by the jury, who selected three finalists.
- The winner was awarded by an expert jury during Frihamnsdagarna, and was presented to a large audience during the Gothenburg Culture Festival on August 28th.
Participants had to submit:
- A recipe for the dish for 4 people
- A photo of the dish
- A short justification of why this should be the new Gothenburg meal.
Proposals had to meet at least one of the following three sustainability criteria:
- More plant-based: Focus on using local ingredients from the plant kingdom
- Whole grains in focus: Include whole grain products, preferably local
- Sustainable seafood: Sustainably produced fish, shellfish or other marine ingredients such as algae and seaweed that are found locally or in the region.
An expert panel that tests and evaluates
The jury for the Gothenburg Meal consisted of a large experts panel from the city’s culinary landscape. Chefs, journalists and food influencers gathered with researchers in food and sustainability.
- Patrik Sewerin, head chef at restaurant Nola and expert in circular farming/cooking. Jury leader.
- Nikola Zivkovic, food influencer from Gothenburg and featured on the Food Power Barometer 2024.
- Maria Zihammou, Author and food journalist
- Britta Floren, Sustainability Expert at RISE, Sweden’s research institute, with a focus on green nutrition and more plant-based
- Jasmine Soufi, Social entrepreneur and project manager for Biskopsgården’s food festival and Food Fest Gothenburg
- Joel Albertsson, runs the cultivation company Svalan, a green hub of production and services within biointensive and regenerative agriculture
- Anna Axelsson, sustainability expert at RISE, Sweden’s research institute, with a focus on the blue economy and sustainable seafood
- Maria Alexandersson, Project Manager for FullkornsFrämjandet, which works to promote the role of whole grains in a healthy and sustainable diet.
- Karin Hermansson, has a focus on school meals and is an award-winning preschool chef and meal educator at Steningssund Municipality.
- Stella Bentham, cooking student from Ester Mosessons Gymnasium
- Nellie Corneliusson, cooking student from Ester Mosessons Gymnasium
- Marcus Adevi, food and consumer researcher at RISE with a focus on how eating habits are formed and changed and, not least, project manager for the Gothenburg Meal
Read more about Gothenburg Meal here (Swedish only)
