Suovas
Smoke-cured reindeer, thinly sliced and seared hot, wrapped in soft gáhkku bread with lingonberry.
Cultural Context & History
Suovas — from the Sami word for smoke — is reindeer salted and smoked over birch, then fried and folded into warm flatbread. It is the great street food of Sápmi's winter markets.
Ingredients
- 400 g suovas (smoked reindeer), thinly sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
- 150 g chanterelles or other forest mushrooms
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp cream
- 3 juniper berries, crushed
- Pinch of thyme
- Pita or gáhkku flatbread, to serve
Recommended Tools
- Cast-iron skilletHolds a fierce heat so the slices sear rather than steam.
- Sharp slicing knifeCuts the smoked meat wafer-thin against the grain.
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Step-by-Step Instructions
- 1
Melt the butter in a pan over medium-high heat, then add the sliced onion, mushrooms and crushed juniper. Sauté until the mushrooms are soft and the onions golden, and set aside.
- 2
Lay the thin slices of suovas into the hot pan and fry quickly for 2 to 3 minutes, just until the edges catch and the smoke comes alive.
- 3
Return the mushrooms and onions to the pan, stir in the cream and thyme, and heat through for a minute.
- 4
Season with salt and black pepper and serve at once, folded into warm pita or gáhkku flatbread.
Chef's Tip
Slice the suovas while it is still half-frozen — the cured meat firms up and yields near-translucent pieces that sear in seconds without drying.
Chef's Tip
It comes already salted from the cure, so hold back the salt until the very end and taste before you add any.
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