Pölsa is a traditional northern Swedish dish that is a close relative to Scottish haggis. The main ingredients are beef sinew, liver, heart, lung, onion, and barley, mixed with stock, black pepper, and marjoram. Sometimes ground beef or minced pork is added. It is usually served with mashed or boiled potatoes and pickled beetroot, and sometimes a fried egg. Background The Norwegian and Danish word pølse means sausage and even if the two dishes don't look the same, the two words are related. Pölsa is simply a traditional variety of sausage filling without any casing.
In popular culture The dish plays a central role in the allegorical novel Pölsan (2002) by Swedish author Torgny Lindgren (1938–2017), in which two men go on a personal quest across postwar Sweden in search of the genuine Swedish "pölsa".
See also Haggis – similar food from Scotland Labskaus – similar food from Northern Germany Lobscouse – similar food from Norway Scouse (food) – similar food from the Liverpool area Stippgrütze – related food from Westphalia Hakkemat – similar food from Norway Faggots – similar food from western Britain
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