Yum! Treats from Japan

The Test Kitchen staff just returned from a trip to Ikea. While there, we took a few minutes to check out the food section. So, if you're planning an excursion to one of the many locations across Canada, forget the hotdogs and 99-cent breakfast -- head for the food shop and look for some of these really cool Scandinavian treats:

• Morfars Brannvinsost or Grandfather's Style Snapcheese (Falbygdens): A semi-firm, ripened cow's milk cheese injected with Aquavit (liqueur). Smooth, creamy and slightly sour with some grana in the paste and a subtle, lingering aquavit flavour. $6.25 (250g)

• 100% Organic Handmade Barley Thin Bread (Eriksson's Bakery): Large, rustic crisps made by a family-run bakery in Northern Sweeden. Great with Grandfather's Cheese and Lingonberry jam. $4.99

• Knackebrod (Siljans): Light and airy Finnish crispbread made from wholegrain rye flour and ground caraway. Tasty on their own, but even better with pickled herring. $1.79

• Lingonberries (Felix): A sweet-tart condiment with whole wild Swedish lingonberries. Good on crispbread or with pancakes. $2.59 (410 g)

• Cloudberry Sauce (Hafi): Sweet and seedy jam. The flavour is like a cross between mild gooseberries and golden raspberries. Good with pancakes. $5.99 (360 mL)

• Ginger Thins (Anna's): These biscuits are made at Anna's second cookie factory in High River, Alberta (the original is in Stockholm). We like the ginger (but also recommend almond, lemon and cappuccino) because they have lots of spicy flavour, melt on your tongue and are a tasty cheese accompaniment. $2.99 (150g)

• Non-Alcoholic Premium Cider (Kopparberg): A refreshing, sparkling, slightly sweet (and very peary) cider. $1.49 (16.9 oz)

• Concentrated Lingonberry Drink Mix (Hafi): Sweet, cranberry-like juice that is especially good mixed with soda water. The Concentrated Elderberry Flower Drink has a delicately perfumed, lemon flavour. Both would mix fun martinis. $4.99 (500 mL)

• Lakerol Cassis Sugarfree Pastilles: Small, chewy pastilles with delicious black currant (and mint) flavour. Flavourful and fun. $0.99

• D'aim: One-bite milk chocolates with a crunchy butter almond centre (like a little Skor bar). $5.99 (400g).