Food & drink activities

Potato harvest in Båstad

Which crops are typical of Skåne then? Potatoes play an important role in Skåne food culture, which means we’re always ready to celebrate the year’s first new potato harvest. Potato Day, or as the growers themselves call it, Pärans dag, is a day entirely devoted to the potato on the natural beautiful peninsula of Bjärehalvön. The early vegetable festival is held in Gamla Torget, Båstad. Growers from around Bjäre offer up freshly dug potatoes, and there will also be entertainment and a restaurant tent laid on.

Food tour in Österlen

The inauguration of the Food Tour in the spring signals the start of a ten-day food experience. Participants include around 30 local growers, food manufacturers, farm shops, inns, country hotels, restaurants and cafés, and they are all united in their desire to provide traditional Österlen food and accommodation experiences. During the food tour you can find everything from cookery courses to spice trails, wine tastings to visits to apple orchards, not forgetting an introduction to medieval food and a session with cooks and growers discussing various themes.

Asparagus in Österlen

One of the most popular early vegetables is asparagus. Österlen Sparris has noticed this and organises asparagus days over two weekends in May when you can visit Sparrisgården (Asparagus Farm) outside Skillinge. There, you can go on a tour of the facility, taste asparagus and discover more about asparagus growing, and get tips on recipes and wines, among other things.

The wine way

Something that may not initially spring to mind when you think of Skåne is wine. However, there are actually several manufacturers of high-quality and recognised wine located in the Skåne region. Several of the vineyards are open to visitors and offer wine tastings. Don’t hesitate to head for one of these vineyards for a visit when the vines are in bloom.

Apple market in Kivik

The history of the Apple Market begins in 1987, when times were hard for apple growers. The USA and EU demanded the removal of the Swedish import ban on foreign fruit during the Swedish fruit season. Fruit growers protested and countered by starting the "Apple War". One year later, in 1988, import protection was removed and the first Apple Market was held in Kivik. The professional fruit-growing industry joined forces to raise positive awareness of Swedish fruit. Since then, the Apple Market has grown larger and stronger over the years. The market was initially held in Kivik Square. This soon became too small, and the event was moved to Kivik Harbour. In 1988, an estimated 6,000 visitors attended the market in the square. Twenty or so years later, between 20,000 and 25,000 people are attracted to Kivik Harbour during the last weekend in September. Each market features a piece of apple art, in which 35,000 apples are installed on 70,000 spikes. The theme is kept secret until the art is unveiled at the market. In recent years, artist Emma Karp Lundström has been behind the art; prior to this, her father, Helge Lundström, was responsible for it. During the market, visitors can taste and buy a wide range of Swedish fruit, listen to artists performing on the stage, buy Swedish handicrafts and attend the wannual Golden Apple award ceremony.