My twist on a tunnbrödsrulle

the inspiration for Hej Hej Swedish hot dogs

When I worked in tech, my Google News alerts consisted of “pharmaceutical trends” and “biotech acquisitions.” Nowadays, it’s all “hot dogs” and “hej hej’s”. Never have I ever known so much about what’s happening in the US with respect to hot dogs. There are hot dog eating competition headlines, old school hot dog empire beef, and the realization that “people aren’t just eating hot dogs - they’re wearing them!”. Every week, there’s a new article detailing hot dog variations from cultures around the world. Without fail, there is never a mention of a Swedish-style hot dog or a “tunnbrödsrulle”, pronounced “toon-broods-rool-leh”. The word “tunnbrödsrulle” roughly translates to “thin bread roll”, which is what encompasses a sausage alongside mashed potatoes, shrimp salad, and pickled things.

I wish I could tell you a sweet story about how my Swedish grandmother taught me how to make these hot dogs in her kitchen, or that it was her favorite snack. If you’ve read my earlier Substacks, you know that my grandma was a terrible cook. My favorite memory of her is when she thought it would be nice to get a “nachos bell grande” from Taco Bell with her cute Swedish-American accent and white Calvin Klein denim get-up. Truthfully, the first time I had a tunnbrödsrulle was for a quick hangover lunch the morning after Midsommar in Sweden, and I didn’t think much of it at the time.

When I made my first Hej Hej pop-up menu in October 2023, I wanted to showcase fun twists on Swedish classics, like a Swedish meatball breakfast burrito or a pumpkin spice chokladball. I felt like the same Swedish food was always making its rounds without much traction - Swedish meatballs, things with mayo, pickled fish, or cinnamon rolls. Out of nowhere, I remembered the flavor combination of the hot dog I had tried, and I immediately set out to recreate it in my kitchen. The result? Flavor. Explosion. I knew people needed this hot dog in their lives, and I was so excited to share it.

Now for my twist! I used a locally baked bun instead of flatbread, and I swapped out regular mashed potatoes for pommes aligot. Living in SF, aka the sourdough capital of the world, I had to capitalize on this being in my backyard. Plus, a hot dog bun distributed the ingredients differently and allowed for that perfect bite. Pommes aligot is a decadent French mashed potato dish layered with heavy cream, butter, and pounds of Gruyère cheese. I studied abroad in Aix-en-Provence in college, and I’ll never forget when I tried it for the first time. It was wintertime, and we had gone with my host family to the countryside to stay at her parents’ picturesque farmhouse. It was snowing and we were eating pommes aligot, steak au poivre, and fresh sea urchin. I thought my host mom was stirring a cheese fondue, only to realize it was the potato dish. Back then, I knew that this was the mashed potato of all mashed potatoes. And at this moment in my kitchen, I knew it deserved a seat on the hot dog table.

I never worried about changing this dish from its original form, because that’s what cooking is all about. Taking your experiences with food and sharing them with others in a way that’s authentic to you. I was half Swedish growing up in the US, so why would I serve a purist hot dog?

Sure, I get the handful of Swedes who come up to me during my pop-ups and remind me that my hot dog is not a tunnbrödsrulle, and to that I say - you are correct! But if you look around, there are so many people trying shrimp salad and mashed potatoes on a hot dog for the first time, and that is the entire point. Plus, I’d say local Swedes are my biggest fans!

Soon after I focused solely on hot dogs for my pop-ups, something very fun started happening. I started using the hot dog as a “gateway food” of sorts to teach people about the Swedish culture I love so much. If you’ve been with me from the start, you know I’ve done a Swedish cinnamon roll hot dog with a cardamom toasted bun and a Swedish Christmas buffet hot dog piled high with pickled beet salad, egg salad, and pickled herring. I’ve put almond paste and whipped cream on a hot dog to celebrate Swedish Semla season. I’m currently dreaming up a pickled strawberry relish with crème fraiche for a Midsommar hot dog. The possibilities are endless and quite frankly, exciting 😉.

What’s your favorite flavor combo on a hot dog? I’d love to know!

Thanks for reading, as always 🍓

Amelia