Quick Answer: A smorgasbord is a Swedish buffet: a whole table of cold and hot dishes, eaten in courses and started with herring. A charcuterie board is one board of cured meat, cheese and snacks that people graze in any order. In English, "smorgasbord" also just means a big variety.
Smorgasbord vs. charcuterie board at a glance
| Smorgasbord | Charcuterie board | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Sweden | France (the word); the board is a modern American party format |
| What the word means | "Bread-and-butter table" | Prepared, cured meats (from chair cuite, cooked flesh) |
| Format | A whole table, served buffet-style | One board or platter |
| Hot food | Yes, usually the last savory course | No, it's all cold |
| Order | Courses: cold fish, other cold dishes, then hot dishes | Graze in any order |
| Signature foods | Pickled herring, gravlax, cold cuts, meatballs, potatoes, bread, butter, cheese | Salami, prosciutto, cheese, crackers, fruit, spreads |
| A meal or a snack? | A full meal | Usually a starter or party food |
| Classic drink | Snaps (aquavit) and beer | Wine, sparkling wine or beer |
What a smorgasbord is
The word comes from Swedish smörgås, an open sandwich (bread and butter), and bord, a table. Bread, butter and cheese are always on it (Wikipedia).
It's not a free-for-all. Swedes traditionally eat a smorgasbord in rounds, with a fresh plate each time:
- Cold fish: pickled herring, salmon, eel.
- Other cold dishes: cold meats, salads, eggs.
- Hot dishes: meatballs, sausages, potatoes.
- Dessert, if there's room.
It grew out of the brännvinsbord, a small standing table of bread, butter, cheese, herring and snaps that wealthy Swedish households served before dinner in the 1500s. By the mid-1600s it had moved onto the main table and added warm dishes.
The Christmas version: julbord
At Christmas, the Swedish smorgasbord becomes the julbord: five to seven courses of herring, cold fish like gravlax, hot fish, Christmas ham with mustard, meatballs and Jansson's temptation (a potato casserole), then cheese and rice pudding.
How Americans met it
Most Americans first saw a smorgasbord at the 1939 New York World's Fair, where the Swedish Pavilion's restaurant served one. Since then, English speakers have used "smorgasbord" for any big buffet, and for any large mix of things ("a smorgasbord of options").
What a charcuterie board is
Charcuterie is French for prepared meats: salami, ham, pâté and the like. A charcuterie board puts a few of those meats on a board with cheese, crackers, fruit, nuts and spreads, for guests to graze from. It's cold, it's built ahead and nobody follows an order. See what charcuterie actually means for more.
Where they overlap
- Both are cold-forward spreads to share. A smorgasbord's cold courses look a lot like a big board: cured fish, sliced meat, cheese, bread and pickles.
- A grazing table sits in between. It covers a whole table like a smorgasbord, but it's still cold finger food like a board. See grazing board vs. charcuterie board.
- "Smorgasbord" is the casual word for variety. If someone calls your huge board "a real smorgasbord," that's a compliment, not a correction.
Make a smorgasbord-style board
Want the Swedish flavors without cooking a buffet? Build a board with a Nordic accent:
- Cured fish: gravlax or smoked salmon, and a small jar of pickled herring.
- Meat: thin-sliced ham, with a sweet-hot mustard.
- Cheese: Jarlsberg and an aged, crumbly hard cheese.
- Bread: rye crispbread, thin rye and butter (the smörgås part).
- Sharp and fresh: cucumber, dill, pickled red onion and boiled eggs.
- Sweet: lingonberry jam.
Serve it with cold beer, or aquavit for the traditional pairing. For a complete plan, see our Scandinavian charcuterie board.
Sources
FAQ
What is the difference between a smorgasbord and a charcuterie board?
A smorgasbord is a Swedish buffet: a whole table of cold and hot dishes, traditionally eaten in courses starting with herring and ending with warm dishes. A charcuterie board is a single board of cured meats, cheese and snacks that guests graze from in any order.
What does smorgasbord mean?
It's Swedish: smörgås means an open sandwich, or bread and butter, and bord means table. So it's roughly a bread-and-butter table. In English it also means any large, varied selection.
Is a smorgasbord the same as a buffet?
A smorgasbord is a kind of buffet, the Swedish one, with a set order: cold fish first, then other cold dishes, then hot dishes. In English the word is often used for any big buffet.
Is a grazing table a smorgasbord?
Not quite, but it's the closest modern relative. Both cover a whole table. A grazing table is still cold, finger-food grazing, while a smorgasbord adds hot dishes and courses.
What is a julbord?
The Swedish Christmas smorgasbord. It's eaten in five to seven courses: pickled herring, cold fish like gravlax, hot fish, cold Christmas ham with mustard, warm dishes like meatballs, then cheese and rice pudding.
