Scandinavia

First rule of smörgåsbord: Pace yourself. You've got to make your way through dozens of dishes — fish courses, ham, cheeses, warm entrees. And don't forget dessert. Or should we say desserts?

For one writer, the small, buttery Danish cookie her Scandinavian-American family made during Christmas was the taste of the holidays. Turns out, the classic Danish cookie may not be Danish after all.

The whitefish is famous for being repulsive — and divisive. But Scandinavian-Americans in the Midwest consider their seasonal smelly-jelly feast to be an important link to their Viking ancestors.