Jansson's temptation

Lore & Background

The dish has often been associated with the opera singer Per Adolf 'Pelle' Janzon (1844–1889), remembered as a gourmand, but any connection with him is unlikely, according to food writer Jens Linder. Another claim for the origin of the name has been made by Gunnar Stigmark (1910–2001) in his article 'Så var det med Janssons frestelse', which appeared in the periodical Gastronomisk kalender. According to Stigmark, his mother and a cook she had hired to prepare a dinner party wanted to give the familiar dish a special name, and decided to use the name of the film Janssons frestelse (1928) featuring the actor and director Edvin Adolphson; from that party the name spread to other households and eventually into cookbooks.

Reader's Guide

Jansson's temptation is a staple of Swedish festive tables, particularly at Christmas and Easter, though according to Linder it did not become associated with Christmas dinner until the 1970s. The type of fish used is often mistranslated into English as anchovies when it should be sprats, because sprats pickled in sugar, salt and spices have been known in Sweden as ansjovis since the middle of the 19th century, while true anchovies are sold in Sweden as sardeller. Small herrings may be used instead of sprats. The dish is prepared by layering thin potato strips with sprats and chopped onions, seasoning with salt and pepper, adding cream, and baking at 200 °C for about one hour. Its legacy lies in its enduring popularity across Sweden and Finland, and in the debated but colorful stories of its naming.

Did You Know?

• The dish is known as janssoninkiusaus in Finland.
• Sprats pickled in sugar, salt and spices have been called ansjovis in Sweden since the mid-19th century.
• According to Gunnar Stigmark, the name came from the 1928 film Janssons frestelse starring Edvin Adolphson.
• The dish did not become associated with Christmas dinner until the 1970s, according to food writer Jens Linder.

A Staple of Swedish and Finnish Tables

Jansson's temptation is a traditional Swedish casserole built around potatoes, onions, pickled sprats, and cream. In Swedish it goes by the name Janssons frestelse, while Finnish speakers know the same dish as janssoninkiusaus. Its most classic role in Swedish dining is as a late-night course served just before guests depart from a party, offering a hearty, comforting finale to an evening of celebration. Over time, however, the dish has migrated beyond that single context. It now appears regularly on the Swedish julbord, the lavish Christmas smörgåsbord, and it also features on the Easter påskbuffé, a spread described as lighter than its Christmas counterpart. This broadening of its seasonal presence shows how a once-situational party dish has become woven into multiple points of the Swedish and Finnish holiday calendar.

The Sprat Misunderstanding

One of the most persistent errors surrounding Jansson's temptation is the frequent English-language mistranslation of its key fish ingredient as anchovies. The fish actually used is the sprat (Sprattus sprattus), pickled in sugar, salt, and spices. In Sweden, these pickled sprats have carried the name ansjovis since the middle of the nineteenth century, which is the root of the confusion. True anchovies (Engraulis encrasicolus), by contrast, are sold in Sweden under the name sardeller, borrowed from the French sardelles. Small herrings (Clupea harengus) may also be substituted for sprats in the recipe. The preparation itself is straightforward: thin potato strips are layered in a roasting tin with chopped onions and the pickled fish, seasoned with salt and pepper, nearly filled with cream, and baked at 200 °C (392 °F) for approximately one hour. The result is a rich, creamy bake that rewards its simple, layered construction.

A Name with a Mysterious Past

The origin of the dish's name has long been debated. A popular but unlikely theory links it to Per Adolf "Pelle" Janzon (1844–1889), an opera singer remembered as a gourmand. Food writer Jens Linder has argued that any genuine connection between Janzon and the casserole is improbable. A more specific claim was put forward by Gunnar Stigmark (1910–2001) in his article "Så var det med Janssons frestelse," published in the periodical Gastronomisk kalender. Stigmark recounted that his mother, together with a cook she had hired for a dinner party, wanted to give the familiar dish a distinctive name. They settled on the title of the 1928 film Janssons frestelse, starring actor and director Edvin Adolphson. From that single dinner gathering, the name reportedly spread through other households and eventually made its way into published cookbooks, cementing what had been an informal party dish into a recognized entry in Swedish cuisine.

From Party Fare to Holiday Fixture

Although Jansson's temptation is now almost synonymous with Swedish Christmas, its association with the holiday is relatively recent. According to food writer Jens Linder, the dish did not become linked to Christmas dinner until the 1970s. Before that, its primary home was the late-night table at the end of a party, a comforting, indulgent course to send guests home on a full stomach. The shift into the julbord and the Easter påskbuffé represents a broader cultural integration: a dish that began as a situational, social-gathering food gradually became a fixed element of seasonal Swedish and Finnish spreads. Its presence on the lighter Easter buffé alongside the heavier Christmas smörgåsbord demonstrates its versatility across different holiday contexts. The journey from a name coined at a single 1928 dinner party to a multi-seasonal staple illustrates how Swedish food traditions can absorb and elevate a dish over the course of a few decades.

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