Whenever I travel, one of my favorite things to do is visit food markets. From Seattle’s Pike Place Market to Montreal’s Marché Jean-Talon, I have visited some amazing temples to gastronomy. So naturally, when my family visited Sweden, and its capital Stockholm, Östermalms Saluhall, the city’s famous food hall, was the site I most wanted to see. A salvaged 16th century warship, royal palaces and a centuries-old cathedral just doesn’t compare.

Okay, perhaps palaces, museums and cathedrals are more important than a food hall, but Östermalms Saluhall is definitely worth a visit if you are ever in Stockholm. Housed in a red brick building from the 19th century, Östermalms Saluhall is a wonderful place to eat lunch, to purchase fixings for a picnic, or to find authentic Swedish souvenirs to bring home.

If you arrive at Östermalms Saluhall in the morning, stop by Robert’s Coffee near the entrance for coffee and a pastry. The Swedes are famous for taking a coffee break, known as a fika, in the morning and another in the afternoon.

A typical breakfast treat would be a kanelbullar, a cinnamon bun or, even more Swedish, a kardemummabullar, a cardmamom bun. My mother, who adored her Swedish grandparents, had a Proustian moment on our first morning in Sweden when she bit into a cardamom bun.

Or, make Östermalms Saluhall your lunch destination after a morning of shopping in Stockholm’s iconic department store, NK, located nearby. (NK is a wonderful spot to shop for Swedish handicrafts, housewares and glass as well as having an excellent food market itself.)

There are several sit-down lunch spots, including a well-known seafood restaurant called Lisa Elmquist. Whether you eat there or not, you simply must walk by Lisa Elmquist’s astonishing display of fresh fish, some of which still have their large and rather ugly heads on.

My personal recommendation would be to stop by the Danish restaurant Nybroe Smørrebrød (pronounced, please, I have no idea) for a selection of their beautiful and delicious open-faced sandwiches. But if you happen to be traveling with picky American children, as I was, rest assured that you can find a vendor that sells spaghetti bolognese.

There are also many stalls selling food to take away, such as salads, quiche and sandwiches. With a piece of fruit or two from one of the fruit stalls, some Swedish cheese and flatbread, you would have the makings of a splendid picnic. And just down the hill from Östermalms Saluhall is Humlegården, site of Sweden’s national library, and a beautiful park with plenty of benches and green spaces.

But before you leave, do not forget to shop for some wonderful edible souvenirs to bring home. Among the truly authentic Swedish delicacies to look for are jam, particularly lingonberry or cloudberry.

If you are not familiar with cloudberries, they are a raspberry-like berry that only grows in very northern climes. They are notoriously hard to find and fragile, so you will never see them far from their native soil. I did spy fresh cloudberries on my second visit to Östermalms Saluhall and tried them for dessert one night. They are quite tart and have a somewhat musky flavor that takes some getting used to. I found that the taste grew on me, but my daughter couldn’t stand them.

Another idea would be to stop by the meat counter for some reindeer or moose salami to bring home. These products do not need to be refrigerated prior to being opened but technically you may not supposed to bring them into the country. Oops! After trying both, I bought the reindeer but now I wish I had gone ahead and bought both.

Lastly, be sure to stop by Betsy Sandberg Choklad for some beautiful candies to finish off your picnic or, if you are very patient and generous, to bring home as gifts. These candies are as delicious as they are beautiful. Sweden’s favorite confection is salted licorice, but to me, that tastes more like a punishment than a treat. I will stick with chocolate.

What are some of your favorite food markets around the world?