Swedish meatballs originally Turkish dish: Swedish government

ANKARA

The Swedish meatball dish is originally based on a Turkish recipe, the Swedish government wrote on its official Twitter account on April 29. 

“Swedish meatballs are actually based on a recipe King Charles XII brought home from Turkey in the early 18th century. Let’s stick to the facts!,” the social media post read.

Annie Mattson, a researcher at the literature department of Uppsala University, told Anadoly Agency that Sweden’s King Charles XII lost a battle against Russia and took shelter in Bender, then an Ottoman territory near Moldova.

Mattson also added that the king brought the meatballs recipe, coffee beans, and stuffed cabbage when he returned to his country.