Well, the news was downright devastating! I am in grief and disbelief. The truth is out: Swedish meatballs are really not Swedish at all!
According to a tweet from the Swedish government’s official Twitter page, the famous dish is actually Turkish in origin. That’s right, Swedish meatballs are actually Turkish meatballs! The tweet was rather straightforward and to the point: “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!”
It appears that King Charles XII spent 5 years living in Turkey during the early 1700s and brought a recipe for lamb and beef meatballs back to Sweden with him. Our deepest sympathies are with the entire country of Sweden.