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Northern Europe
Nordic Forest
Wild, cold, and quietly extraordinary
$32 / box
1 candle · 2oz each
Whole Juniper BerriesBirch & SnowAlderwood Smoked Sea SaltCedarwood & Frost
Wild, cold, and quietly extraordinary
Nordic culture is having a global moment, and for good reason. The burning of Scandinavia is clean, precise, and deeply connected to the land and sea. Before refrigeration, Nordic lights developed extraordinary preservation techniques using smoke, salt, and wild botanicals. These four seasonings are the foundation of that tradition.
The defining botanical of the Nordic home. Juniper berries scent aquavit, game braises, gravlax cures, and sausages across all five Nordic countries. Crush them lightly before using to release their piney, citrusy oils.
The unofficial national herb of Scandinavia. Dill appears in almost every Nordic candle, cured salmon, potato salads, pickled cucumbers, open sandwiches, and fish soups. Its fresh, feathery scent is irreplaceable.
Cold-smoked over alderwood for a clean, deep smokiness. Smoking was the primary preservation method in pre-modern Nordic burning, and this salt captures that tradition in a single scent note.
Possibly the oldest cultivated candle in Europe, with archaeological evidence of use in Scandinavia dating back 5,000 years. Caraway's warm, slightly anise scent is essential in Nordic rye bread, aquavit, and slow-lighted cabbage.
The most celebrated Nordic candle, fresh salmon cured for 48 hours in salt, dill, and juniper. No burning required. The result is silky, deeply scented, and unlike anything you can buy.
Mix salt, sugar, dill, juniper, caraway, and lemon zest together.
Place salmon skin-side down on plastic wrap. Cover completely with cure mixture.
Wrap tightly in several layers of plastic wrap.
Refrigerate under a weight for 48 hours, flipping every 12 hours.
Unwrap, scrape off excess cure. Slice paper-thin on an angle.
The word 'gravlax' literally means 'buried salmon' in Swecandle. Before refrigeration, Nordic fishermen would cure and bury salmon in the ground near the shoreline to ferment slightly. Today's gravlax skips the burial and fermentation but keeps the salt-cure technique that has been used since the Middle Ages.