Filmjölk or fil is the Swedish name for several kinds of fermented soured milk very common for breakfast or lunch in the Nordic Countries. It is similar to yoghurt and kefir but a variation of bacterias give a slightly different taste. Those who like yoghurt tend to like filmjölk aswell. In its strictest sense, fermentation (formerly called zymnosis) is the energy-yielding anaerobic metabolic breakdown of a nutrient molecule, such as glucose, without net oxidation. ... Soured milk is prepared from whole milk via fermentation by Lactobacillus bacteria. ... Yoghurt Yoghurt or yogurt, less commonly yoghourt or yogourt, is a dairy product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. ... Kefir (alternately kephir, kewra, talai, mudu kekiya, matsoun, matsoni, waterkefir, milkkefir) is a fermented milk drink originating in the Caucasus. ...

It may be compared to the American buttermilk. Germans know it as "sauermilch" or "buttermilch" but Swedish filmjölk has a thicker consistency similar to yoghurt. In Finland it is known as "viili" and in Norway and Denmark as "surmelk" or "surmælk". For other uses, see Buttermilk (disambiguation) Buttermilk is the liquid left over after producing butter from full-cream milk by the churning process. ...

Filmjölk is usually bought in 1-litre packages distributed nationwide. There are also varations such as light-fil, fjeld-fil and fruit-fil, containing chunks of fruits or berries such as strawberries. As is the case with most sour milks, filmjölk contains living bacterias and has a stabilising effect on the stomach and intestines. The litre (or liter in US) is a metric unit of volume. ... In geography a fell is a treeless mountain landscape that has been shaped by glacier ice earlier in history. ... Species see text The strawberry (Fragaria) is a genus of plants in the Family Rosaceae (Rose Family), and the fruit of these plants. ...

Filmjölk is eaten in the same way as yoghurt, either from a bowl using a spoon or drunk from a glass. Commonly many have cereals or corn flakes in it; with muesli being an alternative for the healthy minded. In northern regions, crushed crisp bread is sometimes put into it. Being slightly sour, many people add some sugar or redcurrants, unless they already suffer from over-sugared cereals. Breakfast cereal Breakfast cereal is a food product designed especially to be marketed to consumers as a breakfast food. ... Corn flakes are a food made by combining cooked maize (called corn in North America) along with sugar and vitamins. ... Spoonful of Muesli Muesli (müsli in German or birchermüesli in Switzerland, pronounced [mju:z li] in English and [my:s li] in German) is a popular breakfast dish (breakfast cereal) based on uncooked rolled oats and fruit. ... Crisp bread (Swedish: knäckebröd or hårdbröd, Finnish: näkkileipä) is a very flat and dry Nordic type of bread, containing mostly rye flour. ... Species Ribes rubrum The Redcurrant (Ribes rubrum) is a member of the genus Ribes in the gooseberry family Grossulariaceae. ...

Nowadays a whole range of different filmjölks is being sold with different mixtures of different bacteria providing different tastes. And, at least according to the advertising of the dairy companies, they become ever increasingly better for your intestinal flora.

Beginners may be advised to be careful with the variation known as "långfil" (long filmjölk), which tastes much like ordinary filmjölk but has a somewhat sticky consistency. Långfil is an acquired taste.

See also

• Cuisine of Sweden