Music & Arts

The Best of the Swedish Chef

Our favorite Muppet has a mustache, but you probably could have guessed that. The Swedish Chef is 44 years old and is one of more than 1,600 characters created by Jim Henson. While Swedish chef Lars “Kuprik” Bäckman claims the puppet is inspired by him, according to Mental Floss, Muppet writer Jerry Juhl debunks this theory.

We may not know the true inspiration behind the Muppet character, but we do know this: Swedes generally do not like the Swedish Chef. A writer at Slate asked his Swedish wife what she thought about the Muppet character, and he was met with a somber response shooting down the satirized character. The consensus? He sounds more Norwegian, and please, stop asking Swedes the question.

Maybe you love him, maybe you don’t – but we think he’s alright. Here are three of our favorite Swedish Chef moments.

Swedish Chef vs. Gordon Ramsey

In this food truck face off, the Swedish Chef and Ramsey battle to prep and plate the best dish. Who will win?

Pöpcørn…with shrimp?

Is it popcorn or popcorn shrimp? The Swedish Chef makes a little bit of both – and while he cooks, he turns his kitchen into a drum set.

The Swedish Chef’s Kitchen Arsenal

In this clip, two pumpkins are trying to rationalize with the chef about the “proper” tool to use to carve a jack-o-lantern.