Falukorv sausage – one of the most typical Swedish foods – actually originated in Falun’s copper mine. To transport ore and people up and down in the mine, large buckets (kibbles) were used – secured with strong cables. These cables were made of ox hide, which was both elastic and durable. You needed 600 oxen for 125m of cable. The cable lasted for 18 months, which meant that there was a lot of beef to use up. During the area’s peak, many German engineers worked in Falun; the Germans were also skilled cooks and knew how best to salt and smoke the beef to make really tasty sausage. Although the sausage no longer contains beef, the tradition of making Falukorv sausage continues today.