Swedes react to meatballs-from-Turkey bombshell Swedish meatballs, the Nordic nation's most traditional dish, have been revealed to originally come from Turkey. The Swedish government tweeted on Saturday: "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!" The news has left some Swedes scratching their heads while others are taking it with a pinch of salt.