Characteristic products
Norwegian cuisine offers a wide range of fish dishes. Monkfish, cod, mackerel, hake, pollack, haddock or turbot - the choice offered by most restaurants is vast. Trout are also caught in the many lakes and rivers. These fish are often poached in a court-bouillon, in soup or simply grilled, so there's something to suit every taste.
But of course salmon remains the king of fish. In the last century, English aristocrats would come for sport salmon fishing, just as they would go on safaris in Africa. While Norwegian farmed salmon sometimes gets a bad press because of certain aquaculture practices designed to make the fish grow bigger faster, good quality fish can still be found in the country. The flesh of a wild salmon will be firm and rather red, unlike farmed salmon, which is orange and marbled with fat. In Norway, salmon is eaten smoked(røklaks) or marinated in a salt-sugar mixture(gravlaks).
Don't forget seafood, of course, such as lobster, shrimp, mussels, oysters, scallops, sea urchins and more. The Kamchatka king crab is a visitor from faraway lands that has become an invasive species for some and a boon for others. Introduced by the Soviets to north-west Russia in the 1960s, this crustacean from the North Pacific has seen its population explode. At over 1.50 m long and weighing 12 kg, this giant is, despite its abundance, one of the most expensive crustaceans in the world. Expect to pay at least a hundred euros a kilo.
Norway's cattle herd is mainly made up of dairy cows, and their meat is not very tender and can be prepared minced or stewed. Grilled meats and rare steaks are rare outside specialized restaurants, and quality beef - mostly imported - is often unaffordable. Pork, on the other hand, is highly prized in sausages, meatballs, bacon, sauce dishes and so on. The harsh climate and sparse vegetation of much of the country is well suited to sheep. Fenalår is a salted and dried mutton leg, cut into thin strips and served with bread and scrambled eggs.
Game is an integral part of Norwegian cuisine. Reindeer meat is very common here, although most of these animals are semi-domesticated. The meat is prepared in sauces, charcuterie or terrines. Elk meat is very rich in flavor and rather lean. We also find hare, wild duck and ptarmigan, or snow partridge, a bird whose plumage changes from brown to white between summer and winter to blend in with the snow. Although whaling - still legal in the country - has been part of Norwegian daily life for centuries, the consumption of whale meat is almost anecdotal today.
Norway also has a number of cheeses, the best known being brunost. In reality, this "cheese" isn't exactly a cheese, but a reduction of whey, to which milk or cream has been added and which is caramelized over a low heat for a long time. Slightly sweetened, it can be eaten in thin slices on crackers. It can be made from cow's milk, goat's milk or a mixture of the two. Other cheeses include kraftkar (blue) and nøkkelost (cumin cheese).
The classics of Norwegian cuisine
Among fish dishes, the more curious will try lutefisk. This fish, dried and then rehydrated in ammonia, takes on a gelatinous appearance. It is eaten mixed with mashed peas, bacon and potatoes. This dish is something of a ritual for the uninitiated. Rakfisk is a specialty of fermented trout with a very powerful taste, served with raw onions.
But there are more accessible dishes such as boknafisk, a recipe from the north of the country based on dried fish with a full-bodied taste, served with potatoes and bacon. Fiskeboller are fish dumplings in a béchamel sauce. Spekesild is herring in brine with onion, potatoes and beet. Fiskesuppe is a white fish and salmon soup with baby vegetables and cream, and "kaviar" is a fish roe spread found in tubes.
Kjøttboller, often considered Norway's national dish, are beef balls in sauce, usually accompanied by potatoes and cucumber salad. Pork is also popular. Svinekoteletter is a dish of pork chops with onion sauce, while medisterpolse is a sausage - often served at Christmas - flavored with pepper and allspice (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger).
Raspeballer og saltkjøt is a dish of salted pork with potato dumplings and rutabaga purée. Klubb og duppe is a recipe for potato dumplings topped with brunost cream and served with bacon. Finally, komler are potato dumplings with sausage, served with turnips in bacon fat. Lapskaus is a stew combining potato, carrot, leek, rutabaga and meat (pork, beef, mutton or chicken).
Mutton is prepared in a kind of sauerkraut with cumin and potatoes, called fårikål. A speciality of the fjords, smalahove is a cooked sheep's head served whole. For those with a strong heart! Easier to grasp, pinnekjøtt consists of dried and smoked lamb chops. Reindeer can be eaten as meatballs or stewed. Finnbiff is a dish of thin slices of reindeer drizzled with cranberry sauce. This sauce, called tyttebær, is not very sweet, and its tangy taste goes well with game. Finally, reinsdyrsteik is a reindeer roast served with a variety of vegetables.
Norway offers a wide choice of breads. Wholemeal and rye breads are the most popular. Wholemeal kneippbrød is extremely popular. Knekkebrød is the well-known Swedish crack bread(knäckebröd) made with rye, while flatbrød, a very thin type of unleavened bread, is made with barley flour. Lomper are small potato pancakes used to wrap Scandinavian-style hot dogs. As in the rest of Scandinavia, the smørgåsbord is a large, often festive buffet of Swedish origin, where sandwiches are prepared with a variety of breads, such as smørbrød (sandwich bread), and topped with an infinite variety of fillings: smoked fish, seafood, cold meat, pickled vegetables, cold cuts, cheese, hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, and so on.
Desserts and coffee
Traditionally rather basic, Norwegian desserts have been enriched with richer specialties over the years. You'll find various types of tart, multi-layer sponge cakes, not to mention puff pastry-based viennoiseries(wienerbrød). Cardamom and cinnamon are popular spices in pastry-making. The country's harsh climate limits fruit production, although apples, pears, cherries and berries are quite common.
The molte - or plaquebière in French - is a species of orange arctic blackberry with a very distinctive fragrance. Blueberries and cranberries are particularly popular. Trollkrem or "troll cream", made with egg whites beaten with cranberries and sugar, is easy to find. Fromasj is not a cheese, but a Bavarian-style fruit mousse. Finally, bløtkake is a large, multi-layered festive cake with whipped cream and a fruit filling.
We also recommend skillingsboller, cinnamon rolls similar to the Swedish kanelbulle. Krumkake is a variety of crunchy wafers rolled into a cone shape. Not to be confused with the real wafers or vafler - often heart-shaped - much appreciated in Norway. Tilslørte bondepiker, or "veiled shepherdesses", are verrines alternating layers of baked apples, whipped cream and cookie crumbs.
Christmas is the season for julekake, a brioche with candied fruit and pearl sugar. Multekrem, a mixture of whipped cream and cloudberries, is also served. Also prepared for special occasions, rømmegrøt is a nourishing porridge with sour cream, sprinkled with cinnamon and served with melted butter. Riskrem is rice pudding beaten with fresh cream.
Like their neighbors in Northern Europe, Norwegians love coffee. In fact, they are the world's second biggest coffee drinkers after the Finns, consuming no less than 10 kg per capita per year. They generally drink classic black coffee or café au lait, although more and more chains are offering more sophisticated Italian-style coffees. There's even a cocktail - called a karsk - combining coffee and strong alcohol, usually vodka.
Between beer and aquavit
The production of alcohol, and in particular beer(øl), has a long history, with both industrial and home brewing going back over a thousand years. The most popular industrial beers are generally pilsners and red ales (bayer), while traditional beer is much richer in malt with a high alcohol content. Juleøl, or Christmas beer, is still an important holiday tradition. Many individuals brew their own beer, and there are numerous microbreweries. Ringnes, Hansa, Arendals, Borg, Frydenlund or Lundetangen are the best-known brands.
Honey wine, or mead(mjød), is reserved for connoisseurs and is often found at specialized events, historical re-enactments and neo-pagan foklore festivals. The term "wine" is a misnomer, as mead contains no grapes. Norway's harsh climate - especially the very mild summers - doesn't really allow for the cultivation of grapes. Wine is therefore imported, and more expensive on average.
Norway's other flagship drink is aquavit(akevitt). This grain or potato brandy is distinguished by its yellow hue and unique taste derived from caraway seeds. Vodka is prepared in the same way, but does not contain caraway seeds, so remains white. It's a very popular spirit in Northern Europe. Vikingfjord vodka has won several awards for excellence.
To avoid alcoholism problems, alcohol consumption is highly regulated in Norway, as in neighboring countries. Beers can only be bought in certified grocery stores, and stronger spirits (wines and liqueurs) are only sold in government-owned and operated liquor stores (Vinmonopolet).
