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Traveling to northern Norway is popular with tourists. Magical, but harsh nature, cool humid climate and incredible cuisine will not leave anyone indifferent.
Food in Norway is simple and consists mainly of fish, meat and dairy products. Once upon a time, Norwegians were even ashamed of their provinciality in cooking, but it is the simplicity that makes it unique and exotic. Prepared according to old recipes and traditions, the dishes of this country are delicious and environmentally friendly, which is increasingly attracting tourists. Due to the rarity of the ingredients, the food here costs a lot, but the pleasure of the meal is always beyond expectations.
Various gastronomic festivals are held in Norway several times a year, where you can get acquainted with the authentic culinary culture and immerse yourself in forgotten Nordic traditions. What should you definitely try when traveling in this country?
Elk and bear meat
Of course, the meat of these animals is abundant here, and many hearty dishes are based on them. Elk meat is considered a delicacy, while it is lean and very tasty. Elk meat is fried, dried, smoked and dried.
Another dish you won’t try at home is bear meat tartare flavored with herbs and aromatic onions. Tartare is also made from beef – served with raw yolk and pickles – very northern.
Another unusual harvesting from Norway is the leg of a musk ox, which, by the way, has a specific taste and aroma and is not to every gourmet’s taste.
Mutton
Norwegian sheep grow up in comfortable conditions on farms far from cities. And their meat is incredibly tender and juicy. Lamb in Norway serves fenalor – dried leg of lamb, pinneschet – ribs dried in brine or sea salt, smalakhove – a sheep’s head prepared according to a special recipe.
Foricol
This dish is traditionally served in Norway on the last Thursday of September, the forikola festival. It is prepared from lamb and cabbage. To do this, the best pieces of meat and cabbage – in equal proportions – are placed in a pan in layers, sprinkled with salt and pepper, add a little water and stew for several hours. Forikol turns out at the same time spicy and spicy, but very delicate in taste. Served with boiled potatoes in their uniforms.
Seafood
Seafood is another big part of Norwegian cuisine. The main ingredient is salmon, which is usually baked in foil with vegetables and seasonings. They also serve halibut baked with onions and apples, rakfisk – fermented trout with an unpleasant odor, but an unusual taste.
Möllier – a dish of boiled cod, liver and caviar, is considered an everyday snack, but sea urchin meat added to the soup is already a delicacy. As well as whale meat, which is cooked in many ways and served in an unusual way.
Lutefisk
This dish is traditionally prepared and served in Norway for the Christmas table. Dried cod is soaked in a soda solution for three days, then soaked in water for several days. Such manipulations turn the cod meat into a white translucent jelly with a pungent aroma. It is then baked or boiled and served with bacon, potatoes, mashed peas and mustard.
Fish soup with salmon and cream
For the base of the soup, broth is boiled from the bones and fins of sea fish, shrimp is added to it. Put butter and cream into the finished broth. A few minutes before the end of cooking, add pieces of fillet of salmon or other noble fish. In other regions of Norway, potatoes and shellfish are also added. Such a simple stew is the pride of the country and a nourishing food aid for many local families.
Cheese
Norway can also be proud of cheeses – such a variety of types can only be envied. Gaytost, gammelost, pultoust, camembert, musost and many others are made from cow or goat milk. The visiting card of Norway is brunost cheese. It is a soft brown cheese made from goat’s milk with an unusual caramel taste with sourness, slightly salty. Tourists are served this cheese with rye bread.
Kransekake
Among the local desserts, kransekake stands out – a cake that is prepared for every Norwegian celebration – a wedding, a birthday, and even a funeral. The cake dough is made from almond flour and egg whites, baked in the form of rings, which are then stacked on top of each other in 13-18 tiers.
Tourists also like crunchy waffle cookies that can be eaten just like that, or combined with whipped cream fillings or other sweet additives.