Norwegian food: discover traditional cuisine

FLATBRØD – an extremely thin, crisp bread that was historically a staple food in Norway as it could be stored for months without spoiling. Made from a simple mixture of barley flour, sometimes mixed with rye or oat flour, water, and salt and rolled extremely thin before baking.  It’s typically served with butter, cheese (including brunost), cured meats.

 

 

 

SMØRBRØD – a widespread open-faced sandwich with myriads of toppings: smoked salmon, shrimps, brunost, liver pate, fish roe, cured ham, pickled herring, egg and mayonnaise.

HAVREKJEKS – sweet and salty crackers made with oats and flour.

VAFLER – Norwegian waffles, unlike Belgian or American, are thinner and heart-shaped, topped with sour cream, jams, or brunost cheese.

RASPEBALL / BALL / POTETBALL /KOMLE – traditional potato dumpling made from grated potatoes mixed with flour and boiled. Condiments vary locally from salted pork or lamb, bacon, sausages, melted butter, cooked carrots, mashed rutabaga, sour cream, kefir, and brown cheese.

LEFSE – soft flatbread, made from riced potatoes and cooked on a griddle. The most common flavoring is adding butter and sugar to the lefse and rolling it up.

POTETSALAT – spring potato salad dressed with mayonnaise and sour cream, usually sprinkled with dill and chives.

SURKÅL – cabbage side dish, finely sliced cabbage cooked with butter, vinegar, sugar, salt and caraway seeds, usually served with pork.

AGURKSALAT – classic side of quickly pickled cucumber.

KALROSTAPPE – mashed rutabaga side dish.

CLOUDBERRY JAM – a luxurious jam made with delicate cloudberries, enjoyed on special occasions.

ERTESUPPE – split pea soup with smoked ham, potatoes, rutabaga, and leaks.

SUOVAS – this is cured reindeer meat, similar to jerky but often sliced thinner. It’s a great way to preserve reindeer and enjoy it throughout the year.

BIDOS – hearty reindeer stew is a classic Sami comfort food featuring reindeer simmered with root and other vegetables in a flavorful broth.

RENSKAV – thinly sliced reindeer meat is sauteed with onions and sometimes cream in this delicious dish.

FINNBIFF – reindeer stew from meat cooked in reindeer fat, butter, or oil, spiced with black pepper and salt, and finished with cream or beer. Served with mashed potatoes and lingonberry preserves.

FÅRIKÅL – national Norway’s dish, mutton in cabbage – a dish of mutton with bone, cabbage whole black pepper cooked for several hours and served with potatoes.

PINNEKJØTT – dried and salted lamb ribs, a traditional Christmas dish. The meat is rehydrated and steamed, often served with mashed rutabaga and potatoes.

FENALÅR – is a traditional Norwegian cured meat made from salted and dried leg of lamb.

SYLTELABB – salt-cured and boiled, pickled pig feet, eaten as a snack, using fingers.

LOBSCOUSE – is a thick Scandinavian stew made of meat and potatoes.

MEDISTERKAKER – savory Norwegian meatballs made with ground pork, onions, breadcrumbs, and spices. Served with mashed potatoes, brown sauce, and lingonberries during Christmas celebrations.

RIBBE – roasted pork belly with crackling skin, served during Christmas.

MORRPØLSE – one of the oldest processed foods in Norway, cured or smoked sausage from offal or mutton, but today, pork, beef, and game are also used.

RØKELAKS – smoked salmon fillet, one the most important Scandinavian contribution to modern international cuisine.

GRAVLAX – salt-cured salmon fillet, appears on restaurant menus throughout Norway, from casual eateries to fine dining establishments. This dish contributes to Norway’s reputation as a premier salmon-producing nation.

LUTEFISK – cod-based dish, takes the concept of “acquired taste” to a whole new level. Dried cod is soaked in water and lye (the same lye used in batteries and soap) till it gains a gelatinous texture. Despite its unconventional preparation, lutefisk finds a place on Norwegian Christmas tables, served with bacon and aquavit, a caraway-flavored spirit.

KIPPFISK – split open, salted, air-dried cod, a big part of Norwegian culinary herritage. It became a major Norwegian export commodity in the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly to Mediterranean countries and former Portuguese colonies.

RAKFISK – is trout or char fermented for three months to up to a year; eaten without cooking and has a strong smell and a pungent, salty flavor. This dish has its festival—the annual Norsk Rakfiskfestival.

SURSILD – pickled herring with onions, allspice, black peppercorns, and mustard seeds in a vinegary marinade.

SPEKELSILD – salt-cured herring, served with potatoes, raw onions, dill, pickled beets, butter or sour cream, and flatbread.

FISKEBOLLER – classic fish balls from minced white fish, flour, milk, and eggs, served with white sauce and steamed vegetables.

FISKESUPPE – creamy fish soup made with fish, shellfish, potatoes, and other veggies, cooked in a rich buttery broth.

BRUNOST – a traditional Norwegian cheese with a distinctive sweet, caramel-like flavor and brown color. Unlike most cheeses, it’s not technically a cheese in the conventional sense, but rather a caramelized whey product. Brunost is made by boiling a mixture of milk, cream, and whey for many hours until the milk sugars caramelize. Typically sliced very thinly using a special cheese slicer and served on bread, crispbread, or waffles.

SKILLINGSBOLLER – yeast-leavened cinnamon roll.

KRANSEKAKE – a series of concentric cake rings layered on each other to form a steep-sloped cone shape, stuck together with white icing.

KRUMKAKE – wafer cookies made from wheat flour, sugar, eggs, vanilla, cardamom, and butter.