Norway Dishes

No doubts, the basis of Norwegian cuisine is fish and various seafood. Norwegians themselves prefer to eat cod. A very popular dish is dried cod, called ‘klipfisk’. Another fish that became popular far beyond Norway is herring. You can hardly imagine the whole variety of dishes in which herring is used. Salads, cold snacks, hot dishes, soups, fish pies... the list is almost endless.

However, the true Scandinavian classic is considered to be world-famous ‘lutefisk’. This delicacy contains dried fish (mainly cod) that is brined in lye, soaked, and then steamed. Norwegians usually serve ‘lutefisk’ with boiled potatoes.

Another famous dish of Norway is "rakfisk" – fermented trout. The dish can be tasted only by brave tourists who will not be deterred by the robust and peculiar smell of fish stored in barrels for 3 to 6 months. In fact, rakfisk is a Norwegian dish of rotten fish, but if you say that the fish is fermented, it will be easier to try it.

And for those who want to embrace all the Norwegian gastronomic delights, there is "melie" – a national Scandinavian dish of assorted boiled cod, caviar, and liver.

As for meat, it’s also common in Norwegian diet and common in Scandinavian food on the whole. Roast pork ribs, meatballs, mutton stew, various sausages make the cuisine more than nutritious. In addition, some of the Norwegian specialties have a very unusual serving. If it’s your first Norway trip, you may consider ‘smalahove’, fried sheep and mutton heads a bit extravagant. But traditions are traditions. Besides, Norwegians claim that it’s extremely delicious!

After admiring the winter landscapes of Norway and having fun at the Christmas market, enjoy the most traditional dishes of Norway. For example, "pinneshet" – lamb ribs cooked in brine, is a festive dish traditionally served at Christmas. But what about without authentic dishes?

Cooking recipes vary from locality to locality, and the culinary technique has been honed for centuries. In the Scandinavian country, moose meat can be cooked amazingly, the breast of partridge is very tender, and other parts have a characteristic taste for the game.

High cuisine in Norwegian restaurants values game. The most popular ones include reindeer, duck, moose, and ptarmigan. These delicacies are usually served with juniper berries or lingonberry sauces and are considered recipes of traditional Norwegian food.

Dairy products are in great demand in Norway as well. As for breakfast, many Norwegians eat goat cheese, which has a sharp specific smell.

Basically, goat cheese varies by its taste and color: from light yellow to dark brown. Moreover, Norwegians put sour cream in many hot dishes, replacing other sauce.

The most popular and exotic cheese in Norwegian cuisine is "brunost". It has a pleasant brownish-yellow tint. This is a caramelized cheese that is made from whey. It tastes like slightly salty boiled condensed milk. It is often served as dessert.

Norwegian producers prepare all kinds of cheese popular in the world. Some manufacturers are experimenting with the recipe and offering new, original varieties of cheese.

More dishes to try when in Norway:

• Foricol (puff dish of sheep and cabbage)
• Lutefisk (cod, pickled in lye, baked)
• Pickled herring
• Whale meat (boiled or fried)
• Ribbe (pork with sauerkraut)

Traditionally, when asked what to try in Norway from food for breakfast, they recommend baking. A variety of cupcakes, casseroles, and pies stuffed with berries and fruits. Cinnamon, honey, and vanilla are also used. The most common dessert of Norwegian cuisine is "svelle" pancakes with various fillings and waffle tubes filled with vanilla cream.

Another important ingredient of the local cuisine is cereals. The porridge is eaten at any time of the day, even at festive events. Oatmeal has been popular with Norwegians since ancient times. Oatmeal is beneficial and full of fiber, which helps the body get all the necessary trace elements. Seasonal berries are very popular as an additive to oatmeal. In Norway, you can find a huge amount of muesli and fitness bars based on oatmeal, berries, and honey.

Moreover, Norwegian dishes from cereals are offered in the majority of posh restaurants of Norway.

The most common dessert of Norwegian cuisine is svelle pancakes with various fillings and waffle tubes filled with vanilla cream. A traditional festive sweet dish is rice cream, adults and children love it. Each house has its own secret recipe for its preparation.

According to the traditional recipe, it is necessary to boil rice, mix with almonds, add cream, sugar to taste and beat thoroughly. Finally, the dish is watered with berry jam. Another dessert for a holiday is a walnut cake. There is no flour in his recipe, but the calorie content of this dish can easily be compared with the calorie content of a full meal of several dishes. The dessert is based on nuts, crushed cookies, sugar, eggs and cream.

Brunost cheese is a national product made from goat's milk with a fascinating sweet-salty taste. Real gourmets eat it with cookies and jam. Jam can be replaced with caviar or honey. The first time the taste of cheese will seem very exotic and strange, it will become a favorite dish in the diet.

Fish soup. An original product of Norwegian cuisine, which, when properly prepared, is in no way inferior to a luxurious restaurant dish. This is an ordinary soup in a pack, it is diluted with milk or cream is added, you can season the dish with peas and leeks.

Caviar in tubes. Of course, you can buy ordinary caviar, but you will agree that it is much more interesting to eat it from a tube. It looks like a pink paste, the taste is fishy, a little salty. Very tasty – spread caviar on bread and put a slice of ordinary, hard cheese on top.