In typical Scandinavian style, Norwegian cuisine is all about simplicity with fresh ingredients prepared to perfection. The national dish of mutton stew and cabbage is perfect for warming the cold winter nights, while fresh bread, just-caught and preserved seafood, game meat, and sides like pickled cucumber and fried onion are big favourites on menus across the country. Dessert tends to favour different varieties of cake or berries with cream, while savoury tooths prefer cheeses like Jarlsberg. Check out our list of must-eats when you tour Norway!
National Dish:
Fårikål mutton stew and cabbage
Entrée:
Yeasted and unyeasted bread
Grøt porridge
Seafood:
Røkt laks Smoked Salmon, preserved Gravlaks salmon
Fiskesuppe fish soup, Fiskeboller fish balls
Lutefisk Dried/Salted Cod
Rakfisk fermented trout
Mølje poached fish, roe, liver
Trawler crab
Minke Whale
Reker prawns
Sild pickled herring
Pizza:
Frozen Grandiosa pizza, Peppe’s Pizza, Dolly Dimple’s
Meat:
Fenalår slow-cured lamb’s leg
Game: Deer, Reindeer, Elk, Mountain Hare
Gravet elg sweet and salt cured moose
Pølse sausage, Morr smoked cured sausage, Grillpølse hot dog
Pinnekjøtt mutton ribs
Smalahove sheep’s head
Kjøttkaker meatcakes (Norwegian hamburger)
Kjøttboller Norwegian meatballs
Svinestek roast pork
Lompe flat potato bread
Smorresbrod open sandwich
Sides:
Sylteagurk pickled cucumber, stekt løk fried onion bits
Dessert:
Lukket valnøtt marzipan cream cake
Multerkrem cloudberries and whipped cream
Rommergrøt sour cream porridge
Bilberries, lingonberries
Krumkake cake
Cheese:
Norvegia, Geitost (goat-cheese), Jarlsberg, Pultost, Gammalost, Nøkkelost
Brunost (brown whey cheese)
Drink:
Voss water
Coffee
Beer:
Ringnes, Hansa, Aas, Frydenlund, Mack, Nordlandspils, Lagerøl
Juleøl (Christmas beer)
Wine:
The Vinmonopolet
Mjød (mead honey wine)
Spirits:
Akevitt / Aquavit potato and caraway-based distilled beverage Karsk cocktail – coffee with vodka
Courtney Gahan is a serial expat, traveller and freelance writer who has bartered with Moroccan marketeers, seen the sun rise at Angkor Wat and elbowed her way through crowds on NYE in NYC
