Norway is part of Scandinavia, along with Denmark and Sweden.It is a small country situated in northern Europe in the Scandinavian Peninsula. Norway is known for its rich culture, fascinating fjords, and northern lights.The city of Oslo is the capital of Norway. The people of the country are called Norwegians, and the country has a constitutional monarchy as its government form. The currency of Norway is the Norwegian krone. Fjords are sea inlets within steep cliffs formed out of the glaciers that melted centuries ago. They can be found all over the coastline of Norway. Moreover, people can also experience the Aurora Borealis or northern lights in Norway.These were some quick facts about the country of Norway. Read on to discover surprising facts about Norwegian cuisine.Once you finish reading this fun facts article, you might also be interested in reading facts about Ireland food and Ecuador food facts here at Kidadl.Traditional Food Of NorwayThe country of Norway prides itself on the country’s incredible culture and traditions. Like most other countries, Norway also has its food history, traditional recipes, and food items that are pretty delicious and enjoyed by the citizens as well as the tourists who visit this country. Listed below you will find what some of the popular traditional dishes of Norway are.One of the most enjoyed local Norwegian dishes is the farikaal. This dish is a Norwegian stew made up of Norwegian lamb meat and cabbage. The name of the dish itself means ‘sheep in cabbage’. Farikaal is customarily eaten in western Norway, but it can also be found in the city of Oslo. This dish is so popular that a day has been dedicated to eating it every year. Moreover, farikaal is mostly enjoyed during the cold winter months, and it is the national dish of Norway.Another traditional dish is sursild which is a Scandinavian classic dish. Sursild is actually the Norwegian name for pickled herring. Herring is a very common fish, like salmon and cod, in Norway and can be found in most supermarkets in the country. Pickled herring is a dish that is considered to be part of a Norwegian breakfast.One rather surprising traditional dish of Norway is finnbiff. It is a savory dish made of sauteed reindeer meat. The dish is served with meat and a sauce in the form of a stew. Finnbiff is enjoyed mostly in the northern regions of Norway. It is a Norwegian food also found in parts of Finland, Sweden, and Russia.Kjottkaker is nothing but Norwegian meatballs. The name itself means meat cakes, and it is another traditional food of Norway. The dish is a simple one where the meatballs or meat cakes are served with a brown sauce, carrots, and potatoes. Kjottkaker can be considered a family favorite as it is easily made and enjoyed at home. However, you can also find elaborate versions of this dish in many restaurants in the country.One of the traditional foods of Norway that might seem a bit weird to some people is smalahove. The dish is a sheep’s head that is either steamed or boiled for around three hours, and then it is served with potatoes and rutabaga. This traditional food is not something that is enjoyed every week by the people of Norway. However, it is still considered to be a classic Norwegian food. Smalahove is a traditional food that the lower classes of society used to eat in the past. They would cook the head, and sometimes the brain would be cooked inside the skull, which they would then eat with a spoon.Another traditional food of Norway is lutefisk which is a festive dish. Lutefisk is generally made up of lye and any whitefish, including cod that has already been dried and salted. This dish is mostly served with some vegetables, like potatoes, and a sauce. Lutefisk is a festive dish that is a significant part of the Christmas dinner in Norway. You will definitely find this dish being enjoyed by the majority of Norwegian households on Christmas Eve.When it comes to soup, Norway has a traditional soup dish which is considered to be a hearty meal in itself. Sodd is a mutton soup made along with vegetables such as potatoes and carrots. This savory dish is particularly consumed in the cold winter season in Norway. The soup provides a delicious warmth against the biting cold.Torrfisk is a Norwegian food that is also considered to be a traditional delicacy in Norway. It is mostly eaten on the islands of Vesteralen and Lofoten. This dish is made up of cold and unsalted fish, which is air-dried. Generally, the fish used for this dish is the cod. The tradition of torrfisk can be traced back to the 12th century. The fish for this dish can also be cured through the use of fermentation. This cured and dried fish has a very distinctive smell, yet it is still enjoyed by Norwegians.Another traditional food of Norway that has its root in the Viking Age is lapskaus. This dish is basically a stew made up of fresh or leftover meat like mutton or lamb. It can also be made of pork meat. The meat is cooked along with onions, rutabaga, carrots, potatoes, celery root as well as several herbs and spices.Local cuisine that can only be enjoyed in Norway is whale meat. Although this is a controversial food for the rest of the world, this is not the case in Norway. While whaling is banned in most countries, Norway doesn’t have such a ban. However, it has been noticed that the consumption of whale meat has decreased. Yet, it is still eaten by many Norwegians whenever they get a chance. Whale meat can be found in the local fish market and many restaurants all over the country.Interestingly, the traditional breakfast of Norwegians is very light. It primarily includes rye bread, brown cheese, and milk. Sometimes porridge is also a part of the meal, which is flour boiled with either milk or cream. Meanwhile, an average Norwegian dinner could be farikaal, or on festive days such as Christmas dinner, it could be lutefisk.Characteristics Of Food In NorwayThe Norwegian diet is heavily influenced by Norwegian culture. However, there is another factor that contributes to what is considered Norwegian cuisine. This factor is the geographic location of the country.Norway is a country that has fishing as one of its primary occupations. Norwegians have been fishing for a long time to provide a food source for their families. With a vast coastline, Norway offers ample opportunity for its people to sail and fish. Earlier, Norway used to export cod, and now the Norwegian export of salmon is the largest export in the world. Moreover, fish is the staple food of Norway. You can easily find salmon and other seafood in any grocery store or local restaurants all over the country.Fish can be cooked in many ways. It can be smoked, pan-fried, dried and cured, or cooked with vegetables for a stew. It is one of the most uncomplicated foods to make, which was an advantage in the past.The history of Norway also portrays how farming along with fishing was a key occupation. The vast open lands served an excellent purpose for cultivating various plants and crops. It is evident that many common dishes of Norway are accompanied by many vegetables, especially potatoes and carrots.Norway Food Favorites You Should Not MissNorwegian cuisine is something that should be experienced at least once. Delicious Norwegian dishes will not only tickle your taste buds but will also let you understand the culture and history of the country. Some of the common foods of Norway that are quite famous with tourists who visit the country are listed below.A Norwegian food product that is pretty famous is brown cheese. Known as brunost in Norwegian, brown cheese can have many types but the most popular of them all is gudbrandsdalsost. This type of brown cheese is also known as mysost. Typically, brown cheese is eaten in a sandwich or with crispbread. This cheese is made out of whey and either milk or cream. The cheese gets its distinctive color from the milk sugars cooked at high temperatures during cheese production.Someone cannot go to Norway and not try Norwegian salmon. The most famous salmon dish of Norway is smoked salmon. Although salmon can be cooked in many ways, such as dried, cured, or fried, a very popular way to cook salmon is gravlaks. In this method, salmon is basically cured by using salt, sugar, and dill. Smoked salmon is often served with sauce, herbs, and mashed potatoes, the most delicious combination.Another known food of Norway is the Norwegian hot dog. A typical hot dog is made up of sausage in bread with tomato sauce or mustard sauce. However in Norway, the Norwegian hot dog is slightly different. These hot dogs are actually made by wrapping a potato pancake around a sausage. This dish is not only traditional but is also a popular street food in Norway, which can be found at gas stations, IKEA, train stations, and kiosks.Norway is also known for a type of flatbread called lefse. This lefse or Norwegian flatbread can be eaten with butter and sugar. This Norwegian delicacy is considered to be Christmas food and is often a family recipe that is enjoyed by most family members while they are in a festive mood. Norwegian Americans also love this dish and often prepare it during Christmas.Seasonings And SaucesThe delicious mouth-watering taste of Norwegian cuisine comes from the juices of the meat and the herbs and seasonings, along with the sauces the dishes are served with. Below are some of the common herbs, seasonings, and sauces used in Norwegian dishes.The most popularly used herbs for seasoning food in Norway are dill, honey, parsley, licorice, black pepper, sweet paprika, dried ginger, cardamom, and lemon. And how can salt be left out? It is the most important ingredient of any seasoning. In Norway, sea salt is one of the basic seasoning items. Most fish are cured by using this salt and taste absolutely yummy such as salted cod.There are also some berries and vegetables used in the dishes of Norway to bring out flavors and combine various ingredients to create a complex taste. For instance, many dishes in Norway are paired with boiled potatoes and other vegetables. Meanwhile, certain berries are also used in dishes found in Norway to create a sweet and sour flavor. Juniper berries are used a lot as a seasoning in many dishes.The sauces, like the seasoning in Norwegian cuisine, are used to highlight and accompany the taste of the main ingredient. Usually, sauces are used in dishes that contain fish and meat, and one such sauce is called Sandefjordsmør. This is a butter and cream sauce that was first created in Sandefjord in 1959. This sauce is generally served with fish such as salmon and is accompanied by dill and peppercorn. Pickled herring is also sometimes used as a sauce in the dishes of Norway.Sweets And DessertsHow can an article about food be complete without mentioning sweets and desserts? Norway is a country that doesn’t just focus on fish and meat. It also has created original sweet dishes that will definitely leave you wanting more.One of the most popular desserts in Norway is Norwegian waffles. They are also called vafler in Norwegian. Unlike waffles in other countries that are eaten with whipped cream and ice cream, Norwegian waffles are heart-shaped and are eaten with just cream and jam with a sprinkle of raw sugar. However, you can also try them with romme, which is sour cream and brown cheese, to experience a unique and new taste.Another quite delicious dessert of Norway is the Norwegian cinnamon bun. This dish is known as kanelboller in Norwegian and can be found easily in many parts of the country. The Norwegian cinnamon bun can be enjoyed with coffee. This dessert can also contain cardamom and chocolate, which only enhances the taste of this sweet bun.Apart from this, there are also other desserts and sweet dishes that can be found in Norway. These include sponge cakes, Norwegian krumkake cookies, and apple pies.If you ever visit Norway, don’t forget to try the savory and sweet food mentioned in this article.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked these Norway food facts, then why not take a look at Puerto Rico food facts or facts about Argentina food.
Norway is part of Scandinavia, along with Denmark and Sweden.
