The Cuisine of the Land of Fjords. Norwegian Food You Won't Find in Poland

The inhabitants of the land of fjords have not always enjoyed the wealth their country gained from oil extraction. The ancestors of today’s Norwegians led peaceful and modest lives. They ate what was easiest to obtain. In a country surrounded by seas, fish and seafood were the most accessible foods.

Lutefisk, also known as soap fish, is a popular dish in Norway, mainly served during the Christmas season. Its uniqueness is due in part to its long and complicated preparation process. If you want to make lutefisk from scratch, you’ll need 12 days. The base of the dish is stockfish, which is dried cod. Next, it is soaked for several days in water, marinated in lye, and then soaked again in water. After all this, lutefisk has a jelly-like consistency. Norwegians boil or fry it.

Cheese is one of those products that can be found almost everywhere in the world. Norwegians can boast a particularly unique cheese: brunost. This is a brown cheese made entirely from goat’s milk. Today, there are derivative products of this cheese on the market, but they are not as sweet or as distinctive in flavor as the original. Brunost is made by boiling whey for nine hours. It is used for preparing sauces and for eating on its own.

Fenalår is one of Norway’s specialties. It is served during the holiday season, especially on Norway’s Constitution Day. The dish is an unusual Norwegian version of a leg of lamb. According to tradition, it is dried without the use of machines. The meat should be left to dry in the mountain air.

The name of this dish comes from two words – hove (head) and smale (sheep). Smalahove is, in fact, a sheep’s head. The preparation process takes several months and begins long before Christmas Eve. During this time, the head is cleaned, soaked in brine, and dried. Everything can be eaten – including the eyes.

Pizza is a dish popular all over the world. In almost every region, you can find different varieties – with thin or thick crust, stuffed edges, or extra crispy. In Norway, the most popular pizza is… frozen. Grandiosa, as it is called, is a Norwegian bestseller. It generates over 1 billion NOK in profit. It is mainly bought by students and busy people. More than 20 million of these frozen pizzas disappear from Norwegian stores every year. It is estimated that the average Norwegian eats five Grandiosa pizzas a year.

Norway is not only about specific and hard-to-like dishes. Most Norwegians eat the same things as Poles – quick sandwiches and coffee for breakfast, and a piece of meat with vegetables for dinner. The land of fjords is an ideal place for those who love fish. The most adventurous can even try fermented fish here.