The Proper Traveler

#1 - Farikal

Let’s start this list with the national dish of Norway! Farikal is basically mutton and cabbage stew. Bones and all get put into a pot and slowly cooks throughout the day. When done, it is usually served with potatoes. It is a hearty dish that is typically served in the colder months of autumn and winter.

#2 - Brunost

No, this is not sliced caramel or fudge, although it does look and smell like it. Every country has its iconic type of cheese, and brunost belongs to Norway. It is cow’s cheese that is much sweeter than standard cheese. Many will put in on top of waffles (vafler), in sandwiches, or just on its own. It’s an acquired taste. You either love it or hate it. We love the stuff!!

#3 - Smalahove

This one may also be an acquired taste… and may require a tougher stomach. If you’re interested in getting out of your comfort zone and trying something that resembles an episode with Andrew Zimmer, this dish is for you. It is a whole sheep’s head that is slowly cooked and is served with potatoes and other vegetables. It’s been a dish for centuries in Norway, and you can usually find it on the South-Western side of the country. It was a standard Christmas meal, along with lutefisk, as my great-grandfather shared memories. Don’t know if that’s true anymore.

#4 - Reindeer Stew

If you want to try something still exotic but not too extreme like the above, maybe settle for some reindeer stew. It almost tastes like a beef stroganoff, but better. It consists of shredded reindeer meat, sour cream, milk, butter, herbs, mushrooms, bacon, and goat cheese. It’s very rich and decadent. Usually served with potatoes and lingonberries, this dish will fill you up for sure.

#5 - Kjøttkaker

Every Scandinavian country has their own type of meatball (maybe every country). Kjøttkaker is Norway’s answer. It’s a little bit sweeter than other types of meatballs, as it contains ginger and nutmeg in addition to other spices with minced beef. It’s topped with a gravy and served with (you guessed it) potatoes and lingonberries.

#6 - Seafood

You can’t go to Norway and not try their delicious seafood! They have some of the best salmon, mussels, and oysters in the entire world, and that’s no exaggeration. The best place to try seafood is at the Bergen Seafood Market. It’ll have everything you can think of, plus some you may not have thought of, like whale meat. Yes, whale is completely legal to eat in Norway. Again, try it if you’re adventurous! Norway is also known for its dried fermented fish - rakfisk, so try that as well.

#7 - Rømmegrøt

This may either sound really good or really bad depending on where you stand with sour cream. This is essentially sour cream porridge. You can have it for breakfast, lunch, or sometimes dessert. It can either be sweet of savoury depending on what you pair with it. It’ll come with meat and/or sugar. Its very, very rich, so smaller portions or sharing is usually ideal, especially if you want to try other dishes.

#8 - Fiskeboller i Hvit Saus

This dish translates to fish balls with a bechamel sauce. The fish balls are a blend of cod, haddock, cornmeal, and milk to combine into “meatballs.” It is served with, again, potatoes and lingonberries, and topped with a creamy bechamel sauce. It’s definitely a different flavour profile from other types of traditional Norwegian cooking, so be sure to give this one a try.

#9 - Tilslørte Bondepiker

Alrighty, our last 2 on here are on some desserts you need to try. This one translates to layered dessert. It can kind of taste a bit healthier than some may like, but it appears to be a favourite nonetheless. It will always be served in a glass dish so you can see the layers of whipped cream, apple sauce, and breadcrumbs. It looks fancy, but a very easy dessert to make and eat.

#10 - Kvikk Lunsj

Alas, the most popular and recognised chocolate bar in Norway! Kvikk Lunsj (pronounced as quick lunch), is Norway’s answer to the traditional Kit Kat bar. It tastes practically the same, but slightly better as the chocolate is of better quality. If you’re hiking or doing extreme sports around Norway, you’ll see Norwegians bringing quite a few of them on their adventures as it’s a quick energy booster. What’s more fun is that the packaging on the inside displays the mountain rules of Norway (in Norwegian, of course). It’s become so popular that it is often considered one of the main symbols of Norway!

Top 10 Best Traditional Food to Try in Norway