I’ve been taking Norwegian classes (Norsk klasse) with the Scandinavian Language Institute at the Bothell Sons of Norway Lodge, and it has sparked an interest in foods from the homeland.

As a child I was introduced to many common Norwegian and Swedish foods including:

• Lefse - Essentially a tortilla or flatbread made from potatoes.  Commonly served with butter, honey, cinnimon, sugar, etc.  Some kinds are used as a hotdog bun, although I never had that growing up.
• Lutefisk - Literally ‘lye fish’, fish that dried and then reconstituted via a very special chemical process involving lye.  Ends up sort of clear and jelly-like–and is perhaps the most famous Norwegian delicacy.  An acquired taste.
• Krumkakke - A cone-shaped cookie.  Thin and crumbly, tastes almost like a sugar cookie.
• Pickled Herring - surprisingly sweet and edible, goes well on crackers.  Never ate it as a kid mostly because I’ve never been a big seafood fan, but I tried some this Christmas and found it very easy to eat.
• Swedish Rye Bread - My grandmother makes a very light, sweet Swedish rye bread that is just fantastic and a family favorite.  The bread is light and sweet enough that as kids (and even now) we used to even make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches out of it.  In retrospect, I understand how strange that is, but it works!
• Wasa - A Swedish rye cracker or crispbread, similar in shape to a full-size graham cracker.  My dad really likes these, usually eats them with butter or pickled herring.

More recently I’ve been able to sample a variety of other Norwegian foods:

• Brunost - Literally “brown cheese”, which is also commonly a geistost or “goat cheese”.  It is a cheese made from the whey, unlike most cheeses which are made from the curds.  The way is reduced over heat for long periods, which caramelizes the milk sugars and gives it the characteristic color and flavor.  Very sweet, creamy cheese.  Norwegians will have on bread with jam or preserves, similar to how we use peanut butter.  I asked the cheese guy at the local Fred Myer if he could get some for me, and next week they had Ski Queen Gjetost on the shelf.
• Rømmegrøt - A porridge made with sour cream and cream–very rich, and actually pretty tasty.  Similar to cream of wheat I suppose, and doesn’t taste anything like sour cream.
• Smørbrød - Open-face sandwiches.  Literally “butter bread”.  I’m not sure why (I think thrift has something to do with it), but the Norwegians only use one piece of bread per sandwich.  Beyond that, I think anything goes with smørbrød–and they can get very, very fancy.  The more proletarian kinds that I’ve had consisted of butter, cured ham, perhaps cheese and a slice of tomato.  I’ve also seen them with shrimp as the meat.

I’ve recently learned about some more Scandinavian foods that I’d like to try such as:

• Bacalao - From the Portuguese word for ‘Cod’ that the Norwegians borrowed for the name of a dish made from dried cod stockfish.
• Kjøttkakker - Literally “meat cakes”.  Seems a lot like a meatball, but squashed a bit.  Supposedly are different than Swedish or Danish meatballs.  This is the definitive home-made meal in Norway.
• Raspeball - Basically a potato and meat dumpling.

I’ve also found out about several less-enticing dishes such as:

• Lungemos - Literally “lung mash”.  I suppose this is no different than liverwurst or other homogonized organ-meatloaf and similar products–but I typically don’t eat any organ meats so at least I’m consistent.
• Smalahove - Half a sheep’s head, and that is it.  The ‘best parts’ are the eye and tongue.  I suppose this is a bit of an acquired taste, but it is still apparently very popular in contemporary Norway.  Interestingly enough, it can’t be made from an adult sheep due to the risk of transmitting a brain protein disease to other animals.  Sounds delicious!
• Blodpølse - Blood pudding, but really more of a sausage made from cooking the blood.  Norwegians don’t like to waste much!

Some of these foods like lefse, pickled herring, and wasa can be purchased at your neighborhood grocery store (at least in the Northwest). Some of the specialty foods can be purchased from a specialty grocer like Scandinavian Specialties in Ballard, or ordered via the internet.  Perhaps the best way to try Scandinavian food is to go to an event lunch/dinners at Sons of Norway halls where you can try many of the foods and purchased home-baked goods.  My local lodge, Sons of Norway in Bothell, having their annual “Second Saturday in March” Norwegian Heritage Day next month!