Norwegian cooking was shaped by a short growing season and long winters. Preserving food by drying, salting, smoking and fermenting was essential, and the sea provided cod, herring and salmon. Today Norway is the world's largest exporter of farmed salmon, and its chefs have embraced New Nordic cooking.

Seafood

  • Salmon: fresh, smoked or as gravlaks, cured with salt, sugar and dill and served with mustard sauce.
  • Bacalao and klippfisk: salted and dried cod, often cooked in a tomato stew, a tradition from Kristiansund and Ålesund.
  • Lutefisk: dried cod soaked in lye until gelatinous, served at Christmas with bacon, peas and potatoes. It divides opinion.
  • Fiskesuppe: creamy fish soup, especially good in Bergen.

Meat

  • Fårikål: lamb and cabbage stewed with whole black peppercorns, the national dish, celebrated on the last Thursday in September.
  • Pinnekjøtt: salted, dried and steamed lamb ribs, the Christmas dish of western Norway.
  • Kjøttkaker: beef patties in brown gravy with potatoes, peas and lingonberry jam.
  • Reindeer: served in the north as stew (bidos) or thin-sliced (finnbiff), a Sámi tradition.

Brown cheese

Brunost is a sweet, caramel-coloured cheese made by boiling whey until the sugars caramelise. Norwegians slice it thinly with a cheese slicer, a Norwegian invention, and eat it on bread, crispbread or heart-shaped waffles.

Matpakke

Many Norwegians bring a matpakke to work or school: open sandwiches wrapped in paper, eaten at a short lunch break. Long restaurant lunches are rare, partly because eating out is expensive.

Friluftsliv

Friluftsliv, "open-air life", is central to Norwegian identity. People hike, ski and fish year-round, and the saying "there is no bad weather, only bad clothing" is taken seriously. The allemannsretten, or right to roam, lets anyone walk, ski and camp on uncultivated land, with simple rules on respecting nature and keeping distance from houses.

Many families have a hytte (cabin) in the mountains or by the sea, often without running water, where they spend weekends and holidays.

Traditions

  • 17 May: Constitution Day, with children's parades, bunad costumes, flags and ice cream.
  • Easter: many Norwegians head to the mountains to ski and read crime novels, a tradition called "påskekrim".
  • Christmas: celebrated on 24 December with pinnekjøtt, ribbe (pork belly) or lutefisk.

Etiquette

  • Be punctual, and take your shoes off at the door.
  • Norwegians value modesty and dislike showing off.
  • Small talk with strangers is limited, and personal space is valued.
  • Tipping is not expected but appreciated for good service.

See our Norway country guide for living costs and data.