Norway Food and Drink

Fish is a staple, along with meat, potatoes and other root vegetables. The favourite traditional hot snack is the pølse, a type of sausage. The roadside kro (traveller's restaurant) is a good choice if you want to sample traditional Norwegian fare.

Breakfasts are often enormous with a huge variety of fish, meat, cheese, sweet whey cheese and bread served buffet-style with coffee and boiled or fried eggs. Open sandwiches are topped with meat, fish, cheese and salads. Popular dinner dishes include meatballs (kjøttboller or karbonader) with boiled potatoes, boiled fish and bacalao, a spiced dried cod stew.

Alcohol tends to be limited in availability and expensive, although beer and wine are generally available in restaurants. Licensing laws are strict and alcohol above 4.7% ABV for home consumption is sold only by the state through Vinmonopolet (special monopoly stores). Beer and cider is sold in general stores.

Specialities

• Brunost (a sweet brown cheese made with whey).
• Roast wild elk, or reindeer.
• Lutefisk (baked preserved cod).
• Grøt (a form of porridge).
• Multer (cloudberries - a summer delicacy).

Tipping

Waiters expect a tip of no more than 5% of the bill. A 10-15% tip is not unusual if the diner is very happy with the service.

Drinking age

18 (for beer, wine and other drinks up to 22% ABV), and 20 (for drinks over 22% ABV).

Regional drinks

Aquavit (schnapps).
Pils (light lager).
Lagerøl (lager with less than 2.5% volume).