Norwegian cuisine regularly wins first place in prestigious culinary competitions. So it is not uncommon to find a Norwegian among the best chefs nowadays. The 'Bocuse d'Or' — a kind of culinary 'Oscar' — has gone to Norway three times in just the last ten years. By the way, while in Norway, you can have lunch or dinner with a view of one of these statuettes. Such a trophy belongs to chef Charles Tjessem and stands in the hall of his restaurant Charies & De, which is located in the town of Sandnes near Stavanger. And in Stavanger itself, the Norwegian Gastronomic Institute is based — a kind of research center that identifies hidden possibilities of well-known products, and then successfully implements these theoretical developments in restaurant practice.
Today in Norway they cook with crazy imagination, but the flight of fancy is directed not at exotic products, but concentrates on raising the most ordinary to the level of exotic, seeing something new and original in the everyday. And so is it any wonder that an ordinary and seemingly such unprepossessing 'green stuff' as watercress suddenly begins to sound a bright note in the overall symphony of flavor. Despite fashionable gastronomic quests, Norway does not forget traditions. Here, fish is still the head of everything. Salmon, halibut, herring, cod... The freshest, ecologically impeccable, just caught. In addition to fishing itself, fish farming is also developed here.
And even if you have been absolutely and irrevocably convinced all your life that you don't like fish, after trying it in Norway, you will understand: it wasn't about the fish, but about the fact that you simply didn't know how to cook it. And in Norway, they do! Whether it's the ultra-fashionable duo of halibut and salmon with fennel foam, or traditional stockfisk (soaked dried cod) with pea puree.
Once in Bergen—the capital of trolls—be sure to visit the famous fish market located on the waterfront in the very center of the city. This is a place where you don't have to save kroner, because the local street food is full of pleasant surprises. Where else can you kill a worm not with a banal hot dog, but with a sandwich with real whale meat? And here you can also buy a tasty gift for family and friends: smoked eel, famous local salmon, or a set of several types of caviar. On Bergen's Bryggen waterfront, drop into the popular upscale restaurant Enhjorningen Fishrestaurant—here you can try the same products, but in a modern restaurant style: whale carpaccio, white halibut which is trendy nowadays in Norway. For the harsh Norwegian truth—dried cod—in Bergen, go to the traditional cuisine restaurant Holbergstuen Restaurant. According to gastronomic legend, it was from Norway that dried cod once spread throughout Europe under the name 'bacalao' and became the hallmark of, for example, Spanish and Portuguese national cuisines.
The set of traditional Norwegian products is very similar to those typical of the Russian North: the same types of fish, forest berries, venison, etc. To some, such an 'assortment' might seem poor. But not to Norwegians, who easily turn such a 'deficit' into true wealth. From cloudberries alone, they make dozens of dishes—from rustic puree to sophisticated sorbets. And herring—they salt it divinely, and eat it pickled with spices and berry puree, salted with onion or green onions and sour cream, and also pan-fried fresh with vegetables. Not to mention the 'signature' salmon.
Although, of course, Norway does not live by fish alone. They love lamb and pork, cheese and milk, which locals consume per capita almost more than anywhere in Europe. In Norway, it is easy to have a 'tasty' time. Fortunately, rural (farm) tourism is very developed and popular here. Especially in the Ryfylke region—known not only for seafood but also for 'earthly' agricultural products: fruits and vegetables. If you suddenly see a rooster image on road signs, know that nearby you can find specialized farm stores that sell local produce, so to speak, straight from the field.
In addition, some farms have small hotels or the farms themselves are like inns. You can spend the night or even stay for several days, delighting your body with all sorts of goodies. Silence, peace, sheep grazing, and the hosts of this rural paradise treat you to berries, fruits and vegetables, freshly squeezed juices, cheeses, goat's milk, and other delights of home cooking, which, as is well known, no restaurant can compare to.
Ice Cream Cake. Many Norwegian families love to prepare a simple but very tasty dessert. It can be made very quickly: on a layer of apple puree (just beat baked apples without skin with a mixer), sprinkle a layer of cookie or biscuit crumbs, then top with whipped cream, then apples again, then crumbs, and so on. You can put the dessert in the freezer for an hour or two to get a wonderful ice cream cake.