While these toppings can be arranged in any way, the basic components never really change. To pack these pålegg-topped slices of bread together, there is a special type of paper called matpapir (“food paper”). Matpapir is the size of a piece of bread and is placed between each slice so they don't stick together. But why do so many Norwegians opt to eat the same lunch every day? It’s hard to say! I don’t have a good answer, but I did ask a friend once why everybody makes matpakke. Does she ever get bored of eating it? “No!” she said. “It’s just what we’ve always done!”
Holiday Dishes
Let’s talk about the main course. There are two main course dishes that almost every Norwegian family eats if they celebrate Christmas. Fun fact -- Christmas Eve (December 24th) is the day people celebrate, not Christmas Day (December 25th)! One dish, which is most popular in the west, is called pinnekjøtt, which literally translates to “stick meat.” This dish is made of lamb’s ribs and is heavily salted and often smoked for many hours. This process comes from a centuries-old tradition of salting and drying meat so it could be preserved without a refrigerator. The first time I tried pinnekjøtt, I was so surprised by how soft the meat was. If you have ever tried lamb’s meat, maybe you noticed that it can be very tough. But because pinnekjøtt is steamed for so long, it falls right off the bone! The other dish is called ribbe, which is made from pork ribs. I have never tasted ribbe but have promised to try it if I am ever back in Norway for the holidays.
