You might be surprised to learn that the food I eat on this side of the world isn’t always very different from what we might eat in the United States. Globalization in the 20th century was an exchange of cultures that brought different cuisines all around the world, which is why Americans might enjoy food from Latin America on “Taco Tuesday” or have a tasty pasta dish at an Italian restaurant. In Norway, we eat all sorts of flavors and cuisines too! However, there are some foods and traditions that you’ll probably only find here in Scandinavia. I’ll tell you about three: the matpakke, two typical holiday dishes and waffles and brunost.
The Matpakke
Matpakke is a somewhat difficult word to translate. It refers to a daily tradition of a packed lunch that is almost exactly the same every day: 2-3 slices of whole grain bread, a slice of cheese on each piece of bread, and a couple slices of meat or fresh vegetables. These toppings are called pålegg (pronounced “poh-leg”). This word is also tricky to translate, but it basically means “toppings.” Other popular pålegg on these open-faced sandwiches are liver paste, pickled mackerel in tomato sauce, shrimp and sliced hard-boiled eggs.
