Like clockwork the deciduous trees had begun to yellow and drop their leaves. The days were visibly shorter and the autumn rains were moving in. It was damp under the forest canopy, a rich musty smell rose from the undergrowth. I picked my way gingerly over mossy rocks and old tree stumps. We had taken a day trip in the woods on the outskirts of Oslo in order to pick mushrooms and were filling the last space left in our plastic shopping bags that now bulged with fresh Chanterelle. The brightly coloured yellow orange, fleshy looking fungus smelt rich and a little peppery. My stomach grumbled hungrily at the prospect of tucking in to freshly hunted elg (moose) thoughtfully delivered by my friends’ mother on a visit from their home town just an hour north; stewed in a steaming casserole punctuated by the rich colour and pungent flavour of the mushrooms we now held in hand.
I thought back to the weeks prior to my arrival in Oslo. My friends, who had travelled there previously, aware of my passion for food, warned me of the impending disappointment I was to experience. The outrageously expensive supermarkets, stocked with wilting produce imported from around the globe. The endless fridges and freezers filled with highly processed, pre packaged, premade meals. I had shuddered at the thought. I had even found an online lesson about Norwegian culture, which included a video of a young Norwegian man explaining Norway’s love affair with frozen pizza, detailing how he relished the great variety of toppings that could be found on this local delicacy. As feared, and forewarned, I found that many of the culinary horror stories were more or less true. Unfortunately many Norwegians consider cooking to be opening a packet and applying heat, and a lot of what is found in the modern Norwegian supermarket is less than exciting, especially to a chef and self-professed foodie. These facts were driven home to me shortly after arrival in the country when a friend expressed shock and horror that I would choose to waste my time making mash potato from scratch while there was perfectly good powdered, freeze-dried “mashed potato” in the cupboard… Needless to say, that relationship did not last long.
Despite the above, soon, and by the grace of the Nordic gods, I found that it was not all about bland pre-packaged foods. The great big refrigerator of Norway is stocked with many fresh and exciting items if you know where to look.
For the everyday home cook, all the extra things, aside from your supermarket staples are found in three places; the international grocers, garden colonies and allotments (or your own backyard), and out in nature.
In Oslo, those with a passion for international tastes can head to the eastern edge of Oslo central. On and surrounding Torggata you will find a range of Asian supermarkets stocking a good range of Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese and Japanese ingredients. These shops are reasonably priced and will bring a bit of spice back into your life.
On Grønland Torg, you will find the largest and best stocked of the international grocers, with food from all corners of the globe. If you can’t find it here, you probably won’t find it in Norway. Just be prepared to line up; the queue is fifteen to twenty people deep with five cash registers running most of the day. But hey, at least you get what you want.
When looking for veg in Oslo, always look to buy local produce. With little arable land and the harsh Norwegian climate, the farmers need all the support they can get, plus the fact that everything grown in Norwegian soil tastes incredible! When this is not possible, which is often, Oslo’s collective gardens can provide enough space for small time agriculturalists to produce fresh, organic veg for their families and perhaps a few friends or neighbours. There are around 1000 gardening allotments and 1000 garden colony spaces that can be rented by Oslo residents from the local government, but the waiting lists are long and growing.
Finally there is the great larder that is the Norwegian natural environment itself. Wild beast such as deer and moose can be hunted by those who can demonstrate proficiency in shooting and obtain a permit. Successful hunts can provide enough rich gamey meat for months. Fishing and gathering other seafood from the fjords, coastline, rivers and lakes is a national pastime, while for those of the vegetarian inclination, berries, mushrooms and other native flora can be gathered from the forests throughout summer and autumn.
To my relief, after an initial struggle I found that, despite the rumours, it is possible to live in Norway and run a respectable home kitchen. I also found that good hearty, traditional Norwegian food could still be found and to my great pleasure and excitement, those who still made a point of cooking these great old style meals, also took the time to hunt, gather and fish the ingredients from their local surrounds when the seasons permitted.
There is a lot to be learnt about Norway and its people through the contrasting foods they choose to fill their bellies with. In today's Norway a lot of what people eat is governed by convenience, time constraints, and a landscape that severely restricts the amount of fresh food that can be produced; hence the “Grandiosa” (frozen pizza) culture. But, also Norway has a changing demographic. Their generous asylum policy is pumping a new wave of tasty international flavours into the country and people are beginning to eat more widely and enjoy the difference of international cuisine. But when it came down to it I found that the most exciting food for me was the traditional Norwegian meals; fresh produce hunted and gathered in from the great big backyard of Norway, and this was the food that the locals were most proud of.
