By late spring, my watchful eyes are on full alert as I wait for the slightest sign of small buds emerging from the silent company of spruce trees spread thickly across the terrain. Speckles of light green dotted across spanning arms.
The first buds can sneak by unnoticed if you aren’t paying attention and, before you know it, in a few short weeks their season is all but gone. There’s a slight urgency to gather what is necessary and begin making a myriad of savory and sweet things like delectable syrups, salads, ice cream, and pickled tips.
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Stacks of dried cod, butterflied and doused with salt, are one of the most iconic images you will find along Norway’s coastline and in traditional food markets across the region. Although their earthy tones may not immediately attract the eye, their very existence tells a deep history of Norwegian traditions and a commerce that has shaped Norway’s economy. 
Spring officially marked its entrance on the meteorological calendar, but it has yet to arrive (or come close to arriving) in our valley.
Norway has a long tradition of curing – graving – both fish and meat in order to conserve them. While cured salmon (
Traditions are like threads. Threads pieced together from generation to generation. Some threads break loose and are replaced with newer ones, but others remain at the core. The dishes we eat are just a few of those threads. Everyone has their favorites, their must-haves, and when those are satisfied, there’s room for a few new threads.