North Wild Kitchen

Tag: treat

  • Kaffegraut (Norwegian Semolina Porridge)

    Kaffegraut (Norwegian Semolina Porridge)

    Kaffegraut (Norwegian "Coffee" Porridge)
    Kaffegraut (Norwegian Semolina Porridge)

    Not long after we moved to Norway, I was served kaffegraut “coffee porridge” at the Rollag Station Kafe in Rollag. It was presented simple enough. A bowl with a thin layer of cinnamon and symmetrically placed raisins on top. What lied beneath the brown layer, though, was unknown to me. I was curious, perhaps even a little skeptical being that it was porridge and all. But one bite in and my slightly tensed shoulders relaxed. My eyes widened as my thoughts began to process what I had just encountered, and I couldn’t help but smile as I took in the smooth textures and subtle buttery and sweet flavors.

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  • Heitevegger (Bergen’s Warm Shrovetide Buns)

    Heitevegger (Bergen’s Warm Shrovetide Buns)

    Heitevegger (Bergen Hot Buns for Shrovetide/Fastelavns) Heitevegger (Bergen Hot Buns for Shrovetide/FastalavnsChange is in the air. That time again when the sun stays a little longer each day and the once, all-white landscape has become a collage of earthy tones. We are edging towards spring and that means we are also edging toward the cusp of lent with the celebration of Fastelavns, ‘the fast evening’.

    The typical fare for Fastelavns in Norway is a sweet bun with a layer of whipped cream in the middle called Fastelavnsboller (you can find my recipe and the history here). You will also find different names and slightly different ways of serving these buns across Scandinavia, but the heart of the treat is always the same. The bun. (more…)

  • Multekarameller (Cloudberry Caramels with Sea Salt)

    Multekarameller (Cloudberry Caramels with Sea Salt)

    Multekarameller (Cloudberry Caramels)Multekarameller (Cloudberry Caramels)This recipe is not one that you can just make at any time and anywhere. It’s a special recipe featuring Norway’s golden berry. A berry that grows in the mountains and gets the nickname fjellets gull (mountain’s gold) because of its color and the fact that finding them is like discovering hidden treasure. The season is short and those who manage to get a hold of them will usually freeze them and save them for a celebration or a holiday such as Christmas. These berries, known as multebær or cloudberries, are, in short, one of a kind.

    With this in mind, it is possible to substitute the berries with another berry of your choice, however, the flavor will not be the same at all. I do hope this recipe will evoke a sense of curiosity and a desire to one day try these berries if you have not been able to do so. They grow in North America and Scandinavia around early August. They have a unique and very aromatic taste; a combination of sweetness and acidity. (more…)

  • Rømmegrøt Ice Cream

    Rømmegrøt Ice Cream

    Rømmegrøt Ice Cream - Norwegian Midsummer TreatRømmegrøt Ice Cream - Norwegian Midsummer TreatSankthans, or Midsummer, is a celebration of both folklore and Christianity in Norway and across Scandinavia. An old tradition of celebrating the summer solstice which then blended into a newer tradition of commemorating the birth of John the Baptist. While in Norway the name still reflects the Christian view of the day (St Hans), it is the non-Christian elements, such as the midsummer bonfire, which has held fast over the years. And while less and less Norwegians celebrate this day, it still is seen as a welcome to the arrival of summer.

    No other dish is regarded quite so heavily with Sankthans than rømmegrøt, a porridge made of sour cream, especially in Northern and Central Norway. In fact, there are three traditional summer holidays, Sankthans (23 & 24 June), Olsok (29 July) and Barsok ( 24 August), which are associated with the serving of rømmegrøt. When friends and family once gathered for these summer feasts, rømmegrøt became the highlight of the menu, for it is possible that during this time the milk was at its best as the cows grazed in the abundance of summer’s grass. Also, the summer weather would most certainly cause fresh milk to curdle, making it convenient to make porridge for large groups when they had plenty. (more…)

  • Uvdalsleiven Tradisjonsbakst’s Kling (Lefse)

    Uvdalsleiven Tradisjonsbakst’s Kling (Lefse)

    Norwegian Kling (Lefse) from Uvdalsleiven TradisjonsbakstNorwegian Kling (Lefse) from Uvdalsleiven TradisjonsbakstMy second visit to Uvdalsleiven Tradisjonsbakst is underway and as I draw nearer to the bakery, I pass the Nore og Uvdal Bygdetun with Uvdal’s  stave church towering above the hill; a reminder of the days past and the history of this place. The horses have come to graze nearby and I stop for a moment to take in the surroundings. There’s a peacefulness in Numedal, in the towns which lie throughout. Enriched by gentle people, the structures of their labor and their heritage amidst a landscape of pure, unadulterated nature. I’m reminded how food has shaped and been shaped by the culture, and how certain delicacies remain as pure as the landscape. One such iconic product, which is so commonplace and at the same time ensues such nostalgia and longing for, is kling.

    My second visit to Uvdasleieven is underway and as I draw nearer to the bakery, I pass the Uvdal Byggdetun & Stave church, a reminder of the days past and the history of this place. The horses have come to graze nearby and I stop for a moment to take in the surroundings. There’s a peacefulness in Numedal, in the towns which lay throughout. Enriched by gentle people, the structures of their labor and their heritage amidst a landscape of pure, unadulterated nature. I’m reminded how food has shaped and been shaped by the culture, and how certain delicacies remain as pure as the landscape. One such iconic product, which is so commonplace and at the same time ensues such nostalgia and longing for, is Kling. Hanne and Hanne K greet me with smiles as they carry on mixing, rolling and baking. Their day started at 5.30 this morning, and I’m only now joining them as they carry on working until the work is done. No clock to follow, only the work of their hands counting down the minutes. Today, they are making kling. You and I might call it lefse, but to anyone from these parts, it is kling. Whether with a smear of butter and sugar or served plain, this is kling from Uvdal. Hanne’s recipe has won over many fans, boasting a light and delicate kling, with my favorite being sugar and butter sandwiched between two kling and cut into large triangles. Rolling each kling by hand is a practice not suitable to the demands of production. These days, a machine aids in the rolling, but in no way is an indication of the process being easy. Each dough must go through the machine a total of 14 times, and each time through, the ladies must flour, turn, adjust and observe. There is an unspoken synchronization at work. It is second nature to them, but I can see it clearly. One makes the dough, the other rolls the prepared dough and when enough kling has been rolled out, one will make their way toward the takke. If cooking one at a time isn’t hard enough, they cook two simultaneously. Alternating and flipping. And this method carries on, with each task being traded off between the two of them so there is a balance. For both body and mind. The recipe is from her grandmother. And as each one begins to bubble and brown, they are placed on top of each other and wrapped in a blanket of plastic and fabric. Stored overnight, they will be prepared the following day. Some will be given a coating of butter and sugar, while the rest will be left plain. Hanne tells me that the plain kling goes well with warm beta soup, or topped with some butter and eaten with rakfisk. She reveals that her custom is to eat it with a bowl of risengrot (rice porridge), although this is not common practice. A habit she indulges in at home on the rare occasion. There’s a quietness today. Hanne is quick to explain that on kling days they generally keep conversation to a minimum. They work in auto-mode and move to the beat of the radio playing in the background until it’s time for a short break. Coffee, served black and taken on the front steps. We reminisce over the area and the history of the place. We discuss kling and markets. We agree that tradition is strong in these parts and that everyone is proud of their heritage, their recipes and the hard work that goes into every morsel. I’m not from here. I’m only a guest, but I feel closer to this valley and the people, because of these conversations and people like Hanne and Hanne Karine. Hanne is a great example of the labor and love that goes into maintaining tradition and running a business. Her products speak for themselves in quality and flavor. And in an area where everyone makes their own version of her products and swears by their family recipe, she certainly has to work even harder to standout. And she does so gracefully. She is a great advocate for Uvdal and the traditions of the community. She’s not the only one, but she is a voice and her products carry a certain weight of importance as they tell the stories of the area’s food culture to those passing through and they can also inspire others to see the value in local products. Norwegian Kling (Lefse) from Uvdalsleiven Tradisjonsbakst (more…)

  • Fastelavnsboller

    Fastelavnsboller

    Fastelavn. Shrovetide. Carnaval.

    Seven weeks before Easter, and sitting at the cusp of Lent, is a celebration spanning the centuries, and evolving to what is known today in Norway as Fastelavn, or ‘the fast evening’. Three days encompass the fastelavnsfeiring celebrations, starting on Fastelavnssøndag (Sunday), followed with Blåmandag(Blue Monday) or Fleskemandag and concluding with Feitetirsdag (Fat Tuesday) or Hvitetirsdag (White Tuesday).

    The roots of Fastelavn tie into the fertility cult. When those with life – women, animals & trees – would be awakened to fertility by being struck with the branches of birch trees. This practice is known as Fastelavnris. Birch trees often had buds at this time of year, and those twigs were referred to as life twigs. It was believed that those branches which did not bear buds at this time, had the fertility effect in itself, and were regarded with even more favor. The blossoming buds were also used for crop and weather predictions. Later, with the associations of Christianity, the twigs were regarding as symbols of the Passion of Christ and as the beginning of Lent.

    FastelavnsbollerThe concept of awakening later turned into an old tradition of waking early from bed and grabbing birch branches to then playfully spank those who were not yet awake. It was normal, up until far into the late 1900s, for children to whip their parents for fun and to be treated to a cream-filled bun afterwards. These buns are still eaten on Sunday.

    The star of Fastelavn: a bun. A boller, to be exact. Freshly baked. Sweetened cream nestled inside. Topped with a generous dousing of powered sugar – just enough to crown the lips of the one lucky enough to take a bite. These are decadent, yet simple. Sometimes, a spreading of jam will grace its interior as well, or custard, but traditionally, the cream should suffice. It’s possible these buns originated from the dumplings which previously were eaten with fatty soup and meat on Sunday as a practice of gluttony.

    fastelavns3

    Fastelavnsboller

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