There's a saying in my native language that I’m afraid doesn't really translate well into English. But roughly, it goes something like: if you visit a place where people eat snakes, don't just eat the snake, ask for the middle piece. Yeah, it sounds much better in Malayalam.
The point I’m trying to convey here is simple. When you're somewhere new, don't spend the entire trip looking for familiar stuff. Join the locals!
Which brings me to Norway. Now, Norway isn't exactly the first country that comes to mind when someone says "foodie destination." You don’t exactly come here for the food, but for the Northern Lights, fjords and mountains, ain’t that right?
But somewhere between all of that, there's also some really interesting food in Norway for you to try. From caramel-like brown cheese and cardamom waffles to reindeer stew, Arctic seafood and berries you can't even farm, Norwegian cuisine has enough to keep you guessing. So if you're looking for the best food to try in Norway, or simply putting together your own list of must try food in Norway, here are ten dishes, ingredients and local favourites that you need to add.
Brown Cheese (Brunost)
Let's begin with the one that divides almost every visitor. Will you love it? Absolutely no guarantees…
Unlike regular cheese, brunost isn't made from the cheese itself. It's made from the leftover whey that's slowly boiled together with milk and cream until the natural sugars caramelise, creating its famous brown colour and surprisingly sweet flavour.
Norwegians began making it centuries ago when wasting ingredients simply wasn't an option. Today, it's become one of the country's most recognizable foods.
The flavour is... difficult to explain. Imagine caramel, then imagine someone whispered “you’re cheese" to it. Some people describe it as slightly nutty, others swear it tastes like salted caramel. I've even heard someone compare it to eating caramel inside an old wooden barn!
Most Norwegians eat thin slices on bread or, even better, on freshly made waffles. Others sneak it into sauces, desserts and baking for a distinctly Norwegian flavour. Love it or hate it, if there's one Norway must try food you need to try, it's Brunost.
Reindeer Stew
Reindeer have been part of life across Northern Norway and Sami culture for centuries, so it's hardly surprising they also appear on dinner tables. The most common version is Finnbiff, a rich stew made using thin slices of reindeer meat slowly cooked with mushrooms, onions, cream and juniper berries before being served alongside mashed potatoes or lingonberry jam.
The meat itself is much leaner than beef, with a slightly gamey flavour that's surprisingly delicate. It's the sort of meal you’ll love even more after spending a freezing day outside chasing the Northern Lights or exploring snowy landscapes. For many visitors, it becomes one of the most memorable foods to try in Norway, partly because there’s no reindeers back home!
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Fresh Fish, And Every Possible Variety Of It
With one of the world's longest coastlines, it would honestly be more surprising if the seafood wasn't exceptional. Fresh cod, haddock, halibut, pollock, Arctic char and salmon appear on menus throughout the country, often prepared very simply. But if you want to dig a little deeper into Norwegian food culture, there are three classics worth looking out for.
Gravlaks is salmon cured with salt, sugar and plenty of dill before being served with a sweet mustard sauce. You'll often find it on breakfast buffets across Norway.
Rakfisk is a completely different story. Usually made using freshwater trout, it's salted and naturally fermented for several months, sometimes close to a year. It's considered something of a delicacy and usually appears during celebrations and special occasions.
Then there's Tørrfisk, or stockfish. This Arctic cod is hung outdoors and naturally dried by the cold northern air, particularly around the Lofoten Islands. Traditionally it was used for making lutefisk, although many restaurants now use it in far more approachable modern dishes.
If seafood is your thing, you'll probably spend half your Norwegian holiday eating your way through this list alone.
King Crab
This one's a bit new. King crab wasn't originally native to Norway. Soviet scientists introduced it to nearby Murmansk during the 1960s, and before long it had crossed into Norwegian waters.
Today they're one of Northern Norway's biggest culinary attractions. Their legs are enormous, packed with sweet, delicate meat that honestly needs little more than melted butter.
Even better, many travellers don't simply order king crab in a restaurant. They go and catch it. King crab safaris have become hugely popular around Kirkenes, where visitors head out onto the fjords, help pull giant crabs from the icy water and then sit down to enjoy an incredibly fresh seafood meal only minutes later, isn't that fun?
It's difficult to think of a better introduction to food in Norway than eating something you quite literally helped bring ashore yourself.
Norwegian Waffles
Unlike the thick Belgian versions, Norwegian waffles are much thinner, softer and almost always flavoured with cardamom. They're cooked in beautiful heart-shaped waffle irons before being folded in half and eaten with whichever topping you prefer.
Fresh strawberries, blueberry jam, sour cream, or, if you really want the local experience, remember Brunost?
Yes, Norwegians genuinely put brown cheese on waffles. You'll find them everywhere from mountain cafés and ferry terminals to family kitchens and roadside cafés throughout the country. If you're visiting during summer, there's a good chance they'll also come topped with freshly picked berries. Among all the best food to eat in Norway, this is probably the easiest one to fall in love with.
Skolebrød
Let's stay with cardamom for a moment. If there's one bakery item that seems to follow Norwegians from childhood into adulthood, it's Skolebrød, literally translated as school bread. However, calling it "bread" feels very unfair.
It's a soft, cardamom-flavoured bun filled with vanilla custard, glazed with icing and rolled generously in desiccated coconut. You'll find skolebrød in almost every bakery, supermarket and café across the country. In fact, don't automatically assume the expensive artisan bakery makes the better version. Norwegian supermarkets bake them fresh every day, and locals happily grab them alongside their morning coffee!
Fiskekaker (Norwegian Fish Cakes)
If you're expecting something crispy like a fish fritter, maybe you’ll need to recalibrate your expectations. Norwegian fiskekaker are soft, pan-fried fish cakes usually made from fresh cod, haddock or pollock, mixed with milk, nutmeg and potato starch instead of flour. That last ingredient gives them a much smoother texture than most visitors expect.
Traditional restaurants often serve them with potatoes, vegetables and a creamy sauce, while more modern cafés have found creative ways to reinvent them. One of the best examples is Fiskekaka Geiranger, where the fish cakes are tucked inside fluffy homemade pita bread with lettuce, pickled onions and an incredibly good herb mayonnaise.
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Cloudberries
Some ingredients are very difficult to grow. These golden berries only grow wild across Arctic regions such as Norway, Sweden and Finland. Nobody really farms them, they have to be foraged, which makes them one of the country's most prized seasonal ingredients!
They look a little like oversized golden raspberries, with a flavour that's gently sweet, slightly tart and unlike almost anything else. You'll spot them throughout Norway, particularly on dessert menus.
Or simply made into cloudberry jam, which many travellers end up bringing home after discovering they can't really buy it elsewhere. If you happen to visit during berry season, don't skip them. They're among the rarer food to try in Norway, simply because opportunities to eat fresh cloudberries are surprisingly less.
Don't Ignore The Roadside Fruit Stands
Consider this a tip, not a dish. If you’re driving through western Norway during summer, you'll eventually begin noticing small roadside stalls selling fruit.
Nobody stands there trying to convince you to buy anything. Instead, you'll find baskets filled with freshly picked apples, strawberries, cherries or plums, alongside a small honesty box where you simply leave your money before driving away.
Isn’t that wonderfully Norwegian? The Hardangerfjord region is particularly famous for apples and plums, while roads around Loen and many western valleys become lined with seasonal fruit stands throughout summer.
Freia Chocolate
Freia has been producing chocolate since the late 1800s and has become almost a national institution. Walk into any supermarket and you'll find shelves packed with different flavours, although many Norwegians will tell you the original milk chocolate is still impossible to beat!
The hazelnut version has plenty of supporters too. Whether or not it really is the greatest chocolate on earth is probably a debate best left to the Swiss and Belgians. But while you're in Norway, buying at least one bar is compulsory, I’d say.
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Will Vegetarian Food Be Available In Norway?
Absolutely. While traditional Norwegian cuisine does lean heavily towards seafood, meat and dairy, vegetarian travellers generally won't struggle, particularly in larger cities such as Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim.
Most restaurants now offer vegetarian mains alongside traditional dishes, while cafés and bakeries are filled with pastries, waffles, soups and sweet treats. Brown cheese, Norwegian waffles, cloudberry desserts and bakery favourites such as skolebrød are all easy vegetarian options. Supermarkets are also exceptionally well stocked, making self-catering a very practical option if you're travelling for longer.
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