Being invited to a Norwegian home

When invited to a Norwegian home, be prepared that it would be for kaffe and not dinner. Kaffe is in a more suitable time of the day, i.e. it could be just anytime really! But for dinner, well, that's a hastily affair in most families during the week, something to get through and then get on with whatever leisure they like.

Norwegian hospitality is very generous, as a guest you will be urged, or encouraged, to have some more of this or that, and there will always be a lot to choose from. For kaffe there might be waffles or pancakes or a few cakes. All of the goodies are placed on the table so you must be tempted! It is always appreciated that guests have several servings, the hosts will think that you enjoy the food and the company. But it is all right to say no thank you when you are full!

In my family, we have on several occasions had foreigners on visit, and they all marvel at the plentitude of food (i.e. cakes) prepared. Especially if it is a birthday, then the "kakebord" (cake table) is full of baked goods, from sweet rolls and quick bread to cakes and fruit. It seems like Norwegians have a special love of the sweet! In other countries, you may get your portion of cake ready served on your plate and that's it. But not in Norway. The whole cake stays there on the kakebord and you can go back and have more and taste the other goodies as well... Yum yum!

Going to the country side, you'll see that the traditions are much stronger there. Whenever you are a guest on a farm or in a home some way out of the cities, you'll always be treated to lots of food when you come. Invited or dropping in, the house mistress would always find the means of putting lots of nice things on the table. In the right seasons, you'd get blueberry pie, or pancakes with fresh blueberries mixed with sugar, or strawberry pie, or strawberries with milk and sugar on. "Rømmegrøt" (porridge made of sour cream) and "fenalår" (smoked mutton's thigh) is a special nice treat in fall and winter, and often accompanied with "flatbrød" (thin, flaky bread).

Of sweeter snacks there is the famous "lefse" (flat and compact "bread" spread with a whipped mix of sugar and real butter) which many Americans would know, since it is one thing that immigrants took with them and handed down the generations. There are many variations of the lefse, and other names for it too, like "svele", but this one is often more like a thick pancake.