Taste Norway

Nesna University College offered to international students a course of Norwegian culture and language. It lasted three weeks and started just after we finished the second gathering. Our teacher was a French, but don't be confused! Claude lives in Norway for 11 years and he knows about this country more than an average Norwegian. We have had only a few days of classes, so nobody expected that we'll speak Norwegian. Actually, we had a short overview on Norwegian grammar, some basic vocabulary, then we moved to history of language and country, Sami culture, folk music etc. He have been to some interesting places (I'll write about it later on) and what's most important - we had an opportunity to taste traditional Norwegian food. But not only we tried it - we have even prepared some of it!

Waffles

In the first day of our classes we were supposed to prepare three types of Norwegian waffles and cacao. To make it more difficult - Claude gave us recipe in... Norwegian. It wasn't really helpful ^^'

Anyway, we got down to work :)

And soon we saw first results...

Almost, almost ready!

Lunch is served :)

Rubus chamaemorus. That's the Latin name. In Poland we call it 'nordic raspberry' but I don't know the proper English equivalent. Norwegians call it "multe" and in fact it doesn't taste like raspberry at all - it's quite sour. Anyway, multe is quite rare and expensive - these were found by Claude in some secret place on his island during summer. ;) 

Of course - picture first, then eating ;)

Taste Norway...

Making waffles was just the beginning - we also have been preparing mattpaka - which is a lunch, that kids are usually taking to school. Actually, mattpaka is a sandwich, but without upper layer, packed with paper or to the box. Other time, we had a chance to taste waffles and porridge made of fish eggs. 

We also ate a traditional Norwegian bread, I can't remember what was added to it, but some of us said that it tastes like a tree. Well... I have never tasted a tree. :D

Guess what! A reindeer meat. It was strongly smoked, so in fact I didn't feel the exact taste of the meat, but of course it was something new and unusual. I'm not a big fan of that kind of meat, but still - I hope it wasn't Rudolph. 

To our last meeting, Cloud baked a traditional Norwegian cake - Kvæfjordkaka.

It was very kind of him to prepare such a farewell gift. ; )