Scandinavian frukost

"frukost" = Svenska for "fruit" + "cheese" = "breakfast"

A friend of mine and I recently went away to Norway for a three day weekend.  We stayed at a very nice hostel that served a very very full breakfast.  The Scandinavian breakfast has little in common with a typical American breakfast so I thought I would post pictures.

OK - here we go!

 

A variety of crisp bred.  Crisp bread is hugely hugely popular.  It may be eaten at any meal and in between meals at Fika.  An American might better know crisp bread as "Wasa" bread, as the Wasa company produces it.  When I have asked Swede's what food they miss when they live away from home, they often name crisp bread.  It comes in many flavors, shapes, and sizes.  There is literally an entire isle in the grocery stores dedicated to crisp bread.

Beyond the crisp bread are a few chocolate/ hazelnut spreads and peanut butter.  I suspect the peanut butter was put out for American guests, as Scandinavians don't seem to care about it.  Beyond that, glasses of Greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey and a few raisins.

 

 

Fresh fruit and boiled eggs.  If the number of egg cups I see in the stores is an indication of how popular boiled eggs are in the Scandinavian diet, they are eaten regularly.

 

 

This is my favorite kind of bread.  Probably ever.  It is hearty, a little crunchy on the outside, a few seeds in the bread itself, and covered in a variety of seeds. (Especially sunflower and pumpkin seeds.) I love it.

 

 

 Fish.  There were six types of fish/ seafood served at breakfast.   I think a lot of guests packed sandwiches for lunch, so some of the fish, like the tuna salad (which they put canned corn in) seems better suited for lunch.  The other fishes pictured are anchovies, smoked peppered mackerel,  mackerel with tomatoes, shrimp salad, and of course sill (herring).

 

 

Cucumbers, tomatoes and pepper slices might not seem picture worthy.  They are posted because they are the sandwich vegetables that I always see offered for sandwich fixings.  I have never once seen lettuce as an option.  In the bowl with the mayonnaise you might make out something called Kaviar. There is some fish in "Kaviar", and it is basically a slightly fishy salty sandwich spread.  My friend likes to put some on her boiled egg. It's OK, but I would rathe eat other things.

 

 

A great variety of meat and cheese.  The ~ brown cheese is Norwegian brown cheese and is supposed to be that color.  It's not my favorite, but it is also OK.  It is a little smoky and a little goaty.

 

 

 

Muesli is also very standard fare in Scandinavia.  It, and some yogurt, has become my typical breakfast.  At the grocery store, you can mix your own.  The hostel offered four different muesli, several kinds of dried fruit, and four kinds of yogurt.  Interestingly they also had large pitchers of thick sour milk with fresh fruit in it.

 

 

The best milk pitcher ever.  ~ 14 inches tall.

If Swedes,  and I think Norwegians, add dairy to their coffee (kaffee), they typically add milk, not creme or half 'n half.  ... sad huh?