Travel Russia Today

I recently enjoyed a day exploring the Norwegian Fjords by traveling via Norway in a Nutshell. This full day journey, involving trains, ferries and a bus will delight any one with its breathtaking views of the fjords. Tiny villages, some consisting of only two or three homes, dot the coastline. Occasionally, I would spot a lone house perched on a cliff and wonder how they survive so isolated.

Countless waterfalls plunge into the sea. The captain of our ferry pulled up along a waterfall and everyone was served a cold, sparkling glass of water. It was the best water I ever tasted but, I must admit, I enjoyed a different drink along the journey even more...

We had a nice stop in Flam (a gorgeous town in Norway) for forty five minutes before continuing on. There were several buildings surrounding the port and when we wandered past the restaurant and souvenir shop we could not believe our eyes when we spotted a brewery.

The Aegir Brewery is a stave designed, barn-like building. The interiors featured wood carvings everywhere and stone floors as if a Viking designed it himself. At the bar, we were delighted to meet the bartender/owner and discover he is a fellow American from Buffalo. He presented us with a tasting board of six micro-brews. With only about thirty minutes before our departure we did our best to sit back and enjoy each sip. The Indian Pale Ale was the clear winner in our group. We would have loved to have spent the whole afternoon there but, alas, we must continue on.

In a side street not far from Oslo City Hall is a store front that is reminiscent of an old town Main Street butcher. With an awning out front and a full sized stuffed reindeer in the window, an assortment of vacuum packed and fresh meats looks incredibly appetizing and is displayed in a way rarely seen in today’s refrigerated counters and sliding glass fronted cooler units.

Inside is a treasure trove of intriguing meats hanging from the ceiling, jellies, jams and cheeses all made from traditional Norwegian recipes and most using the best of local produce. For the traveler you can find an unusual souvenir in the form of vacuum packed dried reindeer meat - probably best if not served around Christmas to avoid shrieks of horror that Rudolph made it to the plate. This delicacy is a little strong but delicious when served on crackers with a slice of tomato and cucumber to cut the gamey taste (my own recipe).

You could spend an hour here quite easily exploring the shelves trying to figure out what everything is but one of the store’s best assets is its owner Eirik Bræk who delights in taking the time to explain and let you sample much of what he sells. Some of the cheese will have your nose and taste buds running wild (but you must try it) but Eirik is truly in his element when he introduces you to Smalahove.

This traditional Norwegian delicacy is generally enjoyed around Christmas and is made from a sheep’s head. How it gets to the stage whereby it can be eaten is a little stomach-churning – the fleece and skin are torched and the brain removed (a good thing - I think!). The head is salted and dried and then boiled for about 3 hours. Mashed potatoes are the side of choice. Not surprisingly the dish was originally eaten by peasants but as happens all too often, if you want to impress in this modern age, have Eirik prepare a batch of Smalahove for you to serve. Or even better allow his catering service to serve them for you.

The dish is now prepared using only the heads of lambs since the EU decided that older sheep may be susceptible to diseases that could (though never have) be transmitted to humans.
And just how do you eat Smalahove? One half of the head is one serving and you should start with the ear and eye which are best eaten warm (lots of fat here). Then work around the skull usually making your way from front to back. The tongue is truly considered to be the best part though Eirik says arguments can be quite heated since many considered the eyes to be the best – see no evil, speak no evil!

There is no better place to explore Norwegian food culture than Fenaknoken and almost certainly no-one better to explain it than Eirik. Be sure to drop by – it will be your most talked about stop in Oslo!