Norwegian Cuisine - Norway - page 915

FOOD IN A TUBE
A Parisian orders acafe au lait, a Londoner kippers. In New York it might be a bagel, in
Tokyo rice. Comfort food or culture shock, they're all breakfast, and for Norwegians it
comes in a tube.
The question mark at hotel breakfast buffets, and nothing to do with dental hygiene,
cream cheese andkaviar(sugar-cured and smoked cod-roe cream) packaged in tubes
have been Norwegian favourites for decades. There are two especially popular Norwegian
brands: the Trondheim-based Mills, best known for itskaviar,and the older Kavli in Ber-
gen. Going strong since 1893 (their first tube food appeared in the 1920s), Kavli now pro-
duces bacon, ham, salami, shrimp, tomato, mexicana and jalapeño flavoured cheeses, all
packaged in the familiar tubes.
Though both spreads are good alone and are part of a well-rounded Norwegianfrokost
(breakfast),kaviaris especially popular coupled with Norvegia cheese or a few slices of
boiled egg.
Authentic Norwegian Cooking by Astrid Karlsen Scott emphasises the practical and has
been endorsed by none other than Ingrid Espelid, the Betty Crocker or Delia Smith of Nor-
way. The Norwegian Kitchen by K Innli (ed) brings together more than 350 favourite re-
cipes of members of the Association of Norwegian Chefs.
Drinks
Hot Drinks
If Norway has a national drink, it's coffee. In fact, coffee is drunk in such staggering
quantities that one can only wonder how people can remain so calm under the influence of
so much caffeine. Most Norwegians drink it black and strong, but foreigners requiring
milk and/or sugar are normally indulged.
Teas and infusions are also available all over the country.