Must-Try Foods From a Norwegian Supermarket

by Matthew Paul Gundersen

Discover the weird and wonderful food items you can buy from a supermarket in Norway. View the circles on the map to see where in Norway these products come from.

Kaviar (and other food in tubes)

In Norwegian supermarkets you will find many different types of foods in tubes, from cheese to kaviar. A very popular choice for Norwegians, kaviar is a smoked cod roe which is creamed then pumped into tubes.

Kaviar goes great on bread or crispbread (knekkebrød). It is convenient to squirt onto bread because of its smooth consistency and because it’s in a tube.

Brown Cheese

When people talk about food in Norway, brown cheese (brunost) comes up more often than not before anything else. Technically it isn’t cheese, rather ‘whey’, a by-product of cheese. It is tan in colour with caramel-like smell. In terms of texture, it can feel quite dry and gummy on the tongue, with taste of caramel to match its smell. It seems to go through various stages of taste as its consumed. Some types of brown cheese are sweeter, so you can find one that’s right for you.

Mackerel and other tinned fish

Norway is a country famed for its fishing industry. The most popular fish in supermarkets is tinned mackerel (but it can also be bought in a tube if you prefer).

Mackerel in supermarkets can come in various flavours, including olive oil and the most popular, in tomato sauce. Because the fish contains high levels of omega 3 fatty acids as well as vitamin B, there are many health benefits to eating mackerel.