Christmas à la Norway
What’s a traditional Norwegian Christmas Eve dinner? We get to find out when S and I have dinner with a friend’s family.
Christmas eve dinner is traditionally the highlight of Christmas in Norway. A lot of effort goes into preparing age old dishes that include:
Ribbe which is pork rib roast. Famous Norwegian chef, Andreas Viestad, says “Ribbe, as the traditional Christmas supper is called in Norwegian, has a special position in Norway, something almost as sacred as the Thanksgiving turkey in America. Almost everyone I know eats pork rib roast, and for them a Christmas without it would be unthinkable.”
Pinnekjøtt (Pronounced pinneisho) is lamb rib, either salted and dried or salted, smoked and dried.
Rice Cream (creamy rice pudding/porridge)- Serve with red fruit sauce on top. Rice Cream is often served with an almond hidden in it. The person who finds the almond gets a prize - usually a marzipan pig or a delicious Norwegian chocolate. I understand this was meant to encourage the children to eat the Rice cream.
Christmas sausages which are basically small pork sausages.
Along with the food is served a lot of alcohol, notably a spirit distilled from potatoes or grain and flavoured with herbs called Akevitt (approx 40% alcohol content). I am told the Akevitt assits with the digestion of the fat from all the pork eaten at Christmas.
The most interesting thing about the brand of Akevitt we sample is that- as part of its production process- it is carried in barrels on board ships that cross the equator (twice). The story is that the constant rocking of the ships and the weather changes as lines of latitude are crossed helps the ale to extract more flavour from the oak that the barrels are made from (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akvavit for more).
When we enter the striking lounge (all painted white and adorned with white furniture), I notice the beautifully lit Christmas tree and the pile of presents at its base. The general idea is to have the main course, open the presents then have desert and drinks.
The main course is wonderful. I love pork so ribbe is right up my river- and right up to my ribs by the time I’m done with the meal. Stuffed to the brim.
There are some surprises when the presents go round. S’s friend J is Santa’s assistant and hands out the gifts. There are presents for us as well! During the evening I gain a new grandmother- a.k.a Bestemor.
Desert is custard cake, cookies, chocolate and some other Norwegian confectionery. We dance around the Christmas tree (another tradition) and go home feeling happy, welcomed and satiated.
Written by fungaijames on December 24th, 2007 with
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Unofungei? Unoitei? I capture the stories that often escape the lenses of big media. I record the life of a pregnant nation. This is a door into the country that I love. These are my thoughts. These are my memories... 
