Cinnamon-Sugar Kringle

Who has heard of kringle? The kringle is a popular Scandinavian pastry here in the U.S. among those familiar with Nordic cuisine. Often times referred to as the Nordic pretzel because of its similarity in shape, it is said to have arrived in Scandinavian in the 13th century with the Roman Catholic monks. Denmark might be better known for its kringler, and although I’m Norwegian must admit the Danes perhaps have a slight upper hand on coming up with creative varieties of this delicious knot-shaped pastry. The Danish are thought to be the ones who brought kringle to the United States too, so kudos to them for that!

Gløgg: Scandinavia’s Mulled Red Wine

No Christmas is complete without a hot, spicy cup of gløgg (mulled wine) which warms up your body all the way through to the root of your hair! Sitting down with a glass of gløgg is wonderfully relaxing and tasty in between the stressful pre-holiday chores like cleaning, shopping, and cooking.

Norwegian Pepperkaker to kick off Christmas

The first Christmas cookies I typically eat, are pepperkaker. These crispy, flavorful gingerbread cookies are seen everywhere across Norway from early December on to the end of the year, and a clear favorite among many kids and grown-ups alike. Nothing creates the feeling of Christmas quite like the smell of these aromatic cookies baking in the oven. Gingerbread houses are also common to make, particularly in households with small children. In fact, the world’s largest gingerbread city is located in Bergen, Norway and opens every year during this time of year.

Aquavit; the history and tradition of the Norwegian “water of life”

The French have cognac. Italians have grappa. The English have their gins, Mexicans have tequila, and the United States their bourbon. But what about Norway? Our national spirit is of course... aquavit! This "water of life" is not only limited to Norway...

Cider production; a century old tradition revived and alive in Norway

Cider production has a long history and tradition in Norway, especially in the regions of Hardanger and Sogn. In Hardanger, the production was considerably large in the period between 1890-1920. In 1921, however, stricter laws were put in place around the sale of...

Announcing first ever vegan tour of Norway in partnership with Up Norway!

Words can't describe how thrilled I am to announce this incredibly well designed, exciting and expertly organized first ever vegan tour of Norway! This has been a dream of mine for quite some time, and I finally found a partner I am so elated to be collaborating...

Fyrstekake; a Norwegian classic cake improved

I have to admit, fyrstekake was never my favorite Norwegian cake. The versions I grew up experiencing were always very dense, sometimes dry and most often too rich to even enjoy more than one bite. Perhaps this is why I’ve been hesitant to make it regularly. I am thrilled to report that my efforts to veganize this cake produced a result I am much happier with than the cakes I used to eat as a child and one I wrote about before I went vegan.

Horn: Norwegian crescent rolls

Norwegians love to bake, and while all countries have their own versions of pretty much any dish in existence, I don't think there's anything quite like Norwegian "horn". The closest would probably be crescent rolls but I will refer to them as "horns" for the rest of...

Arctic Grub selected as one of the top 60 Scandinavian blogs on the web!

I am thrilled to announce that my blog, Arctic Grub, has been selected as one of the top 60 Scandinavian blogs on the web!! The criteria for making the list were: Google reputation and Google search ranking Influence and popularity on Facebook, twitter and other...

Fiskegrateng, Norwegian fish au gratin sans the fish

Fiskegrateng is a classic dish most Norwegians remember from childhood, aimed to please both adults and kids, even those that wrinkle their nose when they hear "we're having fish for dinner". Fiskegrateng is what I call true Norwegian comfort food, and a dinner I...