Viking Jupiter.
Nordic gravlax
“Gravlax” literally translates, perhaps a little off-puttingly, as “buried salmon,” a reference to the ancient practice of curing raw fish by burying it in sand by the ocean so it becomes saturated and cured by seawater. Today the fish is salted and seasoned, weighed down and refrigerated until cured. A good place to sample it at its best is the modern Fjellskaal food hall on the lively waterfront at Bergen, Norway’s second biggest city. See fjellskaal.no
Norwegian brown cheese waffles
Waffle and fruit served in Mamsen’s cafe on-board the Viking Star.
Mamsen’s, the Scandi-style deli aboard Viking ships, serves delicious waffles that are notable for the fact that they’re accompanied by a Norwegian delicacy, caramel-coloured brown goat’s cheese, or “brunost” (you can also opt for jam or even both). Norwegians consider brown cheese to be a national gastronomic treasure originating from its alpine farms with waffles typically not eaten at breakfast but at other times of the day.
Pastries
The sort of humble Danish pastries eaten in Australia are hardly representative of the sweet and doughy treats to be sampled across the breadth of Scandinavia. Serious bakeries and bakery cafes abound across all of the Nordic nations, with the Braud & Co chain in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, a standout. Along with organic doughs, Braud & Co’s bakers use Icelandic butter and sea salt in their artisan breads and cinnamon-rich buns. See braudogco.is
Split pea soup
Ertesuppe, the Norwegian version of this cherished and hearty dish, is a favourite hot offering at lunches and dinners, especially in the colder Nordic months. Served aboard Viking ships, the combination of ham and chicken broth creates a flavourful soup. Split peas, according to Viking, didn’t appear in Norway until the end of the 19th century, when a process for removing the skins became commonly used. They have become a culinary fixture ever since. See viking.com.au
Scandi flavour … Mamsen’s Restaurant aboard the Viking Sea.
Herring
The Italians may recoil at it but this rich, oily and marinated fish is a common and beloved ingredient in smorrebrod (see above) and teamed with everything from curry cream, egg, watercress, and caper berries. Also eaten on its own, it’s typically consumed before other smorgasbord spread items, accompanied with sauces such as mustard or dill and onion.
Aquavit
With its distilled potato-based alcohol content rising to 40 per cent, Nordic schnapps, also known as aquavit (or akvavit in Norwegian) could fairly help fuel any Scandinavian space program. One of Viking’s onboard al fresco drinking holes, Aquavit Terrace, is named in honour of this robust spirit, the flavour of which is derived from herbs and spices, namely a distillate of caraway and/or dill seeds.
The writer travelled as a guest of Viking Cruises. See viking.com.au
Viking Cruises’ 15-day Northern European Viking Homelands voyage from Stockholm to Bergen, Norway, or vice versa, from $12,795 a person.