Travel to Norway

Ask most people what the biggest day on the Norwegian calendar is and they would probably say the first day of the ice fishing season. If you're in that group (come on, be honest) you may be shocked and surprised to find out you're WRONG...close...but WRONG! If you live in Dane, Rock, or Green Counties, you should be run out of town on a rail.

The correct answer is Syttende Mai. (Pronounced Setten de my). Syttende Mai holds the same significance in Norway as the 4th of July holds in the United States. At the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Norway, which had been under the control of Denmark since the mid-1300s, was given by Denmark to Sweden. The Norwegians were miffed at this turn of events since they always considered themselves an independent country and on May 17 (or Syttende Mai), 1814, they signed a constitution declaring themselves so. Sweden was unimpressed and continued to rule Norway for another hundred years, finally granting independence in 1905.

But I digress. Syttende Mai is celebrated with children's parades, big parades, dances, and food, lots and lots of food. And what do Norwegians eat, you may ask? According to Howard Mohr, in his bible of Scandinavian lifestyle in the Upper Midwest How to Talk Minnesotan, Norwegians like white food. If it's not naturally white, they'll make it white. While this is mostly true, it's not completely true. A little color does creep in, here and there.

Like most cuisines, Norwegian cooking includes things both wonderful and to the uninitiated...frightening. Here then is a quick overview of Norwegian cooking. The most famous Norwegian foods are the ever-popular lutefisk and lefse. Lutefisk literally means lye fish. Lutefisk is air-dried cod, called stockfish, that is sawn (literally) into manageable pieces, soaked in fresh water for eight days, a lye (you read it right, lye) solution for two days, and then fresh water again for an additional two days. After all that, lutefisk is simmered until it is firm and translucent. Lutefisk is NOT an acquired taste. You either like it or you don't.

While lutefisk is available here and there in grocery stores, especially around Christmas, it's not the easiest thing to find. The Olsen Fish Company on the north side of Minneapolis is the world's largest producer. They make over 650,000 pounds a year. They sell stockfish for the do-it-yourselfers and processed and ready to cook lutefisk for the rest of us. The lutefisk is packaged under Olsen, Viking, Kemps, and Mike's labels but you can't buy directly from Olsens for they are strictly a wholesale company.

Lefse is made from potatoes. It's thin and flexible, and it looks and feels much like a flour tortilla. It has been likened to a dish rag but that is an unfair judgment by people who have tried poor quality, store bought, or old product. Fresh lefse is a delicate, flavorful delight, especially when buttered and rolled up with brown sugar.

The absolute best place to get lefse is to find a church with a crew of little Norwegian ladies who set up in the church kitchen and crank out lefse to sell as a fund-raiser. Stoughton, Mount Horeb, or Westby are good places to start. Failing that, the general consensus among lefse connoisseurs is that Countryside Lefse in Blair, Wisconsin, is by far the best commercially made lefse around. The reason is that they make lefse the same way you would at home (or at church). They use real potatoes and they roll and flip the lefse by hand. Countryside Lefse is distributed to local grocery stores but you can also order directly from them on their website lefse.com.

Lutefisk isn't the only fish dish around. Almost as ubiquitous is pickled herring. Norwegians eat tons of the stuff every year. Herring are pickled in the traditional manner with vinegar and spices and then things get interesting. There are 15 species of herring and at least that many ways to pack them. The two most popular variations are in a sour cream or wine sauce, but recent years have brought about new varieties including Cajun and fresh dill.

Fiskeballer (fish balls) and fish soup can contain almost anything. The main trick with fish balls is to run the meat through a grinder at least five times. Oddest sounding of all is fiskepudding or fish pudding. It's exactly what it sounds like. To get the light, spongy consistency required, you need really fresh fish. The fish is pureed with cream and some other stuff and then baked. It's usually served hot and drenched in butter.

Now that those are out of the way, we can move on to the important stuff -- cookies and baked goods. The most recognizable Norwegian cookies are krumkake. These cone shaped delights are sometimes filled, but often are served plain (as God intended) and are light and crispy with just a hint of cardamom. Sandbakkel come in a variety of shapes. The dough is pressed into forms that are essentially tiny tart tins. They have a thicker, more substantial texture and a definite almond taste. Fattigman (poor man's cookies) are similar to sandbakkels in texture but without the almond flavor. Fattigman cookies are different in that they are deep fried. A little powdered sugar on top and you have a very tasty cookie.

By far the prettiest and most delicate cookies are the rosetter, or rosettes. The cookie starts with a thin batter, then flower- or star-shaped irons with long handles are dipped into the batter and then lowered into hot oil. The cookies fry until they are a beautiful golden brown. Once they are sprinkled with powdered sugar, they are as much a work of art as they are a paper thin, yummy treat.

Cakes of all kinds are part of the Norwegian diet. Two in particular are worth noting. One is the kransekake. This is an almond cake that is baked in 18 thin concentric rings that are then stacked to form a cone 12 to 18 inches tall, all glued together with frosting. Kransekake is usually served on special occasions, especially weddings. They are decorated for the occasion with real flowers, party poppers, flags, or whatever. They're about as putzy as a cake can get and seem deceptively simple to create once you have the special baking rings. When things go wrong, kransekake are next to inedible. However, when Ole and Lena smile and it turns out as it should, kransekake's pleasing texture and almond flavor make all the work worthwhile.

At the other end of the spectrum, Norwegian apple cake is a study in rustic elegance that satisfies without pretension. Sugar, flour, salt, baking powder, apples, nuts, and an egg combine to create a sturdy cake loaded with bits of nuts and apples. It's simple, but this is a clear case of the sum being greater than its parts. Serve it with a little fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on top. Best of all it's even better the second day.

Odd and assorted other Norwegian specialties include rommegrot, fruktsuppe, and sweet soup. Rommegrot is sour cream soup that is usually generously drizzled in butter and sprinkled with sugar and ground cinnamon (Norwegians seem to do this a lot). Rommegrot is thick and sweet and needs something to wash it down. Red current juice is popular, but you might be better served by beer or Aquavit.

Fruktsuppe, or fruit soup, is pretty much what it says it is, a soup made with tapioca, prunes, raisins, apples, oranges, and just about any other fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruit you happen to have around. The difference is that while Americans like their fruit soup cold, Norwegians serve it hot, garnished with lemon and orange slices.

Sot suppe (sweet soup) is pretty self-explanatory. It is also a fruit soup made with dried fruits, especially raisins, currants, prunes, and tapioca, but this one is served cold. Accompaniments include Christmas bread, Christmas cookies, open-faced sandwiches, and a variety of sliced cheeses.

This is far from a complete list of Norwegian foods. Norwegian is as wide and varied a cuisine as that from other countries and it waits for you to go exploring. Many of the foods I've mentioned are available prepackaged or as mixes. The web offers recipes galore for those who want to get hands-on. Either way, you can enter into the spirit of the holiday because, like on St. Patrick's Day, on Syttende Mai everybody is Norwegian.

For a healthy dose of Viking culture and a good smattering of art and history museums, go to Oslo, Norway. For Oslo, a small capital by most measures, with a mere 500,000 people, has a surprisingly large collection of good museums - most of them easily accessible from the city center and, with the Oslo Pass in hand, inexpensive to boot - as well as a wealth of Scandinavian architecture, both historic and modern.

For first-time visitors to Oslo, however, since it is easy to be overwhelmed by the city's offerings, here are Oslo's 'Top 10' tourist draws.

1. Oslo's Opera House

Oslo's new Opera House, inaugurated in April 2008, is absolutely, positively, a 'must-see'. It is Oslo's bold, New Millennium statement to the world, aptly made with granite and 36,000 slabs of white marble. Partly submerged in the sea, the $700-million architectural masterpiece rises from the fjord like a massive sheet of ice, with its angular slabs, like giant ski slopes, surprising at every level. The opera house is home to both the Norwegian National Opera and the Norwegian Ballet.

2. Holmenkollen

Holmenkollen is one of the world's most famous ski jump arenas and easily Oslo's foremost attraction. The arena was originally built at the end of the 19th century, and renovated extensively in 1952 for the Winter Olympic Games. Holmenkollen is situated 357 meters (1,000 feet) above sea level, and the ski jump tower, which is one of the principal attractions here, is another 60 meters (180 feet) higher, with spectacular all-around views from the top. There is also a ski museum here, the oldest in the world, devoted to the history of skiing which goes back some 4,000 years! Holmokollen is in the Marka region of Oslo, and open to the public year-round.

3. Vigeland Sculpture Park

Located within the larger Frogner Park in the western section of Oslo, Vigeland Park is noted for its wealth of granite and bronze sculptures by Gustav Vigeland, one of Norway's most famous sculptors, for whom the park is named. There are more than 200 Vigeland sculptures here, and there is also a museum with Vigeland's work located just across from the park, open to the public Tuesday to Sunday year-round. The park is open to the public 24 hours, all year.

4. Oseberg Viking Ship Museum

One of the most popular museums in the city, the Oseberg Viking Ship Museum houses three of the world's best-preserved Viking ships. The ships are more than 1,100 years old and were found nearly a century ago in Oseberg, which is near Oslo, in the county of Vestfold. The museum also has exhibits demonstrating fabric and weaving techniques from the Viking era, as well as an assortment of tools and weapons. The museum is open daily.

5. National Museum of Art

Oslo's National Museum of Art is home to the world's most recognized painting, Edvard Munch's Skrik, also known as The Scream. Besides this 1893 masterpiece, the museum houses extensive collections of both Norwegian and International art. The museum is located next to the Oslo University on Universtetsgaten, just a couple of blocks from Oslo's main thoroughfare, Karl Johan. Admission to the museum is free.

6. Munch Museum

Here is a museum entirely devoted to Norway's most famous artist, Edvard Munch, one of the pioneers of Expressionism and painter of the renowned Skrik (The Scream). The museum has two versions of The Scream, one each in pastels and oil, the latter dating from 1910. The museum, which is probably a 10-minute walk from Karl Johan, has literally hundreds of Munch's paintings, donated by the artist to the city. The Munch Museum is open daily, except on Mondays.

7. Akershus Fortress

The Akershus Fortress, or Akershus Castle, situated in the southeastern part of the city center, is an integral part of Oslo's history. It was originally built as a royal residence in the 14th century by King Hakon V, when Oslo first became the capital of Norway, and rebuilt in the Renaissance style in the early 17th century by King Christian IV, following a fire that consumed the entire city. Today, you can tour both parts of Akershus: Akershus Slottet, which is the castle itself, and Akershus Festning, the area surrounding the castle. Akershus Festning is open all year between 6am and 9pm, while Akershus Slottet, the castle, is open to the public only during summer, unless you take a guided tour, which is available on Thursdays, even during off-peak season.

8. Oslo City Hall

Oslo's City Hall has a claim to fame. This is where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded every year on December 10, the only Nobel Prize to be presented outside Nobel's home country of Sweden. This is also the seat of Oslo's city council. The city hall building itself, which was inaugurated in 1950, is not terribly inspiring from the exterior, but has an impressive interior and a stunning view of the harbor. The city hall is located on Fridtjof Nansens Plass and is open on weekdays during business hours.

9. Oslo Parliament

Oslo's Parliament Building, Stortinget, is also worth seeing, especially if you are visiting Oslo for the first time. Uniquely 19th-century neo-Romanesque, the building dates from 1866 and was designed by Swedish architect Emil Victor Langle. Stortinget is located in the center of Karl Johansgate, just past the intersection of Akersgate. Admission is free, with scheduled guided tours available year-round.

10. Royal Palace

Although not as well known as British royalty, Norway still has its kings and queens and this is where they reside. The Royal Palace, or 'slottet', was originally built in 1824 as the residence of the Norwegian-cum-Swedish king, Charles III, and extensively renovated and restored to its former glory in the 1990s, at a significant cost, by King Harald V, the current monarch. The palace, situated on a small rise at the end of Karl Johansgate, Oslo's principal artery, is open for public tours during the summer months, June-August.

The Kingdom of Norway is a country in the western area of the Scandinavian Peninsula; it is bordered by Russia, Finland and Sweden. The country is well known for its coastline along the North Atlantic Ocean and its awesome fjords. The Kingdom of Norway also includes Artic territories Jan Mayen and Svalbard; these are two islands in the Artic Ocean.

The coastline is broken by fjords and many islands; to the West and the South, the country is bordered by the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea, Skagerak and the Barents Sea, on the Northern coasts. The country is dominated by high terrains and mountains; the country is really beautiful due to its large variety of natural features, caused by spectacular glaciers. Deep grooves cut into the coast flooded by the sea following the end of the ice age, the fjords, are a spectacular Norwegian attraction.

The Gulf Stream has a benefic influence on Norway weather; there are warmer temperatures, especially along the coast than expected at northern latitudes. The mainland has four seasons; the winter is cold and less humid than the coast. The northern part has a sub artic climate; Svalbard as an arctic climate. Some people call Norway The Land of Midnight Sun because in the summer the sun may never descend beneath the horizon.

The Norwegian language has two forms: Nynorsk ad Bokmal. 90% of the Norwegian people speak Bokmal. Nynorsk and Bokmal are Germanic; Sami language is Finno-Ugric. Norwegian literature is very old, very rich and its value is huge. Henrik Ibsen who wrote a famous play, Dolls House is famous all over the world.

Norwegian cities are classified as urban and rural; each municipality has a number. Oslo is the capital and was founded in 1000. 90% of people of Norway are part of the state Church of Norway. Religious services, such as baptism, confirmation, marriage and burial, have strong cultural standing in Norway. Somalian, Arab, Turkish and Pakistani communities belong to Islam. The ancestral Norway inhabitants, the Vikings, followed pantheist / polytheist religions many centuries ago.

Norway attracts tourists by virtue of its spectacular landscapes that extend from the Artic Circle. Ski resorts, fjord intended coastline, mountains, woods and lakes are really attractive and picturesque. Oslo with its castles, cathedrals, churches, museums, the awesome landscape and original architecture, is Norways beautiful capital. Norway has a great cultural heritage, the result of its sparse population, climate and relative isolation from Europe. Norway has rich castles and palaces, long fjords, beautiful lakes and huge woods. The architecture is original, unique, based on the Norway ethnological heritage.

The Viking museum in Northern Norway, at Lofotr, the Viking ship Museum in Oslo, are presenting the Vikings way of life; the Norwegian Resistance Museum in Oslo and the Museum of reconstruction in Hammerfest are presenting objects and events related to World War II. The National Gallery in Oslo, the Munch Museum and the Henie Onstad Art Centre are a beautiful expression of the growing cultural public interest in Norway.

Lofoten islands in Norway - this is an amazing scenery, excellent sea fishing, small fishing villages, whale safari in winter and midnight sun in summer and white sandy beaches and clear water of emerald color. National Geographic Magazine awarded Lofoten Islands in Norway the third place in attractiveness among the islands of the world.
 
Grampus Safari: Every autumn the herring and Grampus swim to Tyus-fjord and West-fjord to spend the winter. Killer whale safari is organized in the period from mid-October to mid-January on large passenger ships and rubber boats. This is an unforgettable adventure and an excellent opportunity to watch the killer whales in their natural environment in the immediate vicinity.

Lofoten is known for its well-preserved traditional fishing norway villages, great museums of the Vikings and excellent conditions for diving.

Lofoten Islands archipelago: Lofoten Islands in Norway - is an archipelago located in the northwest of Norway, the Arctic Circle, at 67 ° -68 ° north latitude. In the archipelago consists of seven main islands: Austvogey, GIFT, Vestvogey, Flakstadey, Moskenesey, Verey and Rest.

Getting to Lofoten islands: Throughout the year, it is made flights from the airport Oslo to airport Evenes in Narvik (Norway). The flight duration about 1,5 hours. You can also get to Narvik (Norway) by train from Stockholm and Gothenburg (Sweden). Tours are carried all over the year.

From Narvik to Lofoten Islands: Narvik is linked by air with 3 airports in Lofoten archipelago. You can get a bus from Narvik to Svolvera. The journey takes about 2,5 hours. Public buses go every day.

Ask most people what the biggest day on the Norwegian calendar is and they would probably say the first day of the ice fishing season. If you're in that group (come on, be honest) you may be shocked and surprised to find out you're WRONG...close...but WRONG! If you live in Dane, Rock, or Green Counties, you should be run out of town on a rail.

The correct answer is Syttende Mai. (Pronounced Setten de my). Syttende Mai holds the same significance in Norway as the 4th of July holds in the United States. At the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Norway, which had been under the control of Denmark since the mid-1300s, was given by Denmark to Sweden. The Norwegians were miffed at this turn of events since they always considered themselves an independent country and on May 17 (or Syttende Mai), 1814, they signed a constitution declaring themselves so. Sweden was unimpressed and continued to rule Norway for another hundred years, finally granting independence in 1905.

But I digress. Syttende Mai is celebrated with children's parades, big parades, dances, and food, lots and lots of food. And what do Norwegians eat, you may ask? According to Howard Mohr, in his bible of Scandinavian lifestyle in the Upper Midwest How to Talk Minnesotan, Norwegians like white food. If it's not naturally white, they'll make it white. While this is mostly true, it's not completely true. A little color does creep in, here and there.

Like most cuisines, Norwegian cooking includes things both wonderful and to the uninitiated...frightening. Here then is a quick overview of Norwegian cooking. The most famous Norwegian foods are the ever-popular lutefisk and lefse. Lutefisk literally means lye fish. Lutefisk is air-dried cod, called stockfish, that is sawn (literally) into manageable pieces, soaked in fresh water for eight days, a lye (you read it right, lye) solution for two days, and then fresh water again for an additional two days. After all that, lutefisk is simmered until it is firm and translucent. Lutefisk is NOT an acquired taste. You either like it or you don't.

While lutefisk is available here and there in grocery stores, especially around Christmas, it's not the easiest thing to find. The Olsen Fish Company on the north side of Minneapolis is the world's largest producer. They make over 650,000 pounds a year. They sell stockfish for the do-it-yourselfers and processed and ready to cook lutefisk for the rest of us. The lutefisk is packaged under Olsen, Viking, Kemps, and Mike's labels but you can't buy directly from Olsens for they are strictly a wholesale company.

Lefse is made from potatoes. It's thin and flexible, and it looks and feels much like a flour tortilla. It has been likened to a dish rag but that is an unfair judgment by people who have tried poor quality, store bought, or old product. Fresh lefse is a delicate, flavorful delight, especially when buttered and rolled up with brown sugar.

The absolute best place to get lefse is to find a church with a crew of little Norwegian ladies who set up in the church kitchen and crank out lefse to sell as a fund-raiser. Stoughton, Mount Horeb, or Westby are good places to start. Failing that, the general consensus among lefse connoisseurs is that Countryside Lefse in Blair, Wisconsin, is by far the best commercially made lefse around. The reason is that they make lefse the same way you would at home (or at church). They use real potatoes and they roll and flip the lefse by hand. Countryside Lefse is distributed to local grocery stores but you can also order directly from them on their website lefse.com.

Lutefisk isn't the only fish dish around. Almost as ubiquitous is pickled herring. Norwegians eat tons of the stuff every year. Herring are pickled in the traditional manner with vinegar and spices and then things get interesting. There are 15 species of herring and at least that many ways to pack them. The two most popular variations are in a sour cream or wine sauce, but recent years have brought about new varieties including Cajun and fresh dill.

Fiskeballer (fish balls) and fish soup can contain almost anything. The main trick with fish balls is to run the meat through a grinder at least five times. Oddest sounding of all is fiskepudding or fish pudding. It's exactly what it sounds like. To get the light, spongy consistency required, you need really fresh fish. The fish is pureed with cream and some other stuff and then baked. It's usually served hot and drenched in butter.

Now that those are out of the way, we can move on to the important stuff -- cookies and baked goods. The most recognizable Norwegian cookies are krumkake. These cone shaped delights are sometimes filled, but often are served plain (as God intended) and are light and crispy with just a hint of cardamom. Sandbakkel come in a variety of shapes. The dough is pressed into forms that are essentially tiny tart tins. They have a thicker, more substantial texture and a definite almond taste. Fattigman (poor man's cookies) are similar to sandbakkels in texture but without the almond flavor. Fattigman cookies are different in that they are deep fried. A little powdered sugar on top and you have a very tasty cookie.

By far the prettiest and most delicate cookies are the rosetter, or rosettes. The cookie starts with a thin batter, then flower- or star-shaped irons with long handles are dipped into the batter and then lowered into hot oil. The cookies fry until they are a beautiful golden brown. Once they are sprinkled with powdered sugar, they are as much a work of art as they are a paper thin, yummy treat.

Cakes of all kinds are part of the Norwegian diet. Two in particular are worth noting. One is the kransekake. This is an almond cake that is baked in 18 thin concentric rings that are then stacked to form a cone 12 to 18 inches tall, all glued together with frosting. Kransekake is usually served on special occasions, especially weddings. They are decorated for the occasion with real flowers, party poppers, flags, or whatever. They're about as putzy as a cake can get and seem deceptively simple to create once you have the special baking rings. When things go wrong, kransekake are next to inedible. However, when Ole and Lena smile and it turns out as it should, kransekake's pleasing texture and almond flavor make all the work worthwhile.

At the other end of the spectrum, Norwegian apple cake is a study in rustic elegance that satisfies without pretension. Sugar, flour, salt, baking powder, apples, nuts, and an egg combine to create a sturdy cake loaded with bits of nuts and apples. It's simple, but this is a clear case of the sum being greater than its parts. Serve it with a little fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on top. Best of all it's even better the second day.

Odd and assorted other Norwegian specialties include rommegrot, fruktsuppe, and sweet soup. Rommegrot is sour cream soup that is usually generously drizzled in butter and sprinkled with sugar and ground cinnamon (Norwegians seem to do this a lot). Rommegrot is thick and sweet and needs something to wash it down. Red current juice is popular, but you might be better served by beer or Aquavit.

Fruktsuppe, or fruit soup, is pretty much what it says it is, a soup made with tapioca, prunes, raisins, apples, oranges, and just about any other fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruit you happen to have around. The difference is that while Americans like their fruit soup cold, Norwegians serve it hot, garnished with lemon and orange slices.

Sot suppe (sweet soup) is pretty self-explanatory. It is also a fruit soup made with dried fruits, especially raisins, currants, prunes, and tapioca, but this one is served cold. Accompaniments include Christmas bread, Christmas cookies, open-faced sandwiches, and a variety of sliced cheeses.

This is far from a complete list of Norwegian foods. Norwegian is as wide and varied a cuisine as that from other countries and it waits for you to go exploring. Many of the foods I've mentioned are available prepackaged or as mixes. The web offers recipes galore for those who want to get hands-on. Either way, you can enter into the spirit of the holiday because, like on St. Patrick's Day, on Syttende Mai everybody is Norwegian.

Buying Norwegian in Wisconsin

Many Norwegian food items are things you cannot get at the local Pick 'n Save or Piggly Wiggly. These are specialty items that are only available at certain shops. Some require special appliances. Lefse and krumkake griddles and sandbakkel tins are usually available at the same stores. Here is a partial list of places to check out.

Open House Imports, 306 E. Main St., Mt. Horeb, WI 53572, (608) 437-5468 openhouseimports.com

Open House carries a nice selection of products including Freia Chocolates, sandbakkel, lefse, and rommergrot mixes, fish soup, fish balls, salmon and caviar spread, lingonberries, and Hartshorn Salt (a hard-to find ingredient of some Norwegian dishes). They also carry Norwegian equipment.

Dick's Quality Meats, 201 Main Street, Mt. Horeb, WI 53572. A good source for herring, lefse, and, at holiday times, lutefisk.

Norske Nook Restaurant and Coffee House and Gift Shop -- Osseo, 13804-13807 7th Street, Osseo, WI 54758, (715) 597-3765 norskenook.com

Norske Nook -- Rice Lake, 2900 Pioneer Avenue, Rice Lake, WI 54868, 715-234-1733

Norske Nook -- Hayward, Hwy. 27 South, Hayward, WI 54843, (715) 634-4928

The Norske Nook is a legend in Wisconsin, offering "from scratch" cooking and fabulous baked goods. The restaurants offer a limited selection of products but the selection at the Osseo gift shop is more extensive with imported cookies, lingonberries, lefse, potato dumpling and Norwegian pancake mixes, and more. They also carry lefse and krumkake griddles, sandbakkel tins, and other needed equipment.

Dregnes Scandinavian Gifts, 100 S. Main St., Westby, WI 54667, Phone: (608) 634-4414 Toll Free: (877) 634-4414 DregnesScandinavianGifts.com. Dregnes had the best selection of goods of all the places we checked. They offer Norwegian cheeses, fish soup, two different kinds of fish balls, vanilla and pearl sugars, Ljus syrup, glug, and numerous mixes. Their kitchen shop carries any cookware necessary to turn out a delicious Norwegian meal.

Nordic Nook, 176 W. Main St., Stoughton, WI 53589, Phone: (608) 877-0848 Toll Free: (866) 912-6665 nordic-nook.com. The Nordic Nook has a nice selection of Norwegian cooking gear and all the standard food offerings. A couple of unusual and yummy additions are pepparkakor (gingersnap) caramels and Ole and Lena fortune cookies.

Cheesers, LLC 186 E. Main St., Stoughton, WI 53589, Phone: (608) 873-1777 Fax: (608) 877-0362 cheesers.com. Stoughton has the biggest Syttende Mai celebration outside of Norway so you know Stoughton is serious about Norwegian food. Cheesers doesn't offer the cooking equipment like the others but they do offer a nice selection of products including a broad selection of flatbreads and crisps, fresh lefse, coffee, Jarlsberg cheese, and two kinds of Gjetost. This is a great place for all your cheese needs. Their selection is comprehensive.

The Norwegian Buhund or "Norsk Buhund," is a herding dog of the spitz group, and is the farm dog of Norway. Buhunds have the typical spitz characteristics of activity, self-confidence and independence, but are trainable and home-loving with less inclination to hunt than other spitz breeds, having been bred as herding dogs rather than as hunters and draft dogs. These dogs were taken along by the Vikings on their travels and colonising journeys over 1,000 years ago and were the ancestors of the Iceland Dog. They also are said to have influenced the development of the collie breeds.

They love their family and are known for their fondness of children. Although Buhunds do get on very well with children it would be possible for parents to take this too far. Like any breed, they should not be left alone with unsupervised young children who can easily tease, frighten or hurt a dog without realising it. his breed has also been trained as a hearing dog, and at least one dog was taken through the training course at the RAF Police Dog training school in the United Kingdom. This dog performed protection work and tracking. It was only its lack of size, which reportedly made it unsuitable for this in a practical situation.

Genetics: Buhunds are often born with double dewclaws on the rear legs; the dewclaws are left on in Norway but are usually removed in Britain and the US.

Breed Clubs: The breed is a registered American Kennel Club Breed with its own club known as the Norwegian (Norske) Buhund Club of America. The Norwegian Buhund Club is the Kennel Club registered breed club promoting the interests of the breed in the UK.

Why their Owners Like Them

Norwegian Buhunds are:-

Breed Characteristics and Variations

The Norwegian Buhund comes in red, black and sandy brown colours.

They are lightly built, with a short, compact body, fairly smooth-lying coat, erect, pointed ears, and a tail carried curled over the back. The coat is smooth and less abundant than some of the spitz dogs and fairly easily to keep. Within the spitz group the Buhund is a middle-sized breed and a typical Nordic Spitz dog, and has a lively tail that stands vertical and curls. They may tend to bark somewhat more readily than most breeds. This probably derives from their herding background when high vocality would be an asset.

History

The Buhund is the Norwegian variant of the original small spitz dog type, which quite remarkably goes back to the stone age, and in fact is thought to have already in the stone-age have been widely dispersed throughout Scandinavia. In the ancient Gokstad excavation in Norway, six spitz-like dogs of various sizes were found within a Viking grave dating back to about the year 900. It is clear that the buhund's ancestors were expected to continue to protect the herds of their owners, even after the death of their owner.

Interesting Facts

Recently Buhunds, together with Norwegian Lundehunds, have been involved in the experimental endeavours of breeders to achieve the recreation of the barking bird-dog of Norrbotten, which had been removed from the list of recognized breeds in1936 by the Swedish Kennel Club. The reason for this was that it was then regarded as extinct. So, one day you may see this breed breeding true again and re-registered.