..History of Roll Mops part 1
Lutefisk...Gammelost...Gomme...Rømmegrøt...Geitost...Fenalår...Pinnekjøtt...Bløtkaker...Kransekake - all words I think you will agree Reida, that spring off the tongue of any normal Norwegian but say ”traditional Norwegian food” out loud, and what comes to your mind? Norwegians of approximately all ages would instinctively start talking about fårikål or lutefisk. And yes, it’s true, both are as traditional and Norwegian as you can make it. But say you ask a group of 50 Norwegians aged fifty and up: “What do you think is Norway’s national dish?” Then you ask another 50 people aged fifty and down the same question. The majority would answer fårikål and so on, but I’ll tell you what: How about we ask them if they have tasted any of it? My guess is the group above fifty would have most ”yes”-answers, and I’m sure some wouldn’t mind letting you know that ”I love it, it’s my favourite dish any day!” I haven’t had any of it (yet?), and I can honestly say that I think I’ll be just fine without it. This is more likely the kind of answer you would get from the group below fifty, I’m pretty sure. At least younger people, from 20 and down. The fact is, as mentioned earlier, that most Norwegians tend to associate dishes such as fårikål or lutefisk with their nationality instinctively, whether they’ve tasted it or not. That includes me. But I’ve got a theory. Can you call it “the national dish” if you don’t know what it tastes like, and certainly if you don’t like it? I think not. Through all times this has been discussed, and alike all other discussions, there is a huge variance of opinions. No one ever seem to agree entirely with each other. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think choosing one dish and naming it “the national dish” is the right way to go. But honestly, I’m getting tired of this everlasting disagreement.
If you ask me this question, I’ll admit that the first thing I think of is fårikål, but then there is another dish. The kind is Norwegian, though the dish itself has been enjoyed by people around the globe. I’m talking about Pizza Grandiosa. It has been around for the past three decades, 30 years in 2010. According to Wikipedia.com it was launched in 1980 and according to most people aged below 20 and a couple of foreigners I know, the Grandoisa is often referred to as Norway’s national dish. There is something extraordinary about the taste that makes us excited and curious at the same time. It has found it’s way to becoming a tradition in many Norwegian homes, especially around celebrations and holidays. Go to the nearest supermarket, and I can guarantee you that you will find at least three different types of Grandiosa. Somehow, people never seem to get tired of it.
Of course, everyone has their own opinion. Some people, mostly older citizens, tend to prefer Norwegian food the old fashion way. Some of them would even say that you can’t call the Grandiosa “the national dish”, because pizza was not invented in Norway! That’s where I think they’re wrong. You see, I know pizza is not Norwegian, but the Pizza Grandiosa is. It is produced according to an almost 30 years old SECRET recipe. And when I asked some of the foreigners I know (these were people at both my age and way above), their instant respond was Pizza Grandiosa. This is true.
So, what I’m trying to say is that roughly 50% of the people of Norway is rejecting the Grandiosa as one of the national dishes, and the remaining 50% wants it to be not just one of them, rather the main dish. Personally, I think I’d most likely be located somewhere between these groups. I know most people are joking when they say that Grandiosa is our national dish, but I’m just going to say it now: It already is. We’re already associating the Pizza Grandiosa with our nationality, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. I don’t think any of the Norwegian politicians are willing to spend a lot of money on forbidding the Grandiosa, for both personal and economical reasons. In other words, my theory goes like this: There is no such thing as “The national dish of Norway”. What you know as the national dish is completely up to you, your taste and your experiences. Me, I think that the Grandiosa deserves a spot in the category of “The national dish of Norway, generally”, where all Norwegian dishes are stored. And as I said, the Grandiosa has been around for nearly three decades, so why not call it traditional?
So what of roll mops (Bolle borste)?
Fish are generally are generally long and thin and come in flat tins but the Norwegians did something pretty radical in the early 20's - They decided to roll them up, stabbed them with a tooth pic (tann plukke) and found that they fitted nicely into a round glass pot (reip potte) .
More fishy stories at a later date.
Talking of fishy stores, tell us your very funny fishing story Pepper.
