About Vanilla

One day soon after we moved to Norway, I spent a good twenty minutes trying to locate vanilla and baking soda in the market.

I had no less than four people try to help me. I bought something called “natron” and hoped for the best.

When I tried to verify that the package contained baking soda, I asked the employee whether I could use it not just for cooking, but to brush my teeth, clean things with it, etc.

I got a most definite “No.” I figured they either they aren’t hip to the many great uses for baking soda, or I got the wrong thing.

As for the vanilla… a customer in the store overheard my repeated description of “black water” which was the best way I knew how to describe vanilla extract in my limited Norwegian vocabulary.

The customer handed me a container with some kind of powder in it, clearly marked “vanila” and wondered what my problem was.

I spoke again in broken Norwegian, saying “No, black water.”

She explained to me in broken English that her daughter-in-law was from Australia and she had the same problem – she wasn’t used to cooking with the vanilla powder.

But that’s all they have in Norway. Go figure.

She also told me her daughter-in-law only lasted five years and then went back home. “Too many differences,” she said.

I don’t know whether she was referring to the marriage, or the vanilla.