Standardized Food

Theresa, a friend I made while living in Norway, told me that it’s very important for Norwegians to feel “safe” and in control of the foods they eat.  She said they get great comfort from the predictability of having the same foods over and over their entire lives.  Her grandfather, who is in his eighties, only wants his fish cooked one certain way – boiled in salt water – with no sauces or other flavorings on it whatsoever.  Boy does that sound like my husband, who is nearly 70.

When we were first married, I made Kory some blackened fish which I thought was fantastic, but Kory quickly informed me that he likes his “fish to taste like fish.”  I tried my favorite lemon chicken recipe on him from a gourmet cookbook and I got “I like my chicken to taste like chicken.”  And so I learned…  Norwegians aren’t into spices or any kind of fancy foods… they just boil something in salted water and call it good. 

Theresa told me her grandfather refused to try any of the “new foods” that have entered Norway these past few years – like pasta, tacos or rice – but she did talk him into having a piece of pizza once.  Only once. 

The whole food thing in Norway is so weird (and very boring), but they obviously have gotten used to some basic foods and it works for them.  In America, we want different things all the time and the packages here are always changing because things are “new and improved.”   In Norway they brag that they DON’T change the food - “original recipe since 1971,” is says on the package. 

Change, for Norwegians, is NOT good when it comes to their food.  Norwegians find something they like and they stick with it.  I guess it comes from a tradition of not having many options, as it’s only been recently that faster transportation has been able to bring other kinds of foods into the country.  Factor that with the fact that change happens very slowly when such stubborn people are involved in the process, and it’s easy to understand the situation.

Kory was very pleased when I told him what my friend Theresa shared with me about Norwegian’s attitude toward food.  He felt so validated.  But he was even more pleased when I made him salmon for dinner that night, with boiled potatoes and boiled carrots using no spices whatsoever.  Our marriage is safe.