When you tell someone you're going on a cruise, they just expect that you're going to some sunny, tropical oasis. On the East Coast, that normally means the Caribbean. But, after traveling there so many times, the islands start to all look alike. It was time to explore a new island--Iceland. And, while we were in the vacinity, we might as well visit Norway too.
In September 2013, we set sail from Southampton, England to visit Reykjavik and Akureyri, Iceland as well as Trondheim, Alesund, Olden and Stevanger, Norway. It was a beautiful trip, and we were lucky enough to travel between storms, enjoying the North Sea at it's calmest. The weather was pleasant--40's & 50's in Iceland, 60's & 70's in Norway. I even laid out on the deck in shorts in Olden to catch a few rays.
Of course, the beauty of any trip to a new destination involves immersing yourself into the local culture. The best way to do that is to stroll the local street markets and seek out what the locals eat. In that area of the world, that usually means some sort of fish, usually smoked, dried or pickled. I prefer my fish fresh, but hey, when in Reykjavic.......
One of the few unfortunate things about cruising is that it is sometimes difficult to indulge too deeply into the local culture due to time constraints. You're usually only in each port of call for about 8-10 hours. And, particularly in these locations, the prices are often quite steep; in Norway a beer runs $15 and a hamburger (blah) is $40. Therefore, the allure of "free" food onboard is quite strong. But, I was determined to experience as much as possible in each of our ports of call.
One of the culinary delights that I wanted to try in Reykjavic was puffin, a North Atlantic sea bird. We stayed in Reykjavic for two days, but wanting to see as much of the island as possible, we opted for two very long (8-10 hour) tours. So, unfortunately I was not able to indulge. We did share a giant doughnut the size of our head for breakfast one morning, and some lovely poached salmon and potatoes at a dinner stopover. However, Iceland was so beautiful, that we are really itching to go back, so I'll just have to wait until next time.
My culinary failure in Reykjavic made me even more determined to experience the local fare while in Akureyri. It was another long tour, but I made a point to ask our guide what the most representative dish of the area was. And, while we were on a quick stop at a snack shop, I snatched up some to enjoy as the bus tour continued. While others ate boring granola bars, I filled the bus with the aroma of smoked trout on rúgbrauð, a dark, dense rye bread. That doesn't sound too exciting until you realize how it was prepared. The bread is baked in the ground. Yes, the ground. Since Iceland is very active geothermally, the locals simply dig a hole, and in it place an old cardboard milk carton filled with dough, baking it overnight for fresh bread the next day. Interesting. But the processing of the fish is even more off-the-wall. Since there are very few trees on Iceland, obtaining enough wood to smoke the fish caught in one of the many glacier-fed rivers is practically impossible and quite expensive. Instead, the fish is smoked using sheep dung. Gulp. Actually, the fish was quite delicious and didn't taste at all like sheep. My version was a bit upscale with sliced hard boiled egg, tomato and arugula. It turned a lot of heads on the bus, that's for sure, and the guide was grinning from ear to ear.
Norway was even more beautiful than Iceland with its stunning fjords, but the cuisine remained about the same. Both of my culinary experiences happened in Stevanger, where we enjoyed some fresh waffles on our way back from Pulpit Rock with a gorgeous view of the fjord. Later in the day we stopped for a late lunch in town, where I went out on a culinary limb and tried a Minke whale steak. The locals assured us they were very plentiful, and indeed we saw them constantly as we were sailing in the North Sea. The whale steak was actually less expensive than a hamburger!
The meat was quite dark, and to my surprise, not fatty at all. The texture was a bit spongy, akin to beef liver. And, the taste was not fishy at all, but a cross between beef and liver. Keep in mind a whale, like a cow, is a mammal, not a fish. My dish was served with a tasty curry sauce, rice noodles, and a very tiny portion of vegetables, which are difficult to come by in this area of the world.
Some readers might find eating whale offensive and disturbing. However, in Norway, whale is not only legal, it is an integral part to Norwegian cuisine. And, in order to fully experience a culture, sometimes you need to try things that you would normally find unappealing. To Norwegians, eating whale is no different than us eating a pork chop. In some areas of the world, the pork chop would be offensive.
While I wouldn't want to indulge Norse cuisine on a daily basis, I found the experience quite interesting. It's always a good thing when you can expand your culinary horizons a bit.