Must-Try Foods From a Norwegian Supermarket

Norwegian cuisine is easily accessible to visitors and new arrivals. Discover the weird and wonderful food items you can buy and try from a supermarket in Norway.

Whether you are moving to another country or just visiting, one of the main things you have to adjust to is the local cuisine. Norway is no different in that respect.

A trip to your nearest supermarket is all it takes to discover the weird and wonderful world of Norwegian foods.

Norwegian supermarkets are places where you'll find foods that will delight your taste buds and turn your stomach. The following items are some of Norway's best-loved – and hated – foods.

From the distinctive brown cheese to the hiker's favourite, Kvikk Lunsj, Norway has many interesting foods to try on your next visit.

This article will both inspire you and probably put you off some items. Either way, it will give you an insight in the world of Norwegian supermarket foods.

Everyday Staples in a Norwegian Supermarket

Before you get to the quirky treats and seasonal specialties, it’s worth starting with the simple foods that form the backbone of daily life in Norway.

Knekkebrød (crispbread): No Norwegian kitchen is complete without a packet or two of knekkebrød. These crisp, dry wafers of rye or wholegrain are eaten at breakfast, packed into school lunches, and served with dinner.

They’re a canvas for just about anything: cheese, liver pâté, kaviar, or just butter. Foreigners often find them a little plain at first, but many grow to love their crunch and versatility.

Polarbrød and soft flatbreads: Another staple you’ll find in the bread aisle is polarbrød, a soft, slightly sweet flatbread originally from Sweden but very popular in Norway. They’re especially popular with families, used for children’s lunchboxes or quick snacks.

I’ve really taken to polarbrød myself. It’s a thicker flatbread that’s perfect when I want a quick bite without fuss.

Dairy & Breakfast Favourites

Norwegians have a deep love of dairy, and the supermarket shelves are full of products that reveal just how central it is to breakfast and everyday eating.

Brown cheese (brunost): Perhaps the most famous Norwegian food of all, brown cheese or ‘brunost' is technically not cheese but caramelised whey. Its sweet, fudge-like flavour and dry texture are unlike anything else.

It divides opinion: some foreigners fall in love with it, others can’t quite understand the fuss.

There are many varieties available in the supermarket, from large blocks to pre-sliced packets. A block of TINE’s Gudbrandsdalsost is the classic. Slice it thin with an ostehøvel (cheese slicer) and try it on fresh bread or waffles.

Yoghurt and skyr: Norwegians love their dairy products, and the yoghurt section of any supermarket is proof. You’ll find shelves full of colourful tubs, many topped with muesli or granola.

Skyr, originally Icelandic but now popular in Norway too, is a thick, high-protein yoghurt eaten as a healthy snack.

Spreads and butter: Norwegian bread culture means spreads are serious business. Real butter (smør) is prized. Keep an eye out for Røros smør from the mountain village of Røros.

Many households also keep margarine brands like Melange. These spreads are a good base layer for leverpostei, cheese, and kaviar.

Meats and Cold Cuts

The chilled section of a Norwegian supermarket is dominated by sandwich toppings known as ‘pålegg', which are cured meats and cold cuts that in some cases reflect centuries of food preservation traditions.

In a country where bread is eaten at almost every meal, these protein-rich additions are everyday essentials.

Leverpostei (liver pâté): Found in almost every fridge in Norway, leverpostei is a mild, spreadable liver pâté sold in small foil trays or tubes. It’s usually eaten on bread or knekkebrød and often topped with slices of cucumber or beetroot for a bit of crunch.

For many Norwegian children, leverpostei is their very first sandwich topping, making it as much a nostalgic food as a practical one.

Cold cuts: Salami is the most common cold cut, a standard topping in both school lunches and office canteens. But Norwegian supermarkets also carry a range of spekemat: traditional cured meats that were once a way to preserve food through long winters.

Fenalår, or cured lamb leg, is perhaps the most famous, with its deep, salty flavour. These meats are especially popular at social occasions, cabin weekends, and the traditional spekematbord, a buffet of cured meats, cheeses, flatbreads, and sour cream that is often served in summer.

You’ll also see local varieties of ham, roast beef, and turkey slices, but it’s the traditional fenalår that offers the most distinctively Norwegian flavour.

Tube Foods & Spreads

Perhaps the most surprising supermarket aisle for newcomers is the one filled with tubes — a uniquely Norwegian way to package everything from cod roe to cheese.

These colourful tubes, which look more like toothpaste than food, are a fixture in Norwegian lunchboxes. They’re portable, long-lasting, and, once you get used to them, surprisingly practical.

Kaviar: The king of tube foods, kaviar is made from smoked cod roe blended into a smooth, salty paste. It’s spread on bread, knekkebrød, or even boiled eggs, where it adds a briny kick.

The taste can be intense for first-timers, but for many Norwegians it’s pure nostalgia. It’s the flavour of school lunches and weekend breakfasts. Some people even decorate open sandwiches with kaviar “swirls” straight from the tube.

Cheese in tubes: Just along the shelf you’ll find tubes of spreadable cheese, flavoured with bacon (baconost), ham, shrimp, or even jalapeños. These products might sound gimmicky, but they’re cheap, filling, and oddly addictive.

Baconost in particular has something of a cult following, while shrimp cheese is a quirkier choice that many Norwegians secretly love.

Shrimp salad (rekesalat): Not in a tube but very much part of the same culture of creamy spreads, reke- or crab-salads are sold in tubs in the chilled section.

Made with tiny shrimp or crab pieces mixed into mayonnaise, they’re spooned onto bread or crackers. Foreigners often raise an eyebrow, but in Norway they’re considered perfectly normal.

Together, these spreads show how Norwegians have adapted their food culture to suit a lifestyle where packed lunches are the norm and refrigeration isn’t always available on the go.

Tinned & Fresh Fish

Given Norway’s long coastline and fishing heritage, it’s no surprise that fish in every form fills the supermarket shelves, from tins to chilled counters.

Mackerel in tomato sauce: Another lunchbox classic is makrell i tomat, tinned mackerel in tomato sauce. Norwegians eat it on bread or crispbread, usually with cucumber slices. It’s healthy, packed with omega-3, and nostalgic for many.

Other tinned fish: Sardines, herring, and cod liver are also common, sometimes flavoured with mustard or tomato. These are more of an acquired taste but deeply tied to Norway’s fishing heritage.

Fiskekaker (fish cakes): Fresh or chilled fiskekaker are found in every supermarket. They’re mild, soft fish patties fried in butter and often served with potatoes and vegetables. Easy to cook, they’re a staple of Norwegian weeknight dinners.

Frozen & Convenience Foods

Like everywhere else, Norwegians sometimes want an easy dinner, and these two supermarket favourites have become cultural icons in their own right.

Grandiosa frozen pizza: Possibly Norway’s unofficial national dish. Launched in 1980, Grandiosa frozen pizza became a student favourite and late-night snack. Norwegians eat millions every year, often joking about it while continuing to buy it. Variants include “taco”, pepperoni, and seasonal specials.

Toro instant mixes: Another convenience icon, Toro produces powdered soups, stews, sauces, and cake mixes. Cabin cupboards and student kitchens alike are stocked with Toro products, offering quick comfort meals with minimal effort.

Sweet Treats & Snacks

Norwegian supermarkets devote plenty of space to chocolate, candy, and snacks, many of which hold a nostalgic place in the national identity.

Kvikk Lunsj: The hiking chocolate bar, launched in 1937, is considered essential on mountain trips and especially at Easter. Yes, it looks like a Kit Kat, but Norwegians will insist it tastes better.

I often recommend Kvikk Lunsj to visitors during my cruise ship talks, and it always makes me laugh to see them coming back on board with bags full of this iconic bar. What must Norwegian shop assistants think when tourists strip the shelves bare?

Freia Melkesjokolade: Norway’s everyday chocolate bar, creamy and sweet. A true supermarket classic. Freia is perhaps the country’s most famous chocolate brand, with its Oslo factory often called the “home of Norwegian chocolate.”

Smash!: Chocolate-coated salty corn snacks, addictive and unusual. This one is a personal favourite of mine. The salty-sweet combo, the crunch of the corn chip and the smoothness of the chocolate—it’s one of the most moreish things I’ve ever eaten. I can’t open the bag and take just one!

Potetgull (potato chips): Maarud and Kims dominate the shelves, with flavours ranging from sour cream & onion to paprika. Seasonal limited editions, like Christmas rib or taco spice, keep things interesting.

Seasonal & Festive Foods

Certain foods appear only at Easter, Christmas, or in line with weekly traditions, and for many Norwegians these supermarket rituals are as important as the meals themselves.

Marzipan (marsipan): Hugely popular at Christmas and Easter, with brands like Nidar producing elaborate shapes and treats. For many Norwegians, a supermarket marzipan bar is the true taste of the holiday season.

Pepperkaker (gingerbread cookies): From late autumn, supermarket shelves are stacked high with tins and packets of pepperkaker, spiced gingerbread biscuits that fill Norwegian homes with the smell and taste of Christmas.

Children often build elaborate pepperkakehus (gingerbread houses), sold in flat-pack kits, while adults happily dip the plain biscuits into coffee or gløgg.

Pinnekjøtt and ribbe kits: In December, supermarkets fill with packs of traditional Christmas meats. Pinnekjøtt (dried lamb ribs) and ribbe (pork belly) are prepared at home for big family feasts.

Lørdagsgodt (Saturday candy): This beloved tradition gives children free rein to fill a paper bag with pick-and-mix sweets, but only on Saturdays.

Supermarkets devote entire aisles to the ritual, with shelves of colourful candy bins waiting to be scooped. What most people don’t realise, however, is that the Saturday candy tradition has surprisingly dark origins.

Drinks to Try in a Norwegian Supermarket

Soft drinks and milk may seem ordinary, but in Norway they carry cultural weight, from nostalgic sodas to quirky milk carton designs.

Solo: Norway’s orange soda, older than Fanta and beloved for its nostalgic flavour. It’s often considered the national soft drink, despite the popularity of Pepsi Max in Norway.

Milk cartons: Norwegian milk is worth mentioning for the quirky designs on the cartons, often seasonal illustrations or educational campaigns. They’re part of everyday life and a subtle piece of cultural identity.

Trying Norwegian supermarket food is about more than just filling your basket. These products give you an insight into how Norwegians eat, live, and celebrate. From brunost and knekkebrød to Grandiosa and Kvikk Lunsj, each item tells its own small story about Norwegian culture.

So next time you’re in Norway, don’t just eat in restaurants. Head to a supermarket, pick up a few of these items, and taste the everyday flavours that define life here.

Have you eaten any of these foods? What did you make of them? What else should someone try from a Norwegian supermarket? Let us know!