Teri West
Many things have tempted me to make a visit to Norway: nature and wildlife, a chance to explore Oslo and experience the Nordic lifestyle -- maybe a lucky chance to view the Northern Lights.
Until last week, Norwegian cuisine wasn't on that list.
It was due to ignorance, not aversion. While the East Coast cities where I've lived host a plethora of international cuisine, traditional Norwegian food is far from dominant. I'd say that's probably the story for many Americans. But the Norwegian cruise line Hurtigruten is looking for a market of U.S. travelers who not only want to visit the country for the nature but for the food.
Hurtigruten CEO Hedda Felin, left, at Scandinavian restaurant Aska in New York. She brought the bottle of Hurtigruten house sparkling wine after it was removed from the Artic Sea the week prior. It had been underwater for a year. Photo Credit: Teri West
For years, Hurtigruten has proudly served upscale, locally sourced cuisine, but this fall it is also hosting culinary-themed itineraries. The trips include visits to distilleries and producers as well as multiple nights spend on land. Guests also can partake in an onboard cooking demonstration showcasing indigenous Sami cuisine.
To demonstrate its culinary experience, Hurtigruten hosted a few New York-based journalists, including myself, at Scandinavian restaurant Aska in Brooklyn last week while CEO Hedda Felin was in town. Hurtigruten's local press liaison said Aska offers cuisine most similar to what you'd find at Rost, the line's fine-dining venue on the Trollfjord.
Most of what we were served at Aksa was fresh seafood -- mussel, crab, scallop, langoustine (a shellfish known as "Norway lobster"), caviar -- and all of it was divine.
Our dessert featured brown cheese, a caramelized whey that Felin said is a staple in Norwegian households. It was sweet like a cheesecake and paired perfectly with a milk sorbet and cream.
Fellin said attracting U.S. customers through culinary offerings is "certainly a challenge," but she also believes many travelers know they can expect fresh seafood in Norway, which is a "good start."
Plus, food-focused travelers tend to venture beyond the countries that are most internationally known for their food, she said.
"We get more and more of those who come just for the food," Felin said. "Those that maybe are just interested in nature, they are most surprised about the food because they thought the Norwegians ate fish and potatoes and that was it."
While culinary voyages are a new themed offering, Hurtigruten also continues to offer other experiences to appeal to different types of cruisers, whether they are seeking the Northern Lights, local history or art, she said.
She said she considers the U.S. market a "very important market for us."
"We are a small player here," she said, "But we want to be the different kind of cruise company."