Fjorni

Many people know Norway as a place of rugged natural beauty, a tough place for a tough people who also enjoy taffy. But did you also know that the Norwegian people, according to the CIA world fact book, are the world's highest per-capita consumers of butter? They are not mere butter-swillers, either; they have developed a sophisticated vocabulary to describe the various types of butter they crave.

In fact, the Norwegian language has 73 distinct words for "butter". But by far the most famous — or infamous — word is fjorni, the first butter of spring from cows who have eaten meadow grass grown under heat lamps all winter.

Fjorni is like a fine Scotch; it should be enjoyed "neat". Putting fjorni on toast is like mixing a 50 year old single malt with ginger ale: it is just not done.

Fjorni is not available for export. Its delicate flavors degrade rather rapidly, and exporting it, even to nearby countries such as Sweden and Austria, is not feasible. Fjorni is best consumed on the little country farm where it was produced, hopefully while wearing the traditional lusekofte sweater.

For more information, see the Norwegian Fjorni Board.


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