Rømmegrøt

For lunch today I ate the usual open sandwich (smørbrød) and a bowl of rømmegrøt.

Rømmegrøt is a wheat porridge cooked with sour cream. You eat it from a bowl like scotch porridge and sprinkle cinnamon, sugar and melted butter over it. It is often eaten with cured meat (spekemat) and flat bread (flatbrød). Flatbrød looks like a poppadum and tastes like a poppadum without the flavour.

Rømmegrøt is tasty, particularly if you like the flavour of sour cream. It is traditionally eaten on Norway National Day (17th May) and, in the countryside, is served at parties to celebrate the end of the harvest.

It seems to be neither main course nor dessert, lying somewhere in between the two. It is, indeed, a meal in itself and, if you ever try it, you'd be wise not to take too large a helping.