The Norwegian Glossary of Cooking and Food
Note: the Norwegian Glossary of Cooking and Food is under construction. New pages and images are being added daily.
The complete Glossary is found in Flavors of the Fjords
Numerals: A B D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
- A -
Norwegian Americans share a very special legacy in their family and cultural ties to a beautiful country, and in the delicious recipes developed over the years. This is especially true of Norwegian Holiday cooking and recipes.
The following words, terms, and phrases are excerpts from nearly 2,000 entries in Flavors of the Fjords selected based on their use in cooking, food preparation, household living, and family relationships.
We hope they may be of some help to those of you who wish to translate family recipes or letters.
Feel free to recommend additional terms for inclusion in future editions.
To assist readers translating family recipes, we have included various phrases and terms excerpted from manuscript cookbooks. These are italicized (in quotes) and retain their original spelling.
If you have a word or term from a Norwegian manuscript cookbook or similar document that you cannot translate, why not share it with our Editors and readers. Simply forward your query to: belleairepress@earthlink.net
You should keep in mind that although Norway has two official languages, we have used only one of them in this Glossary, namely "rikesmål." The other official langauge is called "nynorsk" (new Norwegian), which is an artificial language created from various dialects spoken in different parts of Norway.

Kransekake or Crown Cake, is Norway's most famous cake. It consists of concentric rings of almond paste dough decorated with Norwegian flags and drizzled with vanilla cream icing.
abbor - Perch.
absint - Absinthe.
aftens - Evening meal..
agurk - Cucumber.
agurksalat - Cucumber Salad.
aftensmat - Evening meal, usually 8-9 p.m.
altfor velernært - Overfed.
alminnelig brød - Light rye bread.
ål -Eel.
ananas - Pineapple.
ananassaft - Pineapple juice.
and - Duck
andestek - Roast duck.
anis - Anise or anise seed
ansjos - Anchovies.
antikvitetshandel - Antique shop or store.
åpner - Opener.
appelsin - Orange.
appelsinmarmelade - Orange marmalade.
appelsinsaft - Orange Juice.
appetitt -Appetite.
appetittvekker - Appetizer
aprikos - Apricot.
aquavit - Akavit.
årfugl - Woodcock.
årestue - Traditional log house with an open hearth. A smoke vent in the roof allowed smoke and bad air to escape.
artisjokkbunn - Artichoke heart.
arvesølv - Family silver or silver heirlooms.
arvestykke - Heirloom.
aske, oske - Ashes.
asparges - Asparagus.
att til - Alongside. Drikke øl att til maten, drink beer with one’s food. Spise brød att til kjøttet, eat bread with one’s meat.
aure - Trout.
avokado (pære) - Avocado.
avkjølet - Cooled.
avlang vannbakkels med vaniljekremfyll og sjoko-ladeovertrekk - Éclair.
avlange former - Oblong baking form or pan.
avling - Harvest or the crop.
avrime - Defrost.
avrunde - Round off.


