Norwegian Cooking and Foods Glossary
Note: the Norwegian Cooking and Foods Glossary 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
- E -
Norwegian Americans share a very special legacy in their family 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. Interestingly, it is eaten from the bottom up.
eddik - Vinegar.
egg - Egg.
egg bløtkokt - Soft boiled/cooked egg.
egg hårdkokt - Hard boiled/cooked egg.
eggedosis - Egg yolks beaten with sugar. Nog.
eggehvite - Egg white.
eggekrem - Soft egg custard used as a topping or filling.
eggeplomme - Egg yolk.
eggerøre - Scrambled eggs.
einebær - Juniper berry.
ekte - Genuine, real, true.
ektemake - Spouse.
elt deigen godt - Knead the dough thoroughly.
elte - Method of mixing butter and flour into the dough. Closest English term would be “cutting” the butter into the flour or kneading.
engros pris - The wholesale price.
eple - Apple. “Eplet faller ikke langt fra stammen,” the apple fals not far from the tree, i.e. chip off the old block.
eplekake - Apple cake.
eplemos - Apple sauce.
eplesaft - eplesaft
eplekake - Apple cake.
eplesaft - Apple juice. “Sider” is the alcoholic variety.
ernærende - Nourishing, nutritious.
ert - Pea.
ertesuppe - Pea soup.
estragon - Tarragon.
et forlorent egg - A poached egg.
etter avkjøling - After cooling.
etterkommer - Descendant.
"etter smag og behag" - According to taste.


