I notice that foreigners find Norwegians cute and quirky when they gather around a pile of shrimp. It's very Norwegian and very corny!" says Runar Døving.
He is a professor of social anthropology at Kristiania University College, and has studied Norwegian food habits for years. As a gourmet in his private life, he’s curious and well-versed in food cultures around the world.
When we ask how shrimp, white bread, butter, and mayonnaise became so deeply associated with the Norwegian summer, he has a few ideas.
"A bit of a mystery"
Shrimp is relatively new compared to other shellfish long considered delicacies in Europe, Døving explains.
Annonse
I’ve got nothing against mayonnaise, honestly. But I think soy sauce works better with shrimp.
Runar Døving, professor of social anthropology
Norwegians likely harvested shrimp on a small scale since ancient times. But it wasn’t until the late 1800s that things changed. That’s when marine biologist Johan Hjort discovered the fjords were teeming with shrimp on the seabed, according to the Great Norwegian Encyclopedia (link in Norwegian).
Over time, it became typical Norwegian summer food.
"For me, it's a bit of a mystery," says Døving. A mystery the professor has peeled and chewed on for a while.
Shrimp on the dock – it doesn't get much more Norwegian summer than that.(Photo: Sara Johannessen Meek / NTB)
"Really ought to be considered disgusting and inedible"
At heart, shrimp are more like insects, says Døving. And they’re scavengers. He finds it odd that Norwegians eat them at all, considering how little tradition the country has for that kind of food.
"It really ought to be considered disgusting and inedible. But most cultures have their exceptions," he says. "It's simple, it's tasty, and it involves using your hands. The most important tool we primates have."
Our hands, the tools that set us apart from other animals – and in the most literal and natural sense, perfect for eating.
But over time, we’ve made many of our meals more complex. More elegant, more disciplined, depending on your perspective.
No fuss! Shrimp are loved across social classes and fit just about any occasion, says Professor Runar Døving.(Photo: The Museums of Coastal Culture and Reconstruction in Finnmark IMC / CC BY-SA 4.0)
Exception food with strange mayonnaise
"In many cultures, eating with your hands is taboo. There’s an emphasis on managing how food reaches your mouth in the proper way," he says.
We tend to see food eaten without cutlery as unhealthy, says Døving. This kind of 'exception food' is usually reserved for Fridays and Saturdays. And summer becomes a kind of extended Saturday.
"That's when people allow themselves to make these ritual exceptions – to sit, eat, and pick with their hands. And top it all with this strange mayonnaise," he says.
"You think that's odd?"
"Eh, not really. I’ve got nothing against mayonnaise, honestly. But I think soy sauce works better with shrimp," he says.
Annonse
Døving adds his own twist when serving shrimp. He prefers to peel them all before they hit the table – probably a relief to guests in light summer clothes, spared from yellow-pink shrimp stains. And herbs are a must; chives and dill.
After World War II, Norwegians began buying more ready-made foods. Peeled shrimp became widely available in different forms. This photo shows the shrimp department at the Findus factory in Hammerfest in 1955.(Photo: The Museums of Coastal Culture and Reconstruction in Finnmark IMC / CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
Democratisation, holidays, and shrimp
If messy, handheld food was the goal, Norwegians could have just stuck with burgers oozing coleslaw or overloaded tacos that collapse and drop their contents into your lap, the sofa, or the carpet.
But shrimp took over as the taste of summer, and they became a national favourite.
By the 1950s, the scavenger from the seafloor had earned a place at the table in southern coastal towns, Døving explains.
This happened around the same time as holidays became democratised. Camping became popular, car rationing ended, and by 1964, four weeks of paid holiday was guaranteed for all. Many workers bought cabin on the islands in the Oslofjord.
"That's when the masses from the east came and met the sea," he says.
The image of coastal summer bliss was born. The landlocked folk flocked to the coast and fjords.
Shrimp sold directly from the boat in Oslo around 1968.(Photo: Sølve Harm / The Norwegian Labour Movement Archives and Library / CC BY NC ND 4.0)
A classless shellfish
"You could buy fresh shrimp in Arendal and sit on the pier and peel them. Very cosy and very tasy," says Døving.
There’s a certain everyday confidence in how Norwegians relate to shrimp, Døving says. A confidence that’s missing with much of our other seafood – which we tend to export instead of enjoy ourselves. Herring and European sprat, for instance.
"Eating shrimp might even express a bit of defiance toward the elite. We do as we please – and eat with our hands. Shrimp are for everyone," says Døving.
Unlike lobster and oysters, which still carry a sense of exclusivity among most Norwegians.
"It's a bit like a hot dog in a potato flatbread," says Døving, noting that this simple snack is even served at the royal palace as late-night food after parties.
"Shrimp is one of the few things that exist outside of class markers," he says.
