The delicacies you can try in Lapland
As I’m writing this, I’ve just returned from—and am still recovering from—a wonderful trip to Norwegian Lapland. I can wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone: it had been on my bucket list for so long. Since this season, Transavia has been flying directly to Tromsø, and that was the final push I needed: book those tickets. Curious about what you eat in Lapland? Then definitely read on.
Unfortunately, I didn’t see the Northern Lights (so now I have to go back again, you understand), but I did experience, drink and eat plenty of other wonderful things.
Book in advance
First, a tip from me if you’re also planning to visit (Norwegian) Lapland: absolutely book your tours in advance. I booked everything through Booking, including my hotel. Of course, you can also consult other sites, but I saw so many different prices and providers online that I lost track a little.
There are plenty of options in Lapland; for example, you can book a whale-watching tour, or an evening tour (with a bit of luck, you’ll see the Northern Lights), or how about a husky or reindeer tour? Somewhat grimly, we went on the reindeer tour that includes a visit to a reindeer farm, but before that, you eat reindeer meat around a campfire… Because yes, when you’re in Norwegian Lapland, you can’t escape reindeer meat—it’s everywhere.
4 delicacies in Lapland
A few years ago, I was in Iceland (I expected Norwegian Lapland and Iceland to resemble each other more, but they’re actually completely different) and also tried a few local delicacies. Admittedly, I found the menus in Lapland much more appealing…
1. Reindeer meat
Let’s start with this one right away; practically every menu features a dish with reindeer meat. Raketten Bar & Pølse is highly recommended. It’s a very small stall (with some seating behind it) that’s open every day from noon until 7 p.m. and is renowned for its reindeer-meat hot dogs.
2. Whale burgers
Whale meat is highly controversial. In 1986, an international ban on whaling was introduced. So why can you order it here? It’s quite simple: like Japan and Iceland, Norway has decided not to comply with this ban. In fact… Norwegians are eating more and more of it. So you’ll simply find whale meat on menus here, including in the form of steaks and burgers.
3. Coffee
Norwegians love coffee—they drink more coffee here than in Italy!—and you can notice that in Tromsø too. The place is packed with coffee shops (even though it’s a small town with an even smaller city center), and I was genuinely surprised by how delicious the coffee was. Especially if you like somewhat stronger coffee, you’ll be very happy here—and many establishments also sell their own coffee beans. And for the oat-milk elite: you can breathe a sigh of relief too, because they have it everywhere.
4. Moose meat
Less popular than reindeer meat, but quite a few restaurants still have moose meat on the menu. I didn’t try it myself (mainly because I’m not really a fan of game), but enthusiasts praise it for its tenderness and rich flavor.
