Email: Laernorsknaa@gmail.com Transcript: https://laernorsknaa.com/6-4-summer-sport-in-norway Website: https://laernorsknaa.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/laernorsknaa Twitter: https://twitter.com/MariusStangela1 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxdRJ5lW2QlUNRfff-ZoE-A Norway might be most known for snow, winter and cold, but many of the most popular sports are actually most suited for either a hall or during a nice, warm summer day. Looking at the 20 largest sports associations in Norway, 17 of them are best suited for summer or a temperate hall. That might be because many of the largest winter sports are united in the Ski Association, however, the Ski Association is only the third largest in Norway. Both the Football Association and the Handball Association are larger. The Football Association is the largest sports association in Norway with 375 000 members, which is over twice as large as the second largest one: the Handball Association with 139 000 members. Football in Norway is usually played on an artificial turf, as the climate most places is not suited for a grass field for most of the year. I myself have played football for over 13 years. Handball is the second largest sport and is also very popular in other European countries. We have a lot of sports halls, and when it’s cold and dark outside, it’s nice to go inside to a warm hall. Other large sports in Norway are gymnastics, track and field, swimming, cycling and various martial arts. Also, while Norway is mostly known for its achievements in winter sports, it also has some very good athletes in summer sports. Let’s look at the medals Norway won during the last Summer Olympics in Tokyo 2021. Norway won four golds, two silver, and two bronze, making us the 20th best nation in the world. Pretty good, considering that Norway is a small and cold country. Andreas Mol and Christian Sørum won gold in sand volleyball, Kristian Blummenfelt won gold in triatlon, Jakob Ingebrigtsen won the 1500m race, and maybe the most laudable achivments of them all: Karsten Warholm’s gold and world record in 400m hurdles. There are, as you can see, several really good athletes from Norway competing in summer sports as well.
Email: Laernorsknaa@gmail.com Transcript: https://laernorsknaa.com/6-3-winter-sports-in-norway Website: https://laernorsknaa.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/laernorsknaa Twitter: https://twitter.com/MariusStangela1 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxdRJ5lW2QlUNRfff-ZoE-A Norway is first and foremost known for its winter and snow. The geographical placement of the country makes it ideal for winter-sports. It is therefore no surprise that the country has done really well in the Winter Olympics, being the country with the most medals despite only having a population of five million people. In this episode, we will take a closer look at winter-sports in Norway. Firstly, I have to mention cross-country skiing. This might be unknown for many, as most people think of going down a hill when hearing “skiing”. However, in Norway, cross-country skiing is probably more popular. It is simply going up the hill with skis instead of going down the hill. Cross-country skiing is more about doing sports or enjoying nature, and during Easter, it is very normal for Norwegian families to travel to the mountains to enjoy some skiing. But, cross-country skiing is much harder than it looks. Technique and balance are both very important and it takes a lot of practice before being anywhere near mastering it. You can go cross-country skiing a lot of places in Norway and it is completely free to use the trails. For instance, Oslo and Trondheim both have really nice trails close by.
Email: Laernorsknaa@gmail.com Transcript: https://laernorsknaa.com/6-2-hiking-culture-in-norway Website: https://laernorsknaa.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/laernorsknaa Twitter: https://twitter.com/MariusStangela1 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxdRJ5lW2QlUNRfff-ZoE-A In Norwegian, there is a saying that “when hiking, you are never angry”, or in Norwegian: “ut på tur, aldri sur”. This really summarizes Norwegian hiking culture. We love being in nature: hiking on mountain tops; walking in a forest; or taking a stroll by a lake. In Norway, we are raised in this hiking culture. But don’t worry if the thought of walking hours in the mountain don’t appeal to you; going on a “tur” can also be going for a short walk around the block. We often call it: “getting some fresh air”. Another great Norwegian saying that we use is “there is no bad weather, only bad clothes”. In Norway, we have to deal with quite a lot of harsh weather conditions. It can be very cold, wet and windy. However, this does not stop us from going out in nature. You simply have to put on enough clothes. And always bring some extra clothes when going out. Even though it might be sunny and warm when you start going, it tends to be considerably colder on top of the mountain. Therefore, always bring clothes that you can put on in case the weather changes or if it is cold at the summit. Hiking is also about having a good time, so bring some food and drinks. It is very normal to bring some coffee to enjoy at the top. Or how about the famous “hiking chocolate”. Kvikklunsj is a Norwegian chocolate that we often bring with us when hiking.
Email: Laernorsknaa@gmail.com Transcript: https://laernorsknaa.com/6-1-norwegian-dos-and-donts/ Website: https://laernorsknaa.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/laernorsknaa Twitter: https://twitter.com/MariusStangela1 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxdRJ5lW2QlUNRfff-ZoE-A Norwegians are not considered to be very polite. We seldom use phrases such as “excuse me”, “your are welcome” or “sorry”. Oftentimes, you will only hear a surprised “oi” if someone bumps into you on the street. Don’t be offended by this. In Norway, we simply don’t use these phrases as commonly as many other cultures. This also goes for many other things. For instance, it is not common to introduce other people to each other in Norway. It can be a bit awkward, but you are generally expected to introduce yourself. A common phrase in Norway is “the Norwegian arm”. It refers to stretching one’s arm to get something on the table. It is not considered to be impolite, even though you should not stretch too far. Many things considered impolite or rude in other cultures, are normal in Norway. One of the reasons for this might be the lack of hierarchical thinking in Norway. We generally consider everyone to be equal and address people in such a way too. You should not use titles when addressing people in Norway. “Mr.” or “Mrs.” are not used often nor are professional titles such as “professor” or “doctor”. We use the first name for people, even when addressing teachers or professors. Be aware that Norwegians also tend to do this in English, so don’t be offended if a Norwegian don’t use your preferred title. Also, you should generally not use titles when addressing people, even though they are your boss. Let’s go to some common questions in all countries: Do you haggle in Norway? And should you tip at cafes and restaurants? The answer to the prior is no, you generally don’t haggle in Norway. It is very uncommon, although you could try some places. However, be aware that you should be very polite when haggling and never overdo it or ask for too big discounts. It is very rude to haggle aggressively in Norway, so avoid this.
Email: Laernorsknaa@gmail.com Transcript: https://laernorsknaa.com/5-10-norwegian-christmas-food Website: https://laernorsknaa.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/laernorsknaa Twitter: https://twitter.com/MariusStangela1 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxdRJ5lW2QlUNRfff-ZoE-A Norwegian Christmas food is very much bound by tradition, and two dishes dominate: Pork belly and Pinnekjøtt (literally: Stick meat). 88 % of Norwegians eat either Pinnekjøtt or pork belly on Christmas Eve, although some also eat lutefisk or Christmas cod. In this episode, we will look at Norwegian Christmas food, especially focusing on pork belly, pinnekjøtt and lutefisk. Pork belly is the most common dish to have on Christmas Eve and about 55 % of Norwegians eat it then. It is most commonly eaten in the eastern and middle parts of the country. The reason for this is that these areas are the traditional wheat areas of Norway, and therefore also the traditional swineherding regions. Nonetheless, pork belly is also eaten in other parts of the country, but less seldom on Christmas Eve. To make a really good pork belly, it is important that the temperature is just right and then you cook it for about two to three hours. It is important to turn the temperature up towards the end as you want the rind to become crispy. Pork belly is usually served with potatoes, sour cabbage, medister cakes and prunes or apples. On the western coast of Norway, Pinnekjøtt is more common. About 74% in the western part of the country eats Pinnekjøtt on Christmas Eve, compared to only 14% in the east. Pinnekjøtt is dried, salted and smoked mutton which is put in water the day before cooking it. It is usually damped rather than boiled. It is normally served with mashed rutabaga and potatoes. It is really old and has probably been eaten as a Christmas dish since the 16th century.
Thanks to Kari for lending her voice to the English parts! Email: Laernorsknaa@gmail.com Transcript: https://laernorsknaa.com/5-9-taco-and-kebab Website: https://laernorsknaa.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/laernorsknaa Twitter: https://twitter.com/MariusStangela1 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxdRJ5lW2QlUNRfff-ZoE-A After World War II, people from different parts of the world started to come to Norway. This had an impact on Norwegian culture and food, as Norwegians were introduced to new food items and dishes. In this episode, we will focus on taco and kebab. Taco is a Mexican dish consisting of vegetables, sauce, beans and meat all wrapped up in a tortilla. It was first popularized in the US and industrialized by the fast-food chain Taco Bell in 1962. In Norway, Allert Middelthon, a grocer from Stavanger, started to import taco items for the American immigrants in the city. Most of the Americans worked in the oil sector and the 1960s saw the beginning of the Norwegian oil extraction. The summer Olympics in Mexico in 1968 contributed to the popularity of tacos in Norway, but it was still quite foreign to Norwegians. It was first between 1986 and 1994 that taco would become a common dish in Norway. In 1986, Mexico was the host of the World Cup in football (or soccer), and in 1994, Norway played a world cup game against Mexico. These events were both important for popularizing tacos in Norway, and today it has become an integral part of Norwegian food culture. 13 % of all Norwegians under the age of 40 eat tacos every single Friday. This phenomenon has created a new word in the Norwegian language: Friday tacos or “fredagstaco” in Norwegian. 84 % of all Norwegians under the age of 40 eat tacos at least once a month, clearly illustrating the importance of the dish in Norway. Another dish that has enjoyed great success in Norway is the kebab. Kebab is a dish that consists of salad and special kebab-meat which are wrapped in a wrap or a pita. It comes from Turkey and is popular all around the Middle East. It came to Norway via immigrants from the Middle East. The first store selling kebabs was founded in Oslo in 1957, but it did not enjoy much success. Frash Asmaro from northern Iraq is generally considered as the father of the kebab in Norway. He set up a kebab-store in Oslo in 1983. At this time, the kebab was already quite popular in continental Europe, but we were a bit more sceptic here up north. Nonetheless, the kebab became gradually more popular. Today, kebab stores can be seen all around the country, even in small towns. Actually, there is a lot of local patriotism linked to the question about where the best kebab in Norway can be found, illustrating how integrated it has become in Norwegian food culture.
Email: Laernorsknaa@gmail.com Transcript: https://laernorsknaa.com/5-8-sami-food/ Website: https://laernorsknaa.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/laernorsknaa Twitter: https://twitter.com/MariusStangela1 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxdRJ5lW2QlUNRfff-ZoE-A The Sami people is an indigenous people in Norway traditionally based in northern Norway and in certain places in Trøndelag. There are about 40,000 to 60,000 Sami in Norway and 100,000 in the world. The majority of the Sami people live in Norway and Sweden. The Sami language is very different to Norwegian, and it is not even an Indo-European language. In this episode, we will talk about Sami food. Reindeer meat is very important to Sami food as it has a special place in Sami culture. The Sami people are very known for reindeer herding, although not all Sami are reindeer herders, of course. Reindeer herders look after their herds and make sure that they find suitable pastures. They mostly eat grass and heather. The Sami people have traditionally lived in close contact with the nature around them, and this is evident in their food culture. Hunting and fishing have been important elements in Sami food. Moreover, the Sami people had to adapt their food to the season and to which food items were available at the time. They also had to create methods for food preservation such as salting and drying the meat, seeing that there was no safe way of storing fresh meat before modern freezing techniques. A very peculiar Sami dish is laŋasguolli which is fish that has been fermented in the stomach of a sheep. But reindeer meat is by far the most important ingredient in traditional Sami food. The most famous dish is called bidos and consists of reindeer meat, potatoes, vegetables and meat broth. It is often served in Sami weddings and on important holidays. It is quite old and has been developed and changed during the centuries. For instance, it has not always been made with potatoes. Before potatoes were popularized in Norway in the latter part of the 18th century, it was usually served with bread. This is still possible today. Although it is considered to be the quintessential Sami dish, it is not really that unique. It is very similar to other Norwegian meat broths. For example, sodd, a central Norwegian dish, is made with meat broth and moose meat or beef. It is usually served with potatoes and carrots. Bidos and sodd are very similar, the most striking difference being the choice of meat as bidos is always made with reindeer meat.
Email: Laernorsknaa@gmail.com Transcript: https://laernorsknaa.com/5-7-norwegian-desserts Website: https://laernorsknaa.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/laernorsknaa Twitter: https://twitter.com/MariusStangela1 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxdRJ5lW2QlUNRfff-ZoE-A In this episode, we have looked at some traditional Norwegian desserts. The first one is called “Tilslørte bondepiker” which translates to “veiled peasant girls”. It is usually served in a glass and consists of mashed apples mixed with sugar. A layer of crumbs and sugar is put on this. To top the dessert, you add some whipped cream. The legend has it that it was Ivar Aasen who discovered the dessert. Ivar Aasen is the founder of Nynorsk, the written standard, and he lived during the 19thcentury. According to the legend, he was in love with a peasant girl who made this dessert. He tried several times to propose to her, but she declined all his approaches. Finally one day, she offered him to taste her sweets. Aasen being an eager man thought she was offering herself to him. Unfortunately for Aasen, she was talking about the dessert she was making. Immensely disappointed, Aasen called the dessert “tilslørte bondepiker” or “veiled peasant girls”. The story is almost certainly only a legend and has probably never happened. The next dessert we shall examine is gomme. This is a Norwegian dessert made with casein separated from milk. It exists in several versions with geographical variations. It used to be eaten during Christmas in Norway, but this is less common today. However, gomme is still eaten all around the country, especially in certain parts of northern Norway, Trøndelag, and in the south and western parts of the country.
Email: Laernorsknaa@gmail.com Transcript: https://laernorsknaa.com/5-6-apples-in-hardanger Website: https://laernorsknaa.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/laernorsknaa Twitter: https://twitter.com/MariusStangela1 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxdRJ5lW2QlUNRfff-ZoE-A Epler i Hardanger Epler dyrkesi Asia, Amerika og Europa. Det er en av få frukter vi faktisk kan dyrke i Norge. De aller fleste frukter trenger et varmere klima for å overleve, men enkelte eplesorter klarer seg i det norske klimaet. Epledyrking kom til Norge fra England. Kilder tyder på at engelske munker tok med seg epledyrking til Norge på ca. 1300-tallet. I Norge er det mest kjente stedet for epledyrking i Hardanger på Vestlandet. Hardanger er et større område som ligger litt innenfor Bergen. Det er ikke langt ifra Bergen. Det er et svært fint område med fjell og fjorder. Hardanger er et område som har ganske midle vintre og våren kommer ikke så seint som den gjør lenger nord i Norge. Blandingen av et kjølig klima på våren og mye lys gir eplene en både frisk og syrlig smak. Norske epler pleier å være litt friskere og mindre søte enn andre epler. Den milde vinteren i Hardanger gjør at epletrærne ikke får frostskader når det er på det kaldeste. Det er 380 fruktbønder i Hardanger som jobber med å dyrke og høste epler. Det er ikke bare epler som blir produsert i Hardanger; de produserer også en kjent eplesider. Eplesider fra Hardanger har blitt produsert siden 1800-tallet. Det er altså lange tradisjoner for å lage eplesider i Hardanger. Det finnes forskjellige typer eplesider, og det er mulig å lage ganske forskjellige smaker. For eksempel vil eplene variere i sødme, man kan variere alkoholinnholdet og gjæringsprosessen. Alle disse prosessene vil ha innvirkning på smaken. De vil påvirke hvordan sideren smaker. 2021 var et uvanlig bra år for epledyrking i Hardanger. Det blei høsta 1,795,000 epler i Hardanger i år. Gjennomsnittet ligger på ca. 1,000,000. 2021 er et rekordbra år for epler i Hardanger. Det er helt annerledes i år sammenligna med i fjor. 2020 var et veldig dårlig år for epler i Hardanger, og det blei bare høsta 650,000 epler. Det er nesten tre ganger færre enn i 2021. Eplebønder sier at de må regne med et dårlig år for epler hvert femte år. 2015 var for eksempel også et dårlig år for epler. Temperaturen på våren og sommeren og nedbør avgjør om det blir et bra eller dårlig år for epler. 2021 har vært et veldig bra år for epler.
Email: Laernorsknaa@gmail.com Transcript: https://laernorsknaa.com/5-5-milk-and-lactose-tolerance-in-norway Website: https://laernorsknaa.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/laernorsknaa Twitter: https://twitter.com/MariusStangela1 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxdRJ5lW2QlUNRfff-ZoE-A Melk og laktosetoleranse i Norge I Norge drikker vi først og fremst kumelk. Vi bruker også geitemelk og litt reinsdyrmelk, men dette er mindre vanlig enn kumelk. I Norge er det mulig å kjøpe kumelk i litt ulike varianter, alt etter fettinnholdet. Skumma melk har minst fett med bare 0,1% fett. Lettmelk er den vanligste melka i Norge; den har 1% fett. Imellom skumma melk og lettmelk har vi ekstra lettmelk med 0,5% fett. Den melka vi drikker som har høyest fettinnhold er helmelk med 3,5%. Det er vanlig å lage grøt med helmelk. Dersom fettinnholdet er høyere enn dette er det enten fersk melk rett fra kua eller så er det fløte. Fløte kan ha fettinnhold på 18% til 35%. I Norge bruker vi melk til matlaging, vi drikker den og vi bruker den til å bake med. Det er veldig vanlig å ha melk på frokostblandinga si i Norge, eller å drikke et glass med melk med brødskivene. Jeg husker at det var vanlig å få utdelt skolemelk på både barneskolen og ungdomsskolen. Barneskolen er fra man er 6 til 12år og ungdomsskolen er fra 13 til 15år. Denne ordningen fungerte slik at vi kunne melde oss på for å få melk på skolen. Da fikk man en melkekartong på ca. 2,5dl hver eneste dag ved lunsjen. I Norge er det generelt et stort fokus på at melk er sunt. Proteininnholdet i melk er av veldig høy kvalitet. I tillegg er det mange bra vitaminer i melk som vitamin D, E og K. I tillegg er det mye kalsium i melk som er viktig for beina og tennene. Barn har skjelett og bein som vokser mye og endrer seg. Da er det viktig at de får nok kalsium. Jeg tror det er grunnen til at vi fikk subsidiert melk på skolen. Jeg tror en av grunnene til at vi har et så positivt syn på melk i Norge er at mesteparten av befolkningen tåler laktose. Laktose er melkesukker og det er ikke alle som klarer å fordøye dette. Dersom man ikke klarer å fordøye laktose sier man at man har laktoseintoleranse. Alle spedbarn opp til en viss alder tåler laktose. Det er først når man blir eldre at mange mister evnen til å bryte ned laktose. Laktoseintoleranse er veldig vanlig i verden. Faktisk er det bare mindretallet av voksne mennesker som tåler laktose. I Asia er 80-100% laktoseintolerante. I Afrika sør for Sahara er 85-100% laktoseintolerante. Blant søreuropeere er dette 60-85%. Blant hvite amerikanere er det bare 10-25% som er laktoseintolerante. Det er likevel nordeuropeere som tåler laktose best. I Nord-Europa er det bare 5-15% som har laktoseintoleranse. Norge er et av landene i verden med høyest toleranse for laktose. Blant den norske befolkningen er det bare 2-3% som er laktoseintolerante. Det betyr at 97% av voksne nordmenn tåler laktose. Det er veldig uvanlig sammenligna med resten av verden.