Norwegians are well prepared whenever their stomach is growling. This is shown in a new report conducted by online travel agency Expedia about Scandinavian airline passengers. The survey is based on interviews with nearly 4,000 people and rendered in Travelreport.

30 percent of all Norwegians bring a packed lunch in their hand luggage – a so called “Matpakke”. It is not described whether the food is brought through the airport security or bought at the airport. Only 17 percent of Swedes and 16 percent of Danes do bring a meal.

For Norwegians, the Matpakke is a natural part of the life cycle that is about tradition, independence and responsibility.

The story of the Matpakke began with the so-called “Oslo Breakfast”. It was a project that was introduced in Oslo which aimed to change the Norwegian eating habits.  In the 1920’s, the Oslo Breakfast was introduced as a pilot project among the primary schools in Oslo. Through this meal, Norwegians should become healthy and “natural”.

The lack of financial resources prevented the project to be carried out in the rest of the country. The concept was intended to be a Governmental responsibility, but eventually became a project for the family household.

The Oslo Breakfast consisted of:

2 – 3 cups (1/3- 1/2 liter) of milk

Two small rusks or two crisp breads with butter and whey cheese

Granary loaf with butter and whey cheese

A half apple or half an orange – or 3.5 oz. (100 grams) of carrot or turnip

One teaspoon of Tran (cod liver oil) in the months containing the letter R (September to April)

Text by: Anette Broteng Christiansen, ThorNews

Source: Dagbladet, Wikipedia

Illustrating photo: ThorNews

Categories: Culinary Surprises, Traditional Food