Fastelavnsboller (Shrovetide buns)

These are a traditional thing to eat in Norway on Fastelavnsøndag, or Shrovetide Sunday. Other parts of the world know this period before Lent as carnival or Mardi Gras. In England, they have Pancake Day. It is one last chance to indulge and use up your rich food before the fasting of Lent begins. 

Fastelavnsboller are indeed rich. They consist of hveteboller, slightly sweet, round cardemom-scented buns that go perfectly with coffee and can be bought practically everywhere in Norway all year round. However, about a week before Lent, they are split in half horizontally and then filled with whipped cream and a mound of either jam or almond paste, and then dusted with powdered sugar. They are decadent and absolutely delightful. 

The one pictured here contained almond paste was perfect blend of richness and sweetness.  I absolutely adore anything almond-flavored, so I was in heaven. The whipped cream was light, fluffy, with a touch of sweetness. It was the perfect afternoon pick-me-up. 

Here is a picture of the half-eaten bun, the top layer already eaten. You can see a layer of almond paste underneath the mountain of cream. Yes, this is definitely the type of treat to be eaten just once a year. 

Welcome to Smågodt!

I thought it would be appropriate to start a food blog named "Smågodt" with an entry about one of my favorite things in Norway. Smågodt (pronounced smoh-goat) is pure happiness to me. It is candy that you buy from bulk bins in grocery stores or convenience stores, kind of like pick-a-mix. You grab a paper bag or, at times, a plastic container, and scoop out this and that to your heart's content. It is rather dangerous, actually. You pay by weight, so It can add up quickly. I don't know how many times I've wandered to the corner store, telling myself I would just buy a tiny bit, and ended up being a bit too overzealous with the candy scoop. I tell myself that I'll make it last for days, but more often than not, I've gobbled it up in only a day or two. I have learned not to buy it very often because it is extremely addicting. 

Smågodt is not limited to Norway, either. In Sweden, it is "godis," in Denmark they call it "silk." It can be called these names in Norway, too, but may take on any of the following names: godteri, snop, snavel, digg, slikkeri, snadder, sukkertøy, søtsaker, or knask. 

The first time I visited Sweden, I remember going to the grocery store with the relative I was visiting. Just as we were heading to the check out lanes, I saw rows and rows of see-through plastic bins filled with all sorts of candy I had never seen before. I have always had a sweet tooth, and I especially love trying new types of candy, so I pointed at them eagerly, hoping that she would see that I wanted to explore the candy aisle. She scrunched up her nose and shook her head, and said disapprovingly, "Oh, no, that's for children." 

It is true that many people associate picking out smågodt with their childhood.  Any Friday or Saturday in Scandinavia, you will see children scooping their favorite candies into a bag for "lørdags godis" or Saturday sweets. The idea is that children stay away from candy during the week, but then are allowed to indulge on the weekend. A bag of smågodt is perfect because you can pick a little of this and that: hard candies, sweet gummies and sour gummies, an assortment of marshmallowy candies, bite-sized chocolates, fudge, caramels, and sweet licorice and salty licorice. What makes it so much fun is that there is a different selection at every store, so you always get a different mix. I have learned that it's not just for kids, however. I have seen many adults picking out a bag of their favorite godteri for the weekend, and it is a common treat for moviegoers of all ages.