http://www.vikingrune.com/2009/09/viking-food/ Viking Symbols and Norse Runes in the Heathen Germanic Culture Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:15:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 http://www.vikingrune.com/2009/09/viking-food/comment-page-1/#comment-6319 Christine Wed, 07 Jul 2010 15:54:16 +0000 http://www.vikingrune.com/?p=4513#comment-6319 I have a problem with this article using the word "isolation" to describe Nordic cuisine. This couldn't be further from the truth. Speaking as one whose Norwegian mother cooked and baked native dishes, the wealth of middle eastern spices and ingredients is overwhelming. Cinnimon and cardamom are two examples which define Scandinavian baking, yet are never grown regionally. My theory is that the sophisticated Scandinavian cuisine is a result of the fact that these nations have NOT been isolated. Viking raiders/traders regularly visited the Meditteranean area. They were hired to guard the Byzantine Emperor (Verangian Guards). They settled/explored Russia. They regularly brought back exotic spices and ingredients to their wives. Even a look at traditional Norwegian jewelry will show the Middle eastern influence.The Nordic cuisine is based on the "jet setters" of the Dark and Middle ages. No. One may call Irish, English, and Scottish traditional cuisine (the worst in the world) "isolated". But traditional Scandinavian is as sophisticated as any French or Chinese. I have a problem with this article using the word “isolation” to describe Nordic cuisine. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Speaking as one whose Norwegian mother cooked and baked native dishes, the wealth of middle eastern spices and ingredients is overwhelming. Cinnimon and cardamom are two examples which define Scandinavian baking, yet are never grown regionally.
My theory is that the sophisticated Scandinavian cuisine is a result of the fact that these nations have NOT been isolated. Viking raiders/traders regularly visited the Meditteranean area. They were hired to guard the Byzantine Emperor (Verangian Guards). They settled/explored Russia. They regularly brought back exotic spices and ingredients to their wives. Even a look at traditional Norwegian jewelry will show the Middle eastern influence.The Nordic cuisine is based on the “jet setters” of the Dark and Middle ages.
No. One may call Irish, English, and Scottish traditional cuisine (the worst in the world) “isolated”. But traditional Scandinavian is as sophisticated as any French or Chinese.

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