We have picked some unique and more traditional souvenirs from Norway that you can’t find elsewhere. These are ideal to keep for yourself or give as gifts to friends and family.
This article is based on the experience of our team and is not just another generic blog article trying to sell you boring souvenirs.
Norwegian knitwear (sweaters and mittens)
These colourful hand-knitted sweaters, mittens or socks are highly appreciated by Norwegians due to their high quality and thickness, which protects them from very cold temperatures. They are also very stylish and make you stand out when you return home.
Knitting is also a very popular hobby in Norway, regardless of one’s age or gender.
It’s common to see people knitting at cafés, airports or if you visit people in their homes. Homemade knitted socks, sweaters or mittens are one of the best gifts you can get.
Dale of Norway is an excellent brand for Norwegian knitwear owing to its high-quality craftsmanship and materials and the fact that it’s a local, 100% Norwegian brand.
Crafted Kuksa cup
A kuksa cup is a hand-carved cup made from birch burl following ancient Sami traditions.
Sami says offering a kuksa to someone is offering them happiness.
These cups are used to serve coffee and are extremely durable and resistant. It’s common to take them on camping trips and hikes.
Kuksas can have light decorations, such as the one in this photo. This features a piece of polished reindeer antler, which is the most classic decoration on these cups. They can also have a leather hook, allowing the user to hang the cup on their belt or backpack.
Nothing is more Norwegian than this rustic Nordic design, which you will find inside the homes of many Norwegian families with the name of the owner engraved on each cup.
Cloudberry jam
This orange berry is considered a delicacy and the gold of Norway! In Norway, cloudberries primarily grow in the wild, in marshlands. They are soft and juicy, with a sweet flavour. The cloudberry is a circumpolar boreal plant that thrives in regions with cool temperatures such as the Arctic tundra.
The berries are picked by hand in the late summer and are rich in Vitamin C. Cloudberries are mainly used in jam (served for instance with Norwegian waffles). You can buy pots of cloudberry jam at any Norwegian supermarket and take this exclusive flavour home with you.
Northern Lights or Midnight Sun chocolates
We absolutely love these! The design is unbelievably pretty but wait until you try the taste! The Northern Lights or Midnight Sun chocolates are hand-painted and produced by a local Norwegian chocolatier called Jentene På Tunet.
You can choose from boxes of 3, 6, or 9 pieces.
These chocolates have won several awards such as the product of the year at the Trøndelag Food Festival (Norway), winner of the International Chocolate Awards 2018 and finalist in The Norwegian Meal 2019.
The chocolates are an excellent representation of the Northern Light or the Midnight sun phenomenon and are flavoured with blackcurrant, salted caramel and mango.
You can order these on the company’s website or find them at gift and souvenir shops or chocolate, sweet and coffee shops. Delicious!
Kvikk Lunsj
The twin brother of KitKat from Nestle, Kvikk Lunsj is a four-fingered chocolate bar produced by the Norwegian brand Freia, launched in 1937. The direct translation of the name is “quick lunch”.
This chocolate bar is extremely popular among Norwegians and is even considered a symbol of Norwegian culture. It’s associated with hiking and ski trips, especially during Easter, when there is a tradition to pack a mandarin and a Kvikk Lunsj chocolate in your rucksack and eat them during your ski tour.
On the back of the packaging, you can read the “Fjellvettreglene” (the mountain code), a set of rules intended to keep people safe when exploring in the mountains.
You can buy Kvikk Lunsj chocolates at any supermarket in Norway.
Brown cheese (Brunost) + cheese slicer (ostehøvel)
The very Norwegian brown cheese (or Brunost, in Norwegian), is extremely popular and considered an iconic gastronomical symbol of the Norwegian food culture.
This sweet cheese, which has a flavour reminiscent of condensed milk, is hard to get outside of Norway. Norwegians love to eat it with freshly made waffles or on slices of bread.
This cheese is sliced using a cheese slicer (or ostehøvel in Norwegian).
This is actually a Norwegian invention! It was invented by Thor Bjørklund, in 1925, who patented it. This distinctive cheese slicer is one of the most Norwegian symbols imaginable, and any good Norwegian home has one of more in their kitchen drawer.
Get both as a gift for your friends and family at any supermarket in Norway, a great gift idea that they are sure to appreciate!
Tubed caviar
Norwegians love their tubed food, possibly because it’s so easy to use, practical, convenient and clean.
The locals use it at lunchtime, on bread slices, and when they go on hikes or camping.
You can find many tubes with different flavours. However, caviar is one of the most appreciated ones. This delicacy has been available in tube format since 1917! Find them at any supermarket in Norway, squeeze them, and enjoy!
The options are many, and these are just some of the most unique ones.
We hope you have a nice time in Norway and enjoy this beautiful country!
