is a traditional Norwegian

cured meat Curing is any of various food preservation and flavoring processes of foods such as meat, fish and vegetables, by the addition of salt, with the aim of drawing moisture out of the food by the process of osmosis. Because curing increases the solu ...

made from salted and dried leg of lamb. is a very popular dish in

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

and is often served with other preserved food at a Christmas buffet or on

Norwegian Constitution Day Constitution Day is the national day of Norway and is an official public holiday observed on 17 May each year. Among Norwegians, the day is referred to as ''Syttende Mai'' ("Seventeenth of May"), ''Nasjonaldagen'' ("National Day"), or ''Grunnlo ...

. Curing time is normally about three months, but may be matured for a year or more. In some parts of the region, especially in the

Voss Voss () is a municipality and a traditional district in Vestland county, Norway. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Vossevangen. Other villages include Bolstadøyri, Borstrondi, Evanger, Kvitheim, Mjølfjell, ...

area, the leg is also slightly smoked (using a cold smoke process) before curing to prevent any mould-related problems that may occur when drying meat in a humid, mild climate. It is still quite common for many

Norwegians Norwegians ( no, nordmenn) are a North Germanic ethnic group and nation native to Norway, where they form the vast majority of the population. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegians are descended from the N ...

to salt and cure the meat at home. The finished meat is dark red to brown in color. Fresh-cut slices of high quality ' are smooth, tender and somewhat shiny, but not moist. The taste is slightly sweet and not too salty. The meat must have a pronounced, but never rancid, taste of mutton. Dry salting leg of lamb

Normally the meat is served as thin slices, but it is also common—at informal gatherings—to send the leg around the table with a sharp, stubby knife. The guests then slice the leg themselves. Thus, in

western Norway Western Norway ( nb, Vestlandet, Vest-Norge; nn, Vest-Noreg) is the region along the Atlantic coast of southern Norway. It consists of the counties Rogaland, Vestland, and Møre og Romsdal. The region has no official or political-administrativ ...

' is called , literally 'whittle-meat', but this name may also originate from the word , 'to cure'. is sometimes served with sour cream porridge ( rømmegraut),

scrambled eggs Scrambled eggs is a dish made from eggs (usually chicken eggs) stirred, whipped or beaten together while being gently heated, typically with salt, butter, oil and sometimes other ingredients. Preparation Only eggs are necessary to make scramble ...

, a dill and double-cream-based, lukewarm

potato salad Potato salad is a salad dish made from boiled potatoes, usually containing a dressing and a variety of other ingredients such as boiled eggs and raw vegetables. In the United States, it is generally considered a side dish and usually accompanie ...

and oven baked

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula o ...

-style "water-pretzels" are other typical combinations.

References

External links

Norwegian Food Blog - Make Norwegian Fenalår - Cured leg of a lamb from scratch
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fenalar Lamb dishes Norwegian cuisine Lunch meat Dried meat

See also

References

External links