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foodSt. Hansaften: Eat YourPorridge and Light Your Fireby caroline schønheyderSt. Hansaften is the ultimate summerfeast in Norway. On the evening of June23, Norwegians light bonfires, pickflowers to put under their pillows, and celebratesummer and light.The St. Hans celebrations have rootsacross northern Europe, and were alsobrought to Canada with the first French colonialists.In Canada, the celebration is calledSaint-Jean-Baptist Day or Quebec NationalHoliday. The celebrations take on somewhatdifferent forms in the different countries, butthe origins are much the same. St. Hans is aChristian holiday to honor Saint John theBaptist (also called Saint Hans). The day ofcelebration was set to June 24 to outdo thepagan celebrations of midsummer or summersolstice. However, it is the celebration of summer,sun, and light that has survived in countriessuch as Norway. In Norway, celebrationstake place the evening before June 24. Aften,as in St. Hansaften, means evening.The tradition of lighting bonfires on thisoccasion came from the pagan belief in fire asthe protector against evil spirits. The sun,which in the Northern hemisphere is at itshighest at midsummer, probably inspired thisbelief. The night of St. Hans was supposedlya night of magic. If, for instance, a young girlpicked seven flowers and put them under herpillow, she would dream of her future husband.As on any day of celebration, food isimportant on St. Hansaften. When asked whatshe associates with St. Hansaften, IngeborgNygaard, the chef at the Norwegian Embassy,said: “bonfire, rømmegrøt (sour cream porridge),cured ham, barbeque, midsummer,sun, family, friends, children, and my childhood.On St. Hansaften I get together with myfamily and friends and go to a field to make abonfire. We bring sour cream porridge, curedham, barbeque food like sausages, and justhave a good time for as long as we can stayawake. It is all about celebrating summer withthe people you love the most. When I was littleI was very superstitious. I made sure tojump seven fences and pick seven differentflowers, put them under my pillow, and tryhard to dream about a boy I liked.”“Why we eat sour cream porridge on thisday? Well, it is a tradition. Eating sour creamporridge on special holidays is a strong traditionin Norway, and St. Hans is s special holiday.Sour cream porridge is a tradition thatgoes far, far back in time. It is such a simpleand timeless recipe,” she said.Rømmegrøt (Sour Cream Porridge)Often served with cured meats and flatbrød (crisp bread)This recipe serves 4Ingredients1 pint thick sour cream12 tablespoons flour1 pint milkSaltPreparation1. Boil the sour cream, covered, for 2 minutes. Add half of the flour and stir carefullyto bring the butter to the surface. Skim it off, reserve it and keep it warm.2. Stir in the rest of the flour and add the milk. Simmer the porridge for 5-6 minutes.Season to taste with salt.If one prefers a slightly tangy sour flavor, half of the milk added may be sour milk orkefir.Sour cream porridge is eaten sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon and with the reservedwarm melted butter. Some people also like to add raisins on top, as pictured above. Redjuice, such as raspberry or currant, is usually served with the porridge.PHOTO COURTESY TINE/WWW.JARLSBERG.COM12 | www.norway.org/food
The Plot Thickensby silje bekengNorwegian crime literature continues its success story in the U.S.with the publishing of What Never Happens, the second book inAnne Holt’s popular Stubo/Vik series.Anne Holt is no newcomer on the literary scene: Her books havesold more than 3 million copies, gaining her a worldwide audience anda reputation as one of Scandinavia’s foremost crime writers.Her American debut, What Is Mine, was published last year andintroduced readers to the crime-solving team of Adam Stubo andJohanne Vik. Back then, they were working on a case of kidnapped andmurdered children in Norway.In What Never Happens, a new series of gruesome murders is terrifyingOslo’s residents. Stubo and Vik are caring for their newbornchild, and are reluctant to take on the case. But drawing on a lectureshe heard as a profiler for the FBI years before, Vik developsvolves atheory that she and Stubo might be the murderer’s next victims.Holt’s first American publication received remarkably enthusiasticreviews. Booklist wrote: “Holt proves herself worthy of being knownas the Norwegian Henning Mankell … exceptionally well-drawn characters… essential for all mystery collections.” Meanwhile, KirkusReviews called the book “a savvy, sharply delineated suspense novel… immensely rewarding.”One of Holt’s strengths as a crime writer is her in-depth knowledgeof the law and police work. A former minister of justice, lawyer, TVanchor, and journalist, Holt’s books offer not only chilling mysteries,but also a glimpse into a world often hidden from the public. Holt hasalso spent several years in the United States: in Dallas; Farmington,Maine; and Harwichport, Massachusetts.What Never Happens was published by Grand Central Publishingin February 2008. What Is Mine is now available in paperback, and thenext book in the series is due to be published in 2009 or 2010.booksKarin Fossum Wins LosAngeles Times Book AwardNorwegian writer Karin Fossum won the prestigious Los AngelesTimes Book Award this spring for her novel The Indian Bride.Fossum, who lives in a small town in southeastern Norway, istaking the world by storm with her “heart-stoppingly suspenseful”writing. The crime writer has gained an enthusiastic following of readersin the U.S., and on Friday evening, April25, she was awarded the LA Times BookAward in for best mystery/Thriller, for hernovel The Indian Bride. The novel is one ofseveral that features Inspector Konrad Sejer.Karin Fossum was nominated together withBenjamin Black, Åke Edwardson, TanaFrench, and Jan Costin Wagner.The prize is awarded in connection withthe biggest literature festival in the U.S., LosAngeles Times Book Festival. It is usuallyawarded to English-language authors. TheIndian Bride (Elskede Poona) – translated byCharlotte Barslund – is Fossum’s fourth bookon the U.S. market. The novel takes us to thetown of Elvestad, where one day the batteredbody of a woman is found in a meadow.Everyone is shocked by the gruesome crime, but Inspector KonradSejer understands that in this town, no one is altogether innocent.Fossum’s crime novels featuring Inspector Sejer have been translatedinto 16 languages, and she has received rave reviews in the NewYork Times and the Washington Post, among others. Other L.A. TimesBook Awards winners this year were Andrew O’Hagan for Be Near Me(Harcourt) and Dinaw Mengestu for The Beautiful Things That HeavenBears (Riverhead Books).PHOTO BY LAURENT DENIMALWhat Never HappenesBy Anne HoltGrand Central Publishing$24.99 (hardcover)What is MineBy Anne HoltGrand Central Publishing$12.99 (paperback)The Indian BrideBy Karin FossumHarcourt Books$14.00 (paperback)summer 2008 | news of norway | 13
Page 4: architecture1PHOTO BY SPACE GROUP23
Page 7 and 8: norwegian “moods” in san franci
Page 9 and 10: architecturePHOTO BY KNUT BRYstripp
Page 11: PHOTOS BY B. JAHNSEN/NORWEGIAN MINI
Page 15 and 16: calendarfilm“Sejer” in New York

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