Dr. Moss, there IS a reason why the South Eastern Norwegians used to say you could recognize someone from Bergen by the fish scales between their eyes.
You are correct on the morning ritual of breakfast.... No toast or crumpets, no jam (jam and waffles were saved for afternoon "kaffe") bread or crisp bread (Wasa in Canada), cheese, cured meats and fish were all staples. I am however glad you were not subjected to that *other* morning delicacy known as rommegrot (sour cream porridge). By the way, these English keyboards are missing 3 important letters from the Norwegian alphabet...
Norway has a long history of preserving meat in a stabur (low log building meant for storing cured meats and fish). Lets not forget that Norway is the birthplace of such culinary delights as torr fisk or dried fish. The original recipe calls for catching a fish, dragging it onto the shore, leave it in the sun and when the flies stop bothering it, it's ready to eat! And I won't mention lutefisk (fish soaked in diluted lye) and rakorret. The latter is sort of a fermented trout... originally you buried the trout with herbs and ashes and then some time later it was dug up and consumed. Quite tasty, but back then.... nobody wanted to eat the first bit... botulism was always a concern.
Caraway and cabbage.... yes, but we also added some sugar and vinegar to the pot and made "surkaal", a staple where I lived. Your mention of lamb reminded me of a local dish made with cabbage and mutton. Simply placed in a large pot and boiled with whole pepper corns.... You could eat and eat and eat....but once it cooled down, you couldn't stand the smell of it!
I guess you were never far enough North to experience Mac beer and Seagull eggs.....
Speaking of caraway... it makes an excellent flavouring in Akevit and only Linje Akevit is worth drinking at Christmas.... My uncle worked for one of the shipping companies back in the day, and each Christmas he would get one bottle of Linje Akevit.... certified to have travelled around the world while ageing in the hull of a ship.... The equator was also involved, but my memory of those things are beginning to fail me.
And the local dish where I lived...... A slice of white bread (rare back then) mayonnaise and a breaded fillet of flounder, one more slice of bread and a pile of freshly boiled shrimp on top... with a bit more mayonnaise of course and a drizzle of lemon. I shall attach a photo, but it doesn't have the the breaded flounder fillet for some reason.
![Image](https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/6214853/rekesmorbrod.jpg)
Previously lost, on the way to the pasture. Now pasteurized.