Where's the squash? And the Reece's..and the...

Thank you Darcey! (One of our care packages from home.)

Five months and dozens of trips to the grocery store later, I have come to the realization that some foods and food products are just not going to be found in Norway. I am trying to accept this, really. But in a country that probably imports 90% of its food and food product anyway, would it be so hard to throw a few butternut squashes on that container ship?

I know some of you out there are thinking tsk, tsk. Embrace your new culinary climate, already! And I am all for that. (Well, to a degree. I won't be trying the lutefisk any time soon.) I've made some cod and we've had our fair share of potatoes (they do grow potatoes here). But I like to make some of our favorite dishes from pre-Norway days as well. And it's hard to make Moroccan couscous without butternut squash, or pancake breakfast without Bisquick.

For you Norway-bound folks, I usually go to Meny and sometimes Centra, which seems to have a larger selection of ethnic foods. I've also been across town to Jacob's, a high-end specialty grocery. (For you Seattleites, I'd equate Jacob's to a small Larry's Market. Remember Larry's? Those were the days.) I have also visited many of the various 'Turkish markets' in Oslo (small ethnic shops that sell a lot of Asian, Turkish, and Greek groceries, less expensive and sometimes varied produce, as well as dried herbs, spices, couscous, and other items). 

 

One of the 'Turkish markets' I frequent near Youngstorget.

Despite all my scouring for grocery items, there are some things I just haven't been able to locate. So, in honor of all things found in my hometown grocery stores and farmers markets, I give you the List of Food Items Colleen Has Not Been Able to Find in Norway:

• Reece's peanut butter cups
• York peppermint patties
• Peeps
• Dark chocolate candy bars
• Kraft macaroni and cheese

• Butternut squash
• Heck, any kind of squash (there was a rare sighting of a sugar pumpkin in early November, but that was it)
• Chard
• Fresh sage (I've only found fresh rosemary, mint, basil, sage, cilantro, and citron. Everything else, you're out of luck)
• Large baking potatoes
• Dried cherries
• Dried currants
• Dried kaffir lime leaves

• Sunflower seeds
• Millet
• Wheat flour (Wait. What? Yes. Maybe I'm not looking hard enough.)
• Dried yeast (We have fresh yeast in little cubes. I question their freshness.)
• Bulk foods
• Brown rice (except Uncle Ben's in a bag you throw in boiling water)
• Cornbread mix
• Cornmeal
• Sourdough anything 
• Good pancake mix (they have a mix that really just makes thick crepes)
• Mini bagels

• Pam cooking spray
• Crisco (for my mom's excellent pie crust recipe)
• Real vanilla extract
• Most any extract
• Sesame oil
• Rice wine vinegar
• Black bean sauce
• Light coconut milk
• Sweetened shredded coconut

• Fresh clams!
• Canned clams
• Heck, just clams
• Fresh lump crab meat (except in cans. Yuck)
• Black cod (totally different than Norwegian cod)

• Light dairy products (except milk)
• Good energy bars 
• Graham crackers
• Cheerios
• Almond butter

• Pancetta
• Ground turkey
• Turkey in general (okay, there's some turkey, but it's not as easy to come by)
• Decent deli meat (read: I really don't want to eat square deli meat, but thanks for trying)
• Cut-up, bone-in chicken (there are rows and rows of very processed chicken breasts by one company, but nary a package of bone-in thighs to be found)

• Decaf coffee
• Decaf green tea
• Good herbal tea in tea bags

• Canned chicken or vegetable broth (they have it in tiny glass jars for exorbitant amounts of money, or in a boxed concentrate I have yet to figure out)
• Canned soup (powdered soup abounds, and after trying it a few times, I've pretty much sworn it off)

I've never missed Whole Foods and Central Market so much. A girl can dream, can't she?