Food of Svalbard and Jan Mayen

Svalbard's food reflects its Arctic setting and Norwegian ties. Much of what is eaten is imported, but local specialties include Arctic char, reindeer, cloudberries and dried fish. Warm soups, waffles with jam and strong coffee fuel life in the cold, and the midnight sun and polar night shape meal times.

Arctic char
National dish

Arctic char

Rich red-fleshed freshwater and sea fish, grilled or pan-fried.

Staples

  • Arctic char
  • reindeer
  • cod
  • potatoes
  • flatbread
  • berries
  • bread

Signature flavors

  • dill
  • salt
  • pepper
  • juniper
  • butter

Main dishes

Arctic char
Arctic char

Rich red-fleshed freshwater and sea fish, grilled or pan-fried.

Key ingredients: Arctic char, butter, dill, potatoes
Reindeer stew
Reindeer stew

Reindeer slowly stewed with root vegetables.

Key ingredients: reindeer, onion, carrots, juniper
Stockfish
Stockfish

Wind-dried cod soaked and boiled or baked.

Key ingredients: dried cod, potatoes, butter
Fiskesuppe
Fiskesuppe

Creamy fish soup.

Key ingredients: fish, cream, carrots

Breakfast

Brunost
Brunost

Sweet brown cheese on bread.

Key ingredients: brown cheese, bread
Porridge
Porridge

Warm oat porridge.

Key ingredients: oats, milk

Street food

Waffles
Waffles

Heart-shaped waffles with jam.

Key ingredients: flour, eggs, milk
Hot dog

Sausage in potato flatbread.

Key ingredients: sausage, lompe

Desserts and sweets

Cloudberry cream
Cloudberry cream

Cloudberries with whipped cream.

Key ingredients: cloudberries, cream
Krumkake
Krumkake

Crisp rolled cookies.

Key ingredients: eggs, sugar, butter

Drinks

Coffee
Coffee

Strong filter coffee.

Key ingredients: coffee
Hot chocolate
Hot chocolate

Hot cocoa.

Key ingredients: cocoa, milk

Fruits and produce

Cloudberries
Cloudberries

Golden Arctic berries.

Key ingredients: jam, cream
Crowberries
Crowberries

Dark tundra berries.

Key ingredients: jam
Blueberries
Blueberries

Wild blueberries.

Key ingredients: pie
Lingonberries
Lingonberries

Tart berries.

Key ingredients: jam
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More cuisines of Northern Europe

About this page

Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.

Photo credits
  • Salvelinus alpinus 311639131: Alison Copeland, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Reinbukken på frisk grønt beite. - panoramio: Are G Nilsen, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Hjell-oversikt.arj: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Quail 07 bg 041506: Jon SullivanThe original uploader was Y6y6y6 at English Wikipedia., Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Brunost: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Oatmeal (1): Renee Comet (Photographer), Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Waffles with Strawberries: Parkerman & Christie from San Diego, USA, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Moltekrem: "color line" on Flickr, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Krumkake: Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Latte and dark coffee: Bex Walton, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Chocolate cup Chantilly porcelain 18th century: World Imaging, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Rubus chamaemorus, from Tromsø, August 2020: Moravice, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Empetrum nigrum by Maseltov 2: Maseltov, CC BY-SA 3.0 de (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Blueberries: The original Uploader was Oven Fresh at English Wikipedia, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Vaccinium vitis-idaea 20060824 003: Jonas Bergsten, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)