Aquavit was originally taken for medicinal purposes and as an "eau de vie", subsequently as a stimulant on a level with wine and often as an accompaniment to food. Considering Norwegian aquavit as an added "spice" can be a novel and useful experience. A mild aquavit complements light flavours, while a highly aromatic aquavit complements heavier, more potent foods. A good way to experiment is to lay out a traditional herring buffet. Pickled herring is available in an abundance of tasty variants. Buy several types of aquavit and let your guests try out all the different combinations.
Norwegian food is characterised by its strong, salty, potent flavours. We love fermenting, corning, salting, curing, lye-treating and smoking meat and fish. This type of food is generally better complimented by beer and a shot of aquavit than by wine. Wine is soon overpowered by the flavoursome, salty, strong-tasting ingredients, and aquavit is therefore a far more suitable accompaniment to this type of food.
While many Norwegians prefer white wine with their lobster, crayfish and prawns, when it comes to crab it can be difficult to find a complementary wine. The protein-rich roe and succulent innards of the Norwegian crab possess an incredibly powerful flavour in all their sweetness and saltiness. We are incredibly fortunate to have such amazing produce readily available to us. Cooking crab with dill is common, but did you know that a generous handful of caraway in the pot makes it taste even better? For a Norwegian crab meal, beer and a shot of aquavit are a given. For this dish we tend to go for a light and elegant caraway-accented aquavit or an aquavit flavoured with dill. Besides crab, these types of aquavit are the perfect accompaniment to grav lax, fresh trout and crayfish.
Many Norwegians prefer wine when dining on game, but it is still tricky to find a suitable red wine to go with the powerful gamey flavour of venison – which is often better accompanied by beer and spirits. If in doubt, one tried-and-tested trick is to add to the gravy a dash of the aquavit you plan to serve with the game. Alternatively, you can add a dash of aquavit when ”boiling off” the concentrated flavours left in the roasting pan and use that as a stock for the gravy.
