Farmers' markets and food markets in Norway: where to find the flavours of the fjords under one roof

If you want to experience Norway "at your fingertips", head to the market: between the stalls selling smoked salmon and heather honey, you will smell the fjords, pine forests and mountain pastures all at once. Farmers' markets are part of the kortreist mat ("short trip") philosophy, where the seller often knows the name of the goat that provided the milk for the cheese. Below are the most colourful markets in the country and tips on how to choose the best products and souvenirs.

What makes Mathallen Oslo the capital's main food market?

Opened in 2012 in the former industrial district of Vulkan, Mathallen has brought together more than 30 pavilions, from Rueslåtten cheese to Hitchhiker Seafood. Here you can:

1. Try reindeer tartare at Stand Fjell.
   
2. Buy freshly roasted coffee from Tim Wendelboe.
   
3. Send a vacuum-packed box of brunost home (free packaging).
   Prices: gravlax salmon ≈ 260 NOK/kg, Jarlsberg cheese ≈ 190 NOK/kg. On Thursdays at 5 p.m., there are free mini-lectures called "Taste of Norway."
   

What is the Fisketorget Bergen fish market famous for and how can you avoid overpaying?

The market has been operating since 1276 and moves to an open pier in the summer. The best time to visit is at 3 p.m., when fishermen sell their morning catch at lower prices:

• king crab ≈ 550 NOK/kg,
  
• northern shrimp ≈ 160 NOK/kg,
  
• Fiskekaker — 45 NOK/piece.
  Tip: get a "prøvesmak" (taster) — 3 types of fish for 99 NOK. For transport, buy a thermal bag (20 NOK) with gel ice, which will last for 6 hours.
  

What is Bondens Marked and where can you find it?

Bondens Marked is a network of Saturday farmers' markets in 25 cities. Only farmers within a 100 km radius can sell their produce. In Oslo, the market is held twice a month at Valkyrie Plass: try Haukeli goat cheese (80 NOK/200 g) and Hardanger cider (95 NOK/0.75 l). The schedule is published on bondensmarked.no; come at opening time (10:00 a.m.) — popular items are sold out by noon.

Why is the Rørosmartnan fair a paradise for hunters of local exotic goods?

Since 1854, 70,000 visitors have been gathering in the mountain town of Røros in winter (the last week of February). Here they buy:

• Røros-smør organic butter,
  
• wild reindeer meat (villrein) from Femund,
  
• juniper gingerbread (tømmermannskjeks).
  Prices are 10-15% lower than in the capital. In the evening, there is traditional Rørospols dancing and mulled wine with aquavit.
  

What can you bring back from Norway as a gift to surprise a foodie?

Shopping and food transport tips

1. Vacuum sealing: ask the seller to seal fish and cheese for free or for 5 NOK per package.
   
2. Thermal bags are available at markets for 20–30 NOK; put them in your hand luggage on the plane.
   
3. Alcohol > 4.7% — only Vinmonopolet; see the sign in the arrivals area for duty-free limits.
   
4. Discounts: during the last hour of market opening, there is a 10–20% discount on perishable goods.
   
5. Tax free: foreigners can get up to 12% VAT refund on purchases over 315 NOK; get a Global Blue form.
   

Norway's food markets are the perfect way to get a taste of the country without travelling far: a cube of Kraftkar in one hand, a glass of cider in the other, and the sparkling fjord in front of you. Plan your Saturday at Bondens Marked, keep a list of souvenirs on your phone and haggle... with a smile: respect for farmers' work is valued here. When you leave with a bag of vacuum-packed salmon and a bottle of strong aquavit, you take with you a small portrait of Norway — as honest as its nature and as delicious as wholemeal bread with brunost.