Pizza in Norway | Sons of Norway (2024)

Scandinavian countries are known for many things, but pizza isn’t typically one of them. Traveling to Norway, one would expect things like potatoes (and all the dishes made from them), fish, and gjetost. But in Norway, as with the rest of the world, pizza has become a popular staple that can take on local flavors. While pizza didn’t start taking off in Norway until the 1970’s, today this dish has become a staple in many Norwegian homes. It’s become so well-loved in fact, that Norway has earned the top spot for consuming the most pizza per capita in the world – about 11 pizzas per person. Some even joke that it’s the unofficial national dish.

While this may come as a surprise to some, it is not shocking, given the history of Norwegian cuisine. Home of flatbread and open-faced sandwiches, it was only a matter of time before pizza took its place beside these other Nordic staples. Ethnologist Astri Riddervold told of how ancient Norwegians prepared something similar called brødtallerken, or “bread dish” more than a thousand years ago. She called it Viking Pizza.

Today, Norwegians primarily enjoy frozen pizza, with the cherished brand Pizza Grandiosa from the town of Stranda on the Storfjorden, being the most popular. Considered the unofficial national dish of Norway, over 25 million pies were consumed by Norway’s 5.3 million inhabitants in 2018.

One of the world’s most controversial toppings, pineapple may not be traditional toItalybutaccording to the delivery app Just Eat, every10thpizzaordered in Norway is a Pizza Hawaii, with Canadian bacon and pineapple. Something about that sweet and salty combination isjust appealingto the palate.

Another popular type of pizza is called #lørdagspizza, which translates to “Saturday pizza.” This type is hand-made in a rectangular pan and typically has chopped meat, tomato sauce, and cheese. Other popular toppings in Norway include sweet corn, salad and shrimp.