Rømmegrøt — sour cream porridge for festive days
A creamy porridge of sour cream thickened with flour, which "weeps" its golden melted butter, served with sugar and cinnamon — rich, festive, deeply national.
A creamy porridge of sour cream thickened with flour, which "weeps" its golden melted butter, served with sugar and cinnamon — rich, festive, deeply national.
All my life I sought the soul of Norway in its tunes of fjeld and fjord — and do you know where it also hides? In a pot of rømmegrøt! When the sour cream thickened and finally released its butter clear as gold, the children cried with joy. It was served at weddings, on Saint Olaf's Day, and on May 17th for our national holiday. It is heavy, I grant you, and I who am frail took only a bowl — but what a bowl! Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, and you will hold a whole people in your spoon.
- •Rømme (thick sour cream) — a full bowl (base)
- •Wheat flour — to thicken (binder)
- •Whole milk — according to consistency (loosener)
- •Salt — a pinch (seasoning)
- •Sugar and cinnamon — at serving (sweet garnish)
Rømmegrøt — sour cream porridge for festive days
A creamy porridge of sour cream thickened with flour, which "weeps" its golden melted butter, served with sugar and cinnamon — rich, festive, deeply national.
Why this dish? Rømmegrøt is THE Norwegian peasant festive dish, served at weddings, baptisms, and national holidays. Grieg, herald of national romanticism who drew from folklore, made it a living symbol of that Norwegian identity he sang in music.
All my life I sought the soul of Norway in its tunes of fjeld and fjord — and do you know where it also hides? In a pot of rømmegrøt! When the sour cream thickened and finally released its butter clear as gold, the children cried with joy. It was served at weddings, on Saint Olaf's Day, and on May 17th for our national holiday. It is heavy, I grant you, and I who am frail took only a bowl — but what a bowl! Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, and you will hold a whole people in your spoon.
Ingredients (period version)
- Rømme (thick sour cream) — a full bowl (base)
- Wheat flour — to thicken (binder)
- Whole milk — according to consistency (loosener)
- Salt — a pinch (seasoning)
- Sugar and cinnamon — at serving (sweet garnish)
Ingredients
- Very thick sour cream (rømme or full-fat crème fraîche 35%) — 500 ml (base)
- Wheat flour — 75 g (binder and butter separation)
- Hot whole milk — 400 ml (loosener)
- Salt — 1 pinch (seasoning)
- Sugar — for sprinkling (garnish)
- Ground cinnamon — for sprinkling (garnish)
Method
- Bring the sour cream to a gentle simmer in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, stirring constantly for 10 min.
- Rain in half the flour; keep stirring until the butter separates and rises golden; skim it off and reserve.
- Add the remaining flour to thicken, then gradually loosen with hot milk until a smooth, coating porridge.
- Season lightly with salt and cook a few more minutes.
- Pour into bowls, make a well, pour the reserved melted butter into it.
- Sprinkle generously with sugar and cinnamon, serve piping hot.
How it was made : Rømmegrøt requires cream fatty enough to "give up" its butter — a luxury reserved for festive days. It was also brought as a gift to new mothers. Its long, delicate preparation was the pride of the lady of the house.
The contemporary twist : Serve in a small glass with a spoonful of *multekrem* (cloudberry cream) to marry the two great Norwegian festive classics.
Edvard Grieg · Charactorium