COMFORT AND HEATING Gløgg warms body and soul In this city where the sun refuses to rise above the horizon for weeks, gastronomy loses its conventional role and becomes a survival tool I n Norway’s icy north, coping with the polar night requires specific mechanisms of adaptation. Their traditional remedy for the long win- ter is a meticulously conceived in- frastructure of internal warmth that has at its heart in a culinary phenomenon that represents the essence of the every- day Arctic table: a specific hot beverage. This drink’s origins are primarily prac-
tical. Medieval wine didn’t travel or tol- erate the cold well, so strong spices and honey were added to mask the oxidation process. However, it was in the 16 th cen- tury that it gained its aristocratic status, thanks to Swedish King Gustav I, who demanded that his wine be infused with sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and bitter orange blossoms. The name comes from the Swedish noun glögg, which is a shortened form of glödgat vin, mean- ing “heated wine”. The spices are soaked and slowly heat- ed in water or blackcurrant and apple juice in order to release the essential oils, af- ter which that intense base is combined with red wine. Definitively separating this drink from its European cousins is its fin- ish. Each cup is accompanied by a small spoon, as the bottom is reserved for a thick layer of blanched almonds and dark rai- sins. As you drink, these extras soften in the spiced wine and alcohol, turning into a reward that you end up eating. This is a
drink that’s designed to double as a meal. The drinking ritual itself is deep- ly rooted in the winter social calendar through gatherings known as “gløggfests”, which begin as early as late November. Tra- dition dictates that the beverage is served from massive, often antique copper pots that retain heat exceptionally well. What comes as the greatest surprise to the pal- ates of visitors from outside Scandina- via is the unusual rule of pairing: along- side this hot, sweet and spicy liquid, it is customary to eat traditional, thin, crisp ginger biscuits (pepperkaker) generous- ly spread with a sharp, salty blue cheese. The extreme saltiness and the distinctive flavour of the blue mould collide perfect- ly with the fruity sweetness and warmth of the gløgg, creating a gastronomic um- ami hit that instantly warms the body and lifts the spirits. Gløgg, therefore, in the Arctic region, is not merely a recipe, but an entire architecture for surviving the winter.
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