this post was submitted on 19 May 2025
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Today I Learned

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[–] AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works 113 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (3 children)

Ironically, the most popular frozen pizza in Norway, Grandiosa, is considered something of a national dish. It's also one of the worst frozen pizzas you'll ever try, and is mainly popular only because of nostalgia.

Also: Join us at !norway@sopuli.xyz

[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 32 points 4 days ago (2 children)

I don't know what it says about me and my love for pizza, but your comment makes me want to try it even more.

I've tried many a bad pizza, but I've yet to find one inedible, and that makes me curious.

[–] WhiteRabbit@lemmy.today 32 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (3 children)

Mmmm apparently this is a Grandiosa. I’d eat that.

Looks like a Celeste frozen pizza. Ate those when we were poor and broke. I buy Screamin’ Silician nowadays, but the Celeste supreme one is still one of my guilty pleasures lol no joke.

[–] frezik@midwest.social 16 points 4 days ago

It has the most important aspect of cheap frozen pizza. Which is the cheese having built up on one side because it was shipped that way in the truck.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I was going to say, that's Celeste pizza if I've ever seen it. Which I get the nostalgia for. So bad, but even just seeing that photo is making me want what is essentially a large cracker with cheese on it.

[–] WhiteRabbit@lemmy.today 7 points 4 days ago (1 children)

It’s like Taco Bell for pizza😂

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 19 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (4 children)

Taco Bell is so good, as long as you just don't consider it "Mexican food."

If I'm in the mood for Mexican food, I've got a ton of options for authentic Mexican food. But sometimes I'm in the mood for Taco Bell specifically.

It's when you conflate the two that you start running into problems.

[–] anomnom@sh.itjust.works 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Taco Bell used to be cheap though, like 59¢ taco cheap. Now it’s like $9 for 3 and takes 20 minutes to get it.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Yeah, I still get the 3 taco combo sometimes, and it's absurd how much they charge for it

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[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 6 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Celeste was right where my mind went as well! The article said nostalgia was supposedly a big part of it, and I will eat a Celeste or even some Elios if I need a real throwback and I feel like I have a strong stomach that day!

Let's air mail some Celeste over in exchange for some Grandiosa. 😆

[–] WhiteRabbit@lemmy.today 4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Oh I’ve never had Ellio’s before! I’m thinking it’s probably regional and we’re on different coasts xD

[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 12 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Oh man, Elios is total trash! 😆

I think this pic looks better than I remember. It is a true industrial product!

You take these planks out, and the bottom is perforated to break into three pieces if you want.

Couldn't find pic of the big case it used to come in, but me and my brother were just basically alone all summer on school break with a case of this that would just be replaced as necessary. Stuff like this is what got me to learn to cook, so I appreciate it in a roundabout way.

[–] AFKBRBChocolate@lemmy.world 5 points 4 days ago (2 children)

That looks like the pizza my HS cafeteria would serve, except it doesn't appear quite as greasy.

[–] Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

“Lunch today will be a breadtangle of pizza”

“PIZZA BELONGS IN A TRIANGLE!!”

[–] AFKBRBChocolate@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Eh, I don't fault institutional kitchens for the rectangles. When you have to feed a ton of people, maximizing oven space is important.

[–] Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

It’s a reference to Teen Girl Squad! The best cartoon ever made.

[–] AFKBRBChocolate@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Oh, okay, silly me. Don't believe I've seen it.

[–] Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 3 days ago

It’s a spinoff of a spinoff of Homestar Runner!

https://youtu.be/qKizlJ7jbFA

[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

My elementary school had pizza that looked like this. Not sure if it was the same stuff, but it was fairly similar at least.

[–] AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works 14 points 4 days ago (2 children)

It's definitely not inedible. It's just incredibly bland. Like most other Norwegian cuisine, unfortunately.

[–] Cenzorrll@lemmy.world 8 points 4 days ago (3 children)

I made some sort of Norwegian dish for my ex (she's Vietnamese, comes into play later) that she really wanted and missed from when she visited Norway. It was a casserole consisting of potatoes, cream, pickled Herring, and ground black pepper. Like, I'm pretty sure that's every ingredient that went into this thing. I'm not even sure if there was any cheese or salt.

I thought I screwed up somewhere because it was not good. She loved it because it was so bland and apparently I made it perfectly. I do not understand how she could go from eating food like bun bo hue to whatever the hell I made and enjoy it.

[–] Hoimo@ani.social 3 points 4 days ago

Sometimes it's more about the texture than the flavour and potatoes with cream sounds delicious in that regard.

[–] fushuan@lemm.ee 1 points 3 days ago

You dont need to euthanize the flavour of the ingredients by using a bunch of extra spices all around all the time.

Pickled herring already has a strong flavour, which with potatoes and cream will create a pretty smooth taste.

One of the most known Basque (north Spain) cuisines is cod, garlic, olive oil. That's it! And it's fucking delicious if done right (vacalao al pil pil if honest to search). A good steak is often seasoned with just salt.

I do enjoy heavy seasoned stuff, but sometimes enjoying the simplicity of non invasive flavours is cool too.

[–] aidan@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

TBH compared to the rest of SEA Vietnamese food is often relatively mild

[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 6 points 4 days ago (1 children)

That's kind of sad. Is there some Norwegian food that you would recommend? I don't know if I've ever had anything specifically from there.

[–] AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works 10 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Brunost, brown cheese, which is something of an acquired taste. Cherry cheese. Tubed caviar, which is not the fancy gourmet dish you'd expect from the name. Offhand that's what comes to mind about uniquely Norwegian stuff.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

This kind of shit, alone, should be enough of an argument in favor of multicultralism...

I'm sure they're fine, but just reading the things you just listed made me lose my appetite lol

[–] mudstickmcgee@sh.itjust.works 8 points 4 days ago (3 children)

It's not a great list, but alot has been left out.

We also have, sheep and cabbage, lye-fish, whale, and blood pudding boiled in milk.

You know what, yeah I'll go get a Döner.

Luckily we are a pretty multicultural society at least in the cities and everyone has brought their delicious foods over. Shame that were so sensitive to spice that some people think salt is to spicy :D

[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I saw the sheep and cabbage, and I was expecting more of a stew, but all the pics looks like meat cut a minimum amount to fit in the pot with a quartered cabbage head tossed in. I mean, I'm sure I'd still like it as I like lamb (never found mutton here) and cabbage, but they don't really seem to have gone for any kind of enticing presentation.

The lye part of the lutefisk doesn't turn me off so much, but the descriptions calling it jelly-like don't make my mouth water. Especially as it has the bones still in it if I recall correctly.

Whale has always intrigued me, but I feel I've heard more bad than good about the taste, plus I'd probably feel really bad about trying it.

[–] mudstickmcgee@sh.itjust.works 5 points 4 days ago (1 children)

It is literally just sheep and cabbage in layers in a big pot boiled with whole black peppercorns until your whole neighbourhood smells like farts. Served as a slop in a soup bowl.

The lutefisk is jelly like, doesn't always have bones and the taste is a bit weird since it's very base-y (as opposed to acidic Wich is more prevalent in most foods). it is also served with a bunch of different condiments and sides depending on where in the country you are. My favorites are: side of mashed peas and boiled potatoes, on the fish i put bacon bits and it's liquid fat, some brown cheese, and syrup.

These two are actually in my top ten dishes and I'd be down to have them whenever, but it's generally sheep/cabbage in lamb season, and lutefisk is a Christmas dish.

Whale is like having a steak, but the cow only ate fish for its whole life. It's not great but it's also not terrible in an interesting way.

[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

This has been very enlightening! Thanks for all your comments!

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)
[–] mudstickmcgee@sh.itjust.works 3 points 4 days ago

Not really part of the generally menu as much as it where in the olden days, but you can still get it in most frozen fish isles.

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[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I'd give that brunost a go, couldn't find anything on cherry cheese, and the tubed caviar sounds like something my girlfriend would absolutely keep on hand. I'll have to keep an eye out for these things.

[–] AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works 4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Where do you live? I understand the states have a big Norwegian community.

[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 5 points 4 days ago (2 children)

I'm East Coast between Philadelphia and New York. I think of the center north (Michigan/Minnesota) as where all the Scandinavians are.

I saw some things say Ikea stocked the Kelles Kaviar, but now they either don't have it or they have some inferior house brand.

[–] peoplebeproblems@midwest.social 5 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I can confirm Minnesota. The food people cook is about the same amount of blandness

[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago

At least "hot dish" got a nationwide spotlight during the election!

[–] AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works 4 points 4 days ago (4 children)

Happy to mail some stuff if you're willing to pay for postage :) (and tariffs).

[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

The tariff seems surprisingly low at 15% as far as I can tell, but I'm not sure Dear Leader's current mood. That shipping looks as though it could add up quickly, especially compared to the price of actual product being mailed if we're talking junk food! 😄

[–] marron12@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago (2 children)

I'd go in with you if you wanted. I order stuff from Europe all the time and it's fine. PM if you want.

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[–] driving_crooner@lemmy.eco.br 21 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I knew a guy from Norway on a hostel in Argentina, I asked him what was their national dish and he told me that frozen pizza. I didn't believe him and forced to give me a Real answer and he show me the Wikipedia article of some fish buried on snow for 3 months.

[–] AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works 12 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Hah! Lutefisk, yet another dish that exists today purely for nostalgia. It would also probably fail every food safety test in existence today if it wasn't grandfathered in.

For those not in the know, it's fish preserved in lye, which is an extremely toxic substance. Preparing the dish involves cooking it for long enough to fully neutralise the lye, and any failure to fully do so results in poisoning, which can range from mild to extremely serious. I also hate to imagine what byproducts might be left behind as a result of the lye.

[–] Frostbeard@lemmy.world 17 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Think he refers to rakfisk. Lutefisk is never buried. And rakfisk is fermented like kimshi, and definitely not eaten out of nostalgia. It's videly popular in Norway.

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[–] wigit 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about, but hey!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutefisk

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[–] kamenlady@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago