Wild berries in Norway are the best.

When I had my first Summer in Norway I got to know the best part of hiking in the mountains: eating berries. Those wild berries are by far the healthiest and more delicious ever. Some types can easily be found in the cities, others in the mountains. They are all healthy and I eat them in smoothies, with yoghurt and granola, as toppings to pancakes and waffles, in muffins and pancakes mix, jams.

Bilberries or wild blueberries. Blåbær, in Norwegian. They are from the same family as the blueberries, only smaller with less water inside. I’ve just learned that they are called bilberries. I’ll call them wild blueberries here to make it easier. Hiking in the mountains and picking bilberries: what a perfect combination for me! Wild blueberries have higher concentration of vitamin and antioxidants. They are usually smaller than garden blueberries. They always paint your tongue and fingers with dark blue/purple color. Where to find them: in mountains of the South, West, East, Middle of Norway. When: July and August. It depends on the climate, if the place has gotten much sunlight, if it has rained a lot, etc. It’s worth spending a whole day picking them. We usually freeze most of what we pick so that we have blueberries in the Winter as well. I like to add them to my smoothies, cupcakes, pancakes.

My easy pancake recipe: 1 egg, 1 table spoon whole grain oat flakes, 2 table spoons blueberries, 1/2 banana. Whisk them all in a bow. Pour small discs in a warm frying pan with one drop of coconut oil. Excellent for children too. Tips: if hiking in the mountains is not for you, just go to the supermarket. There are buckets full of blueberries at the supermarkets too, though garden types are easier to find.

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Strawberries. Jordbær, in Norwegian. There are kiosks in the streets selling delicious strawberries in the Summer in Stavanger, as well as in the supermarkets. They are sweet and delicious, but my favorite are the wild strawberries you find in the nature. I first tasted them in my life a few years ago, in Norway. They are the sweetest strawberries you can ever taste. They are tiny small, not so easy to find. When you find them, it’s usually just a couple of bushes. Consider yourself super lucky. Where: I have found wild strawberries in Innlandet county (Lillehammer), Rogaland (Suldal) and Telemark county.

Raspberries. Bringebær, in Norwegian. Oh, I fell in love with these delicious berries after moving to Norway. They are the easiest to find in the cities. They can be found in bushes along cycle paths, even near your house. When I was pregnant I used to go for a walk every day in the forest. On my way, I had to stop and pick some raspberries. It felt like I got extra energy and nutrition. It’s a blessing from mother nature. Our family has a tradition: our yearly raspberry picking at a local farm (check my Instagram for the cool videos) https://www.instagram.com/making.norway.my.home/. It’s exciting for children and adults. You need to make an appointment. It happens in July and August. At the farm, there’s a huge area full of raspberry bush rows. The employee shows you which one is your row and you are allowed to eat while you’re picking them and putting in a small box in a basket. After you’re done, they whey your basket. You pay for how many boxes you have filled. At the farm you can also buy vinegar and juice made of raspberries. At home, we always make jam. Tips: When picking wild raspberries in the cities, avoid the lowest ones (below your knees), as dogs may pee there. Choose the high ones, out of dogs reach.

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Currant berries. Rips, in Norwegian. In Brazil, they are called groselha, and I had only seen them in a sort of juice, with 90% sugar and 10% fruit. So I actually never had tasted currant before I moved to Norway. They are sour, but delicious. Our neighbor had so many currant bushes, they bent over the fence to the sidewalk. It was paradise for my toddler. We used to sit by the fence and eat currant for like twenty minutes. The kind neighbors said: “eat as much as you wish”. We were delighted. Tips: You can buy a berry bush at the flower shop and have them in your garden. One or two small bushes will give you enough currant berries for a small family.

Cloudberries. Multer in Norwegian. They are difficult to find as cloudberries don’t grow everywhere. They require special environmental conditions. Usually dumpy and Sunny at the same time. Orange and cute, they are not as sour as currant nor as sweet as strawberries. They have their original taste. You can find them at supermarkets in buckets. We’ve bought these in the picture and froze them. They are expensive.

Blackberries. Bjørnebær in Norwegian. It’s easy to grow one blackberry bush in your garden. It needs lots of sunlight. The bush is stingy and the berry taste is not my favorite. It’s easy to find them near beaches, parks, etc. They’re ripe in August/September. I’ve just found millions of them in a park near our house. Tips: they make good jam.

What’s your favorite berry? Would you like to share nice recipes? Write here in comments.

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All pictures by Juliana Linares Øverland. Cover picture by Kjerstin Michaela Noomi Sakura Gihle Martinsen Haraldsen por Pixabay