Just another day, you may say. Well, this year it is a Friday, so it’s something. But not so if you are Norwegian. 17th of May is our national day where we celebrate our constitution that was completed and duly signed on May 17th 1814 at Eidsvoll, a good half hour’s drive north of Oslo.
So how does the cheese and champagne combo fit in to this day. Well for many, but by far all the day starts with a champagne breakfast. Friends and family gather to kick off the day before they all disappear into the day full of brassband music, parades, ice cream, hotdogs, lunches, national costumes, the King greeting the children’s parade from the balcony of the Royal Palace (it lasts for about two and a half hours). No military parades of any kind, just a lot of jolly people.
The breakfast
Back to the breakfast, because that’s where the cheese and champagne come in. There will of course be scrambled eggs and cured ham, there will be cheese, bread, salads of many types, smoked salmon and all other sorts of bread spread. Coffee and tea and chapgna for those who wish. it must be aditted this is also a day for transporting the kids to and fro different activities so the champagne part does not fit in for everyone. And of course do not have that tradition at all. It must be admitted that even though the day is celebrated all over the country, it’s a public holiday of course, the champagne breakfast is very much an urban thing. In the countryside, which makes up the biggest part of Norway there is hardly any such thing as champagne breakfast.
The cheese and champagne
I am not sure everyone will follow my advice but this day calls for Norwegian cheese. And we have a lot of good artisan cheese. The industrial gouda style cheese that floods the market we have for breakfast any other day of the year, so make it small scale artisan on this day at least.
If you are having champagne I will leave the selection to you, choos whatever you fancy. For the cheese I have a suggestions. The spring time is high season for chèvre, and we have a few very good ones. Kubbeost from Rueslåtten ysteri is a small brick shaped goat milk cheese. Fresh and milky with a mild goaty hint. Alternatively there is Myrull, slightly more matured tha, Kubbeost, but still mild and fresh.
For the firm cheese go for Lagret Fanaost, the World Cheese Awards 2018 champion. Gouda style but still, rich with a fine sweetness. My favourite Norwegian blue is Råblå from the same makers as Myrull above. Has a combination of sweetness and saltiness that will please your palate and sit for long. That’ds it, apart from pultost and gammalost which are traditional lactic Norwegian cheese that the general public is about to forget, but deserves a place on any breakfast table this day – and any other day for that sake. As for the champagne, they work wonderfully together.