Things You Didn't Realise Were Norwegian

When you're from a small country, seeing things around the world that were made by your nationals is a pretty good feeling. A lot of the time though, we're unaware of the origins of the stuff around us. Think of how many things such as inventions, dishes, and songs that we just consider normal, with no thought given to where they're originally from. Here are a few that you might not know are actually Norwegian.

The cheese slicer

A classic invention that most Norwegian kitchens are equipped with. It was invented by the Norwegian inventor Thor Bjørklund in 1925, with the purpose to thinly slice the cheese, which was helpful in a financially difficult interwar period. Fun fact: A dairy company actually made an ad encouraging people to throw away their cheese slicers, as they feared they would cause people to buy less cheese.

Next on the list are these two songs, that no one knows the names of but (most) everyone's heard. They're from a play called Peer Gynt, created by Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg. He's often considered Norway's greatest composer, and the play is still performed regularly.

Edvard Grieg - "In the Hall of the Mountain King"

Edvard Grieg - "Morning Mood"

The Scream

This is a painting I've seen in lots of places I didn't expect, as I didn't think it was very well known outside of Norway. The painting is called The Scream, and was painted by the Norwegian painter Edvard Munch. It's considered one of Norway's greatest art pieces. The painting exists in four original versions, three of which are displayed at museums. The fourth, and only privately owned, was sold at an auction in 2012 for 119,9 million USD.

Salmon sushi

Believe it or not, but the salmon sushi has its origin from Norway. Salmon was actually introduced to Japanese sushi chefs by Norwegian exporters in the 80s, though it took a few years for it to become popular.

"Take on Me" - A-ha

I often get mixed answers when "Take on Me" is playing and I ask people whether they know that A-ha is Norwegian or not. The song's popularity was boosted by the live-action pencil-sketch themed music video, which won six awards and was nominated for two more at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards.

Slalom skiing

You're probably not surprised to see winter sports mentioned on this list. The skiing style of slalom originates from a trail in Telemark in Norway, where kids would practice their skiing before acquiring the necessary skills for more challenging slopes.

The aerosol can

The first patent for the aerosol can was given to Norwegian inventor Erik Rotheim in 1927. The patent was later sold to an American company for 100 000 Norwegian kroner (roughly 11 782 USD).

Voss water

Voss is a premium water brand that comes in designer bottles. The bottles look familiar to many, but everyone might not know that the water is from Norway, and that it's actually not bottled in Voss, contrary to popular belief.

Those were some quick things with Norwegian origins. It's fun to look into the stuff we take for granted and learn more about where they actually come from and what goes into making them. There are so many everyday items that we don't put any thought into and assume were always here, while in reality we've imported them from somewhere else. Did you know that all of these were originally from Norway?

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