Norwegian Kransekake & Wedding Food
Norwegians certainly love their food. And weddings are the prime chance to make a feast of things!
Salmon, herring, and potatoes are common fare. And alcohol ranging from beer and vodka to traditional Norwegian akevitt - a liquor with an unusual flavor that comes from spices and herbs - is typically present in abundance, and "skåls" (toasts) are frequent.
In one tradition, the bride serves slices of cheese that are covered with honey and sprinkled with nuts. She serves a slice to each guest, until her tray is empty. This was meant to be a hint to guests that the night would soon be ending.
One of the more beautiful and charming traditions, however, is the Kransekake. While many Norwegian food and drink favorites may have a strong flavor that can be off-putting to those unacustomed to it, Kransekake has a wondefully sweet, light flavor of almond. The cake is comprised of rings stacked in increasingly smaller sizes and decorated with a light icing. Not simply reserved for weddings, Kransekake cakes are most commonly decorated with small Norwegian flags, candies, and other decor. Modern brides often include this traditional cake but decorate it in styles more similar to western cakes.
Rather than cutting the cake together, tradition dictates that the bride and groom pull the top ring from the cake. Because the rings are stacked on top of each other with icing in between, they often stick together. Tradition holds that the number of rings that come off with the top ring when it is pulled is meant to suggest how many children the couple will have.
We particularly love this photo, where master cake baker, Faye Cahill, had her own Kransekake cake perched atop a traditional wedding cake, allowing her and her groom to both cut the cake, as well as pull off the top ring. What a wonderful way to blend traditions, and allow guests to sample a wedding favorite, as well as a cultural tradition.
Try out this delicious tradition for yourself with this recipe.
Images courtesy of Lucy Leonardi Photography, from her blog Who Does the Dishes; cakes created by Faye Cahill Cake Design.
