Gluten-Free Norway: A Chocolate Tour

 If you're in Norway long enough, you may eventually need some chocolate.  Maybe as a quick energy boost while hiking.  Maybe as a comfort food when the days start shrinking.  Maybe as a quick and easy dessert when you've used up both your pans in your tiny kitchenette. 

In Trondheim, at least, there seem to be two companies that completely dominate the chocolate and candy market:  Freia and Nidar. Freia also corners the market on baking chocolate, chocolate sauce, chocolate, cream, and fruit sauces, etc. in the local grocery stores.  Unfortunately, nearly every single one of their products carries a "kan inneholde spor av gluten" warning (may contain traces of gluten).  The one exception is a set of heart-shaped milk chocolate pieces, which I have only seen in one store (the Meny in Solsiden).  There are also a few specialty gourmet chocolate bars (usually dark) offered in most allergen-free sections of stores, and some fancy/expensive items with the regular chocolate/candy selection.  If you can tolerate trace amounts of gluten, then your go-to for milk chocolate should be Kinder, which is a deliciously creamy milk truffle dipped in high-quality milk chocolate.

If you want something that is both free from trace gluten, widely available, and inexpensive, though, your options become limited.  Nidar is pretty much the go-to, because they offer a detailed allergen chart of their products:

•  Visit their allergen information page here. 
• Click on the link to "Allergentabell" on the right hand side of their website to open it in a spreadsheet program such as Excel or Librecalc.
• The product name is on the left.  Each allergen is marked as "Resept," if the allergen is a primary ingredient (such as nuts in a peanut butter bar), or "Spor" if traces of the allergen may be present, even if not part of the regular ingredients. 

A few warnings:

• Nidar maintains a separate English-language site, also with an allergen table, but the table on their English site is dated 2012, and may have out-of-date information.  The Norwegian-language site's table is from 2015.
• It is worth running the allergen information page through Google Translate for additional information.  For instance, they mention that their marzipan contains glucose syrup made from wheat.  So while it is technically gluten-free, those who are otherwise wheat-sensitive may still react.  

Now that the technical information is out of the way, let's get to the chocolate itself!  After months of very little chocolate, I have taken the Nidar allergy list to the store and bought one of everything they had that was chocolate and not marked as having any trace of gluten.

Or licorice.  There is a Norwegian obsession with licorice (including in the first brand of toothpaste I tried when we arrived) and that's just not going to happen.  If you're the sort that actually likes it, you're on your own.  Ditto with the salt candy. 

The Chocolates

#1 Nidar Smørbukk Bar
Score: 4 stars (out of 5)

  One of the GIANT chocolate bars found in most grocery stores, this one is simply chocolate covered caramel.  The Smørbukk caramels are also sold as individually wrapped, unchocolated bites, and are one of the best sweets you can find here.  So the deliciousness doesn't suffer much from being coated in somewhat indifferent chocolate.  Overall, reminiscent of "Rollo" candies from the U.S.

#4 Nidar Cuba
Score: 4 stars (out of 5)

 This chocolate seems to be an outlier in that it uses a lot of natural ingredients (sugar instead of glucose syrup, powdered milk, palm and shea oils, chocolate, almonds, soy lecithin, salt).  As a result, it is less intensely sweet than most of the chocolates I've tried. It is an almond and chocolate truffle coated with milk chocolate.  Very classic, decent chocolate, and in a small bar for when you don't want a yard of chocolate.  

#3 Nidar Stratos Melky
Score: 3.75 stars (out of 5)

This is Nidar's answer to the fantastically delicious Kinder milk bars, (which unfortunately may contain traces of gluten). The milk truffle center helps offset the poor-quality chocolate, and makes this a perfectly edible little snack.  Not Kinder, but I would buy them again.  

 

#4 Nidar Troika
Score: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

From the Russian word for a group of three, this bar has three layers: marzipan, chocolate truffle, and raspberry jelly.  It is coated in dark chocolate.  It is one of Nidar's tastier options, with a little more going on than just SWEEEETTT...like so many of their other options.  Note that Nidar's marzipan uses glucose syrup made from wheat, and so while gluten-free, may not be safe for people with other wheat sensitivity.

 #5 Nidar Gullbrød
Score: 3 stars (out of 5)

This isn't as overwhelmingly sweet as some of the other sweets I've tried.  It is essentially chocolate-covered marzipan.  So it is mellow, filling, and just sweet enough to fill an energy craving.  In fact, it might make excellent hiking food.  Note that Nidar marzipan contains glucose syrup (what we call "corn syrup") made from wheat.  While it is technically gluten-free, those with other wheat sensitivities should avoid).

 #6  Nidar Stratos
Score: 2.5 stars (out of 5)

I didn't understand the chocolate air-bubbles when Hershey did it, and I don't understand doing it with relatively cheap, waxy chocolate either. For "foamed" chocolate to work, it really needs to very high quality, and this just isn't it.  On the plus side, it's a GIANT SLAB of chocolate (I didn't add something for scale, but the bar is about 8 inches long) and breaks into little bite-size pieces.  This might be good to keep in the cupboard when you just want a bit of chocolate in passing.

#7 Nidar Hobby
Score 2.5 stars (out of 5)

 This was a strange one.  There is a layer of marshmallow-like "foam, and a layer of some kind of jelly.  I couldn't identify the flavor of the jelly, but it was vaguely reminiscent of fake cherry syrup, with a strong sugar-alcohol flavor and a small amount of crystallized crunch.  On their website, it says the jelly flavor is banana, to which I raise a puzzled eyebrow.  Apparently this is really popular among kids here. 

 

 #8 Nidar Kremtopper

Score: 2 stars (out of 5)

 These looked promising, coming in a fancy-ish box that might even pass as a hostess gift if you are invited to someone's home for dinner.  But their reality is more like the dollar-store cherry cordials you get at home; really, really sweet, but not much else.  The chocolate part is particularly cheap and waxy, and the vanilla cream has a texture like a Junior Mint.  On the plus side, if you packed them hiking, they probably wouldn't get crushed in your pack.


The takeaway from this exploration for me is that we are thoroughly spoiled by high-quality milk chocolate in the U.S.  It really isn't one of the Norwegian specialty foods.  The best chocolates I've found here are imported, and if you really want a chocolate treat your best bet is to grab a Snickers.  They have a surprisingly wide market here, unlike any other candy we're used to seeing in the U.S.

More to come!

Product Review: Pamela's Gluten Free Bread Mix

GLUTEN FREE FEATURED PRODUCT

A regular postings of gluten-free products that I use myself and are available in my local grocery store.  You can check your local store for these items, order them online, or ask your store to stock them. I do not have any relationship with the companies in question, nor do I receive any form of compensation for these reviews. Gluten-Free status is based on information from the manufacturer, the current Cecelia's Marketplace shopping guide and personal experience, and may change if the company changes formulation or manufacturing processes.




I've been eyeballing Pamela's bread mix in my local Publix for some time, but was turned off by the price.  Last week, I spotted it on the clearance rack near the registers for about $3.25, and decided that it was now or never!  I made it, and the next morning went back to buy up every bag left on that clearance rack.


This bread mix makes an amazing, moist, chewy, delicious loaf of bread, with that elusive wheaty flavor I've been missing.  I've tried several recipes and mixes, and so far this has them all beat hands-down.  Left out in a sealed plastic bag, it was just as tasty and moist the second day!  Between us we finished the loaf in two days. 


The downside hit me the next morning.  If you're one of those people who could eat xanthan gum straight with a spoon without ill effects, then you are very lucky and will love this bread with a passion.  For those who are a bit more sensitive to it, this delicious bread comes with a very uncomfortable cost.  Of course it's to be expected; you can't really make gluten-free bread that stays moist for days without a lot, and I mean a LOT of xanthan gum. 


I made up another loaf, hoping that moderation would mitigate the effects.  Only eating two slices still gave me a little digestive discomfort.  I am one of those people who could happily live on bread, cheese and herbs for most of my life though, so despite the amount of gum, this bread might still be worth it for an occasional treat.  I have the remainder of the second loaf sitting out to stale for bread pudding and sage dressing, and it is highlighting the second drawback.  Bread advertised to stay moist for days is hard to dry out when you want it to.  I might have to resort to oven-drying. 

Gluten Free in New Orleans

With the New Orleans reputation for breaded and fried (not to mention flour roux), my partner and I headed there for three days with the definite possibility that he would be eating fruit, cheese, and GF crackers for the entire trip.  We were ecstatic to find the sheer variety available to us instead.  He is extremely gluten sensitive (below 20ppm), so we needed food that was not only gluten-free, but also handled carefully to prevent any level of cross-contamination.  Because he is so sensitive, and because he didn't get glutenend at all during the trip, I feel confident that these places are pretty safe.  As always, let the server know about your gluten sensitivity, and speak to the chef about cross-contamination whenever you can. 

We stayed at the Royal Street Courtyard Bed and Breakfast, in a quiet little local neighborhood just blocks from all-night jazz bars and the French Market. The owners, Phillip and David, are fantastic folks, and the house is absolutely everything you would want to feel part of the history there.  While they needed a quick crash course in gluten-free, they were very sympathetic and asked good questions.  They offered fresh fruit, coffee, and both dairy and almond milk for breakfast alongside the usual gluteny fare.  There was a grocery store within a very short walk with gluten-free cheese, crackers, and other options, a mini-fridge in the room, and a shared microwave upstairs. 

For dinner the first day we tried The Court of Two Sisters, a somewhat upscale French Quarter restaurant with a gorgeous shaded patio setting.  After speaking with the chefs, they were able to produce a gluten-free meal, but erring on the side of caution (which of course we appreciated greatly!) meant that the only option was a steak and asparagus, with no seasonings other than salt and pepper, and a fruit cup for dessert.  It was very tasty, if a little plain. 

On the second day we hit The Rum House on Magazine Street in the Garden District for a Caribbean-inspired lunch.  Their regular menu (available on their website) includes information about which dishes are gluten-free, and which can be modified.  It's about half the menu, so you won't lack for options!  The taco trifecta is a great way to sample several different flavors.  I recommend the Jerk Chicken, chopped shrimp, and seared scallop tacos, with the Roasted Poblano & Manchego Polenta or the Coconut Mango Rice.  None of the desserts are gluten-free. 

On the third day we found a gem of a place in the French Market amongst all the deep-fried and beery tourist foods called Meals from the Heart Cafe.  They specialize in organic, gluten-free and vegan options.  The Crab Cake Passion and the vegan smoothie made a light and delicious lunch for JD, while the gluten-eaters split a muffalata from around the corner.  The setup at the Market makes it perfect for everyone to get something a little different, but then all meet up and eat together at the same table. 

For dinner we went to the Cafe Amelie in the French Quarter, and had another lovely courtyard meal.  The metal folding chairs were pretty rickety for the heavy folks, but stayed together.  The server took a menu in to the chef, who then marked all of the dishes JD could eat safely.  It turned out to be most of the menu!  He had the Trout Amandine, and we split a lovely summer salad.  The server had no problem splitting the salad onto separate plates, as I was eating something with gluten.  According to JD, it was the best meal he'd had in New Orleans, and made a perfect finish to the trip.