For A Unique Hot Dog With Better Flavor And Texture, Make It Norwegian-Style

Around the United States, different regions have different hot dog styles. The Chicago-style dog is made with ingredients like yellow mustard, tomatoes, and chopped onions, while Maine's "red snappers" are less about the toppings and more about the bright red color of the titular sausage. If you're looking for something other than American hot dog styles, let us introduce you to the Norwegian take on this iconic handheld snack — a hot dog that's bursting with different flavors and textures.

As with any dish, variations of the Norwegian dog exist, but at its core, it's usually made with a potato flatbread instead of a bun, then topped with shrimp salad or potato salad, raw or fried onions, ketchup, and mustard. It's known as a pølse i lompe, and the salads add interesting textures, as does the potato flatbread, making it a distinct experience from a typical American dog. Most hot dog vendors around Norway will offer some or all of these toppings, then it's up to the consumer to decide what exactly they want on their dog. The potato flatbread offers a softer, more pliable wrap than a traditional bun, and the cold shrimp or potato salad against the cooked hot dog contrasts with the hot sausage in both temperature and texture.

Perhaps surprisingly, hot dogs are extremely popular in Norway, served as street snacks, at sporting events, and even at airports. While Scandinavian culture has always incorporated sausage into its cuisine, the popularity of the hot dog was fueled by the rise in American-style fast-food consumption in Norway during the 1950s. It seems that, once typical U.S. hot dogs made their way to Norway, the country made them their own and never looked back.

In Norway, the hot dogs themselves can be made in a few different styles; they're not always pork, either. Reindeer hot dogs are a surprising delicacy, and many people will recommend grabbing one at one of the country's most iconic hot dog stands: Trekroneren in Bergen, Norway. The eatery boasts a wide selection of sausages and toppings that reflect Norwegian culinary tradition. As for the addition of shrimp, its affordability and abundance have made it a natural hot dog topping, especially in a country where it's a staple of summer cuisine.