Norwegian Fermented Fish Festival, Fagernes

Events / Norwegian Fermented Fish Festival, Fagernes

Looking for traditional Norwegian food and don’t mind putting up with the odd pong of fermented sea creatures? Head on out to the Norwegian Fermented Fish Festival!

Held in the mountain town of Fagernes, the Norwegian Rakfisk Festival is a celebration of classic Norwegian cuisine and is a great combination of food, music, and fun. There’s a special run, a plethora of food stalls (it’s not all fish), and there are several concerts to enjoy.

The main focus of the festival is the rakfisk, or fermented fish, so-called because of the process known as ‘raking’ where the fish, usually trout or char, is salted and placed in a barrel for one to three months before being eaten raw.

The fish is usually accompanied with flat bread (flatbrød), or lefse – a Norwegian pastry bread – and some mustard and potatoes. It may all sound a little odd, but be brave and give it a try! Rakfish has been eaten in Norway since the Middle Ages, so take a bite of this fishy specialty and get a true taste of Norwegian history.