Acquired Taste —
Norway’s White Gold

(Salt) In Norwegian, there’s a saying: Å ta det med en klype salt—literally “to take something with a pinch of salt”—both a nod to irony and a reminder of how vital white gold is to a cuisine that, for a long time, was more about survival than indulgence.

Cynics claim Norway’s national dish is frozen pizza. Either way, the country of 5.5 million isn’t exactly known for its culinary culture, despite the recent rise of New Nordic Cuisine. Compared to Sweden and Denmark, Norway has fewer hours of sunlight, a harsher climate, and more rainfall. Salting, curing, and fermenting have long been—and continue to be—essential techniques for making the most of available resources, not just in everyday cooking, but also in Michelin-starred restaurants like Kontrast in Oslo.

Its head chef, Mikael Svensson, combines local ingredients with Japanese techniques—using salt generously. “Norwegians have a higher tolerance for salt than, say, southern Europeans,” says the 43-year-old. “The magic of salt lies in how it amplifies flavor, cuts through sweetness, and connects ingredients.” With halibut, he serves langoustine garum, a salty fish sauce cultivated by the Romans, alongside marinated kingfish in white soy sauce.“In my kitchen, salt plays a key role—both in preserving food and in making garums and shoyu.”Both are available through his company, b.culture, which sells coffee and mushroom shoyu, as well as pea-based miso.

From White Gold to Commonplace
Not for nothing is salt called white gold. The Romans tried to extract it from seawater, and inland, people wrested it from mountains. Once a valuable trade commodity, salt has become a cheap staple, especially in processed foods. On one hand, salt is essential for human nutrition—sodium chloride regulates fluid and electrolyte balance, and ensures a functioning metabolism. On the other hand, excessive consumption is linked to high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and strokes—which is why the WHO recommends no more than five grams per day.

Despite its mixed reputation, a kitchen without salt is unimaginable. It enhances flavor, creates balance, and rounds out taste—even desserts and baked goods always include a pinch. There are many varieties: iodized, rock, sea, Himalayan, fleur de sel, and the sulfurous kala namak.

The Best Salt in the World
“But why is English Maldon salt more common on supermarket shelves from Stavanger to Trondheim than locally produced salt?” asked Michal Christina Bietz of the salt manufacturer Havsnø — and took the question to heart. “Norway has the best seawater in the world—perfect for the world’s best salt!” she says. It’s a theme that has driven the energetic blonde—today wearing a white shirt and transparent glasses—for years. She conducts a video interview with Maison Ë from the passenger seat en route to her weekend cabin, as lush green fields and wooden houses with fluttering Norwegian flags pass by.

In 2011, Bietz moved from Portland, Oregon, to her husband’s homeland, initially settling in Oslo. Years earlier, however, she had started collecting salt, picking it up in grocery stores while traveling. “Salt is the perfect souvenir,” says the adopted Norwegian. “I was surprised by how defining it is for a country’s cuisine—how different it looks and tastes.” Her business began in the simplest way: with a crab pot in her in-laws’ boathouse, where she boiled seawater. “After ten hours, the pot was ruined, but at the bottom, a white, salt-like substance had formed. I was hooked!”

Today, Bietz works with 700-liter vats instead of pots, and heat lamps that mimic sunlight. Consistently low temperatures preserve minerals and flavor. The production of Havsnø salt takes about five days—roughly 1,000 kilos per week. What makes it special? “It’s not crunchy, but soft—perfect for sour beer and everyday use.”Professional chefs who especially appreciate Bietz’s innovation include Rasmus Kofoed of Copenhagen’s Geranium, Bernt Sætre of Under, Mikael Svensson of Kontrast, and the aforementioned Christopher Haatuft.