Reindeer is synonymous with Sami culture and life but the Norsemen have certainly cottoned onto the goodness of reindeer cuisine. A dish that is an icon of Norwegian culture is finnbiff or reindeer stew. This rustic meal is perfect for cold Winter nights and packs you with energy for the next day of playing in the snow.

The dish has some unusual methods to create its earthy flavour. No onions or garlic are used (or needed) to enhance the flavour, nor any stock. The one-pot stew cooks fast and doesn’t need thickening.

To make finnbiff, Norwegians use thin reindeer shavings. This can be bought in the frozen food section of the supermarket all year round. You can also get fresh reindeer during the slaughter season in Autumn. Reindeer is also sold as roasts or dried/cured meat off the bone but not as steak. This is because game meat can get a little tough when cooked on a grill.

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Liverpool has really captured the early headlines as the 2008 Capital of Culture, but we shouldn’t forget that there are two. Little-known Stavanger in Norway deserves some attention this year, too.

There are lots of reasons to visit Stavanger: It’s full of wooden houses (and they’re cute, too), it’s rich (as a center for the oil industry–there’s even an oil museum), there are lakes and fjords nearby and it’s home to the oldest cathedral in Norway.

This year as part of the Capital of Culture reign, Stavanger is focusing on getting its citizens involved in cultural activities. This means that rather than the flashy Beatles-inspired shows of Liverpool, Stavanger has chosen the theme of an “Open Port” and will promote artist residencies that give opportunities for visitors and locals alike to connect personally with the arts. But they still had a big fireworks extravaganza to open the celebrations.

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The evergreen Christmas tree conveys the idea of vitality and growth, in spite of winter and the dark period, and incorporates pagan as well as Christian symbols. The misteltoe we acquired from the Celts, the holly from the Saxons, and the custom of giving gifts was taken from a Roman New Year festival. The people of Norway have among their own Christmas customs some that can be traced back to the pagan sacrificial offerings of their viking forebears.