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One of the best things about Norwegian food culture seems to have disappeared over night. When we first arrived in Norway, we never saw people walking and eating. Imagine, no Timmies or Starbucks paper cups littering the streets! It was strange at first, especially coming from a country where parents stashed kiddie snacks in every pocket, to be pulled out every time a little one let out a squawk. I used to call it "shut-up" food. However, when I came to Norway I couldn't use food or drink in this way. If we wanted to eat food in public, we would have to find a quiet out of the way place and sit down. Now, nearly half the restaurants in Trondheim sell food "to-go" and most don't think twice now about drinking coffee from a paper cup while walking down the street or sitting on the bus. I see loads of people, young and old, chowing Big Bite sandwiches, while walking the down town streets. So eating on the go is no longer considered odd or rude. It is more than just trendy. It appears to be part of modern food culture in Norway. My daughter's friends deny it has been any different before. What a shame! Apparently in Italy and Japan it is still considered rude, while in Norway, eating on the street is encouraged by the government -- taking your food and drink out of the restaurant is taxed less than food eaten in a restaurant. Perhaps we shouldn't wonder why we are seeing more garbage on more streets as well as more obese people. Perhaps the "act" of eating should have been kept sacred. When walking walk -- when eating eat!
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