Cloudberries and Multekrem

Cloudberries are the treasure of the northern bogs, amber-coloured berries that ripen briefly in late summer on the marshes and command high prices for their tart, aromatic taste. Folded into lightly sweetened whipped cream as multekrem, they make one of the most cherished Norwegian desserts, especially at Christmas.

The main sights

• Cloudberries - the rare amber berries of the northern marshes.
• Multekrem - the tart berries folded into whipped cream.
• The short season - the brief late-summer ripening that makes them precious.
• Christmas tables - the dessert at its most traditional over the holidays.

When to go

Late summer for fresh cloudberries where they grow; the preserved berries and multekrem appear year-round and especially at Christmas. The north is the heartland.

Things to know

Fresh cloudberries are rare, seasonal and expensive, so most of the year you meet them preserved or as jam. The tart taste is distinctive and not universally loved. Picking spots are closely guarded local secrets, so buying is the realistic way to try them.

Nearby

Northern Norway is cloudberry country; restaurants everywhere serve multekrem in season and at Christmas.