Sodd

Sodd is a clear soup rather than a stew: mutton or lamb simmered long enough to make a clean strong broth, served with small meatballs of the same meat, pieces of boiled mutton, and carrot and potato cooked separately and added at the end so the broth stays clear. Getting it right is a matter of skimming and restraint, and Trondelag households treat it as the festive dish for weddings, confirmations and funerals, where it has been standard for generations. It is closely associated with Olsok, the Saint Olav commemoration at the end of July, when it is served at Stiklestad and across the region. A Trondelag version is protected under Norwegian traditional food designation.

What you actually see

• The clear broth - a clean mutton stock kept free of cloudiness.
• The meatballs - small mutton balls served in the soup.
• The separate vegetables - carrot and potato cooked apart and added late.
• The festive setting - weddings, confirmations and the Olsok commemoration.

When to go

Year-round in Trondelag restaurants; late July around Olsok and the Stiklestad festival is when it is most in evidence. Weddings and family gatherings are where it belongs, which visitors rarely see.

Honest expectations

It is deliberately plain, and visitors expecting a rich stew find it thin. Restaurant versions outside Trondelag are rare and often poor. Mutton has a strong flavour that not everyone takes to.

Nearby

Stiklestad and Verdal hold the Olsok celebrations; Trondheim restaurants serve it year-round.