The Norwegian meatball, made from ground beef or beef-pork blend, pan-fried and served swimming in brown sauce with boiled potatoes, peas and a spoon of lingonberry.
Where to eat it: 3 restaurants across 1 city.
More substantial than its Swedish neighbour, kjøttkaker has anchored Norwegian everyday cooking for over a century, the unfailing centre of the kafeteria-style husmannskost meal.
Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy
Asylet on Grønland in Oslo's old town is the wood-panelled 1730 merchant-yard timber building, one of the city's oldest, serving kjottkaker, lutefisk and reindeer in a year-round Christmas-cosy room.
Signature: Kjottkaker with mash, Reindeer stew
Order: Kjottkaker with brown sauce and lingonberry; reindeer stew in winter.
Tip: The courtyard runs late spring through summer; the back-bar fireplace is the winter seat.
Kaffistova on the ground floor of Hotell Bondeheimen on Rosenkrantz' gate has served Norwegian home cooking since 1901, with raspeballer, boknafisk, rømmegrøt and kjøttkaker on a cafeteria line.
Try: Norwegian home cooking, raspeballer and meatballs
Smalhans on Ullevålsveien at St Hanshaugen is the 2012 wine-bar bistro built around resourceful Nordic cooking, awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2015, with a long natural-wine list and a dagens husmannskost plate at 175 NOK in the late-afternoon window.
Signature pour: Norwegian still-cider with the day's dish
Wine focus: Natural Norwegian and growers' bottles, with husmannskost food
Food: Bistro mains and dagens husmannskost
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