Instead of sandwiches (two pieces of bread with stuff in-between), Norwegians typically eat single slices of bread with meat, cheese, vegetables, and/or spread of some sort. As I made my afternoon snack today, it occurred to me why this is: Norwegians don't like pre-sliced bread. In fact, Norwegians I've spoken to have turned their noses up at the very concept of sliced bread. I don't know the basis for this detestation, but I think it has a direct impact on eating habits. While pre-sliced bread is available here, there's a far greater focus on unsliced bread. Pre-sliced bread wasn't always available in the US, so I do wonder if single-slice-sandwiches used to be the norm there, too.
When home-slicing bread, it's tricky to make slices as thin as a machine. Two slices of home-sliced bread are quite thick and hard to fit in your mouth at once. Thus, the Norwegian tendancy to only eat a single piece of bread at a time. In a way, it's an interesting study of evolution: the failure of pre-sliced bread dictated a different default sandwich style. Back in college, I remember being encouraged to travel abroad because it would broaden my understanding of the world. I like to think I've achieved just that with this epiphany today.
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It is fairly common in
It is fairly common in continental Europe, and not limited to Norway. The Brits are never a good Euro benchmark :)
I speak only of what I know.
I speak only of what I know. Having only lived in Norway and having not visited any other European country, that knowledge doesn't go far.
Most of Western-Europe does it
The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Northern France, Germany and Denmark share the same habits for sure. Sandwhiches with bread on both sides are more common in the mini-baguette kind.
More towards the south the situation is a little different as they seem to prefer baguettes altogether, or they're just acting like it to keep the stereotypical French image alive.
I've been further to the east, but because of generally shorter staying times and the ridiculously cheap prices over there I had much higher sightseeing/contact with local people ratio and only went to the supermarket once. For the rest, going there allows you to feel like a millionaire. That will probably change soon with being added to the EU and everything however.
Evolution
Have you ever considered that the Norwegian method was created by an Intelligent Sandwich Designer?
:D
yep,
hungary does the same thing. i wonder, too, if part of the detestation for pre-sliced bread is the idea that it's been through the slicing process and is, therefore, not as fresh. in hungary, you don't buy bread at a grocery store unless you absolutely have to - you go to the local bakery (which is TOTALLY worth it, btw). i think that, in america, we're so used to buying packaged foods that we seldom consider spending an extra buck and getting some seriously good (rather than convenient and cheap) whatever.
side note: we also had bread with stuff on it (aka sandwiches) for breakfast and lunch almost every day. and i don't think i minded, 'cause it was REALLY good.
Different theory
I have a slightly different theory. In Iceland which is quite Americanized (if that is a word) we also do open faced sandwiches but most of our bread is pre-cut. It is not as full of perservatives as in the States but looks the same. Toppings to be put on the bread like cheese and deli meat is really expensive and it is (or was) wasteful to put more than a single layer of cheese or meat. If we were to have two slices of bread with that it would get really dry. In the States you get so much meat on your sandwich that you almost need to pick some off or add more bread. Hence have two slices of bread...
I think this has changed a bit in Iceland. Sandwiches have become more common but that also goes hand in hand with the fact that people can afford adding more things to their bread.
Not sure but that would be my guess even though you have a point with the fact that it is difficult to cut thin slices. Some Norwegians are really good at it though while I suck big time!
Idiotic assumptions
No offense but these are the assumptions of a typical American visiting "barbarian" countries.
Single-slice sandwiches must be quite the most common thing across Europe. In fact when I had to judge it I would say single-sliced is deemed more cultivated because you see what you eat, there's the carbohydrate base and the interesting stuff (good Swiss or French cheese for instance) and optionally decoration on top.
Then, if you for example are a construction worker you'd put a double-layer bread in your lunchbox since, sure enough, it'd be a mess with single layer. But this serving would be less cultivated, more the on-the-go kind.
Regarding sliced bread, when I go to the bakery and buy a loaf I usually get asked “sliced or not?”. I always respond “no, thanks” because I got a good, sharp and long knife at home and it's fun to slice yourself. There's a saying in my area that goes: “If you're not able to slice bread properly you're not worthy to marry.” The most traditional way to slice bread is having a long knife, a rye-based roundish loaf of bread and then you cut holding it against your chest so that you're full of flour afterwards.
To summarize: Pre-sliced is equivalent to junk-food.
And the kind of toast that's basically all that Angloamericans seem to know has been termed “radium-sponges” by my own father and I think that's funny.
Well, I am offended. I
Well, I am offended. I never said that the way Norwegians prefer bread is wrong or out-dated. I was merely noticing a difference and putting forth a hypothesis. I would have enjoyed some discourse on the subject, perhaps some insight, such as that provided by Moose and mediumgeek. I hope in the future you'll keep that in mind instead of resorting to American bashing.