Savor the flavors of Telemark with a meal at the Straand Hotel, which serves up a selection of local, traditional Norwegian classics made with regional ingredients. Along with breakfast (complimentary for guests), lunch, and dinner, travelers can also enjoy a true taste of Norway with the hotel’s Spekeaften, or “speaking night,” which features a tantalizing spread of cured meats paired with other area delicacies, all crafted with ingredients sourced from across the country.

Try a slice of culinary heritage. Brunost, or Norwegian brown cheese, is enjoyed daily as a snack or for breakfast or lunch and features a distinctive flavor all its own. A tasty mix of soft, sweet, and sharp all at once, some say that both its taste and color are reminiscent of dulce de leche. Go straight to the source with a visit to Bergstaulen Seter. Located about a 90-minute drive from the hotel, just outside the Telemark village of Rjukan, this mountain farm is renowned for its brown goat cheese, which was awarded the silver medal at the 2018 World Cheese Awards.

Sample a Norwegian tradition with a taste of kling lefse. Though often made with riced potatoes, the version of the soft, Scandinavian-style flatbread beloved by those in Eastern Norway uses semolina instead. Similar to potato lefse, kling lefser are popularly enjoyed folded, spread with butter, and sprinkled with sugar and, if desired, some cinnamon. Kling lefse is also the perfect vehicle for a slice of brunost (sweet Norwegian brown cheese).