Norwegian cuisine is the traditional cooking of Norway, shaped by a long coastline, numerous fjords, and a cool climate suited to dairy farming and root vegetables. Fish and seafood, especially salmon, herring, mackerel, and cod, are central, often cured, smoked, or pickled, as in gravlaks (cured salmon) and lutefisk. Potatoes are the everyday starch, alongside grains like barley, rye, and oats used in breads and porridges. Norway also has a strong cheese tradition, including brunost (a caramelized brown whey cheese) and jarlsberg, and a foraging culture that supplies wild berries, mushrooms, and herbs for preserves and the spiced spirit aquavit. Regional variation is significant: northern Norway leans on seafood and reindeer, while the east shows Swedish and Danish influence.