Nordic Delicacies

Visiting Nordic Delicacies two weeks before it closes forever is an un-​rateable experience so I’ll go slightly off topic.
Andrea J.‘s unhappy customer service experience, although the only of its kind here, isn’t all that surprising to read about. I can’t tell if Nordic Delicacies was always a bit aloof or if the vibe today was just a natural result of their focus on closing logistics and saying goodbye to the regulars. This is a wild guess but it could be that amid the changing demographics of Bay Ridge, the store and the neighborhood had a feeling of mutual apathy.
Almost all of the shelf space was empty. I skipped a few items that looked like cooking was required and those like King Oscar sardines that are found elsewhere. I had my eye some unusual-​looking cheese but someone else beat me to it. I couldn’t tell if the unlabeled deli meats were actually Scandinavian.
I bought two kinds of Freida Norwegian chocolate and lappi cheese from Finland that I haven’t tried. I also picked up Kalles creamed smoked cod roe from Sweden. This is not for the casual seafood tourist. It’s like the Greek taramosolata but a bit saltier and harsher. The best result of my careful subway plan to keep the food fresh from Bay Ridge to Jersey City was the amazing yellow pea soup. I never heard of this before, but It was excellent. I guess I shouldn’t be surprise that the peas weren’t delivering that powerhouse flavor; there was bits of pork here and there. So if you make it to Nordic Delicacies before it closes, the soup is a must-​have if available.
Unfortunately, before today, I never made it here during its many years of operations so I can’t give a real review. But I’ll get preachy and hope that when you hear about any place that’s the last of its kind, you’ll try to experience it.

Very authentic Nordic market. Too many things to mention but if you want true Nordic delights stop by.

I love this place. My parents who are off the boat Norwegian used to go here for stuff they couldn’t get anywhere else. Awesome food, collectibles, and people who run the place. I go in from time to time for chocolate from norway. Highly recommended

We went there to get some reindeer meatballs, as advertised on their website. Got there and the women behind the counter, neither of whom greeted, acknowledged, or offered to help us in any way, told us it was illegal to carry reindeer meat in the United States and had been for two years. One seemed surprised when we informed her it was on her website (the other continued to ignore us). Food items are expensive, and look none too fresh. Small troll mugs go for $ 16 — $ 17.50 each, even though they are covered in a thick layer of dust and dead bugs. Bought a $ 4 box of black licorice that turned out to be more than acceptably stale.

This place is the best. My mom and grandma make the best food and I’m a picky eater. Show this comment and get 5 $ off your purchase on me. Show this to my family and they’ll make sure they get that 5 $ from me haha. It’ll be worth it grab some waffles

I stumped across this unexpected find while walking through Brooklyn and did a brief double-​take, then had to go inside. What a great place. It’s very clean and neatly organized; the staff are friendly and inviting; and they have a fun selection of Nordic foods, candies and gifts to splurge on. I can get some of the items (like herring and brunost) a bit cheaper at some local places on LI, but they have much more variety of cookies, chocolates, jams and the like. A neighborhood gem, for sure.

Julekaka.
Started dating some Norwegian girls recently and found out the way to win points was to know a little about Norway’s football team and know a little about herring and lingonberries.
This place is a Bay Ridge treasure my friends.

Kicks ass. Long live Norway!

This is definitely my go to place for Krumkake with Cloud berries and Julekaka. Also a good source of Lingonberries and meatballs throughout the year!

My knowledge of Norway is shamelessly limited to those facts that only serve their usefulness on Tuesday trivia nights: the country’s prowess at the biathlon, the descent of famous American singer Peggy Lee (born as Norma Egstrom), the birth country of the ostensible paper clip inventor (Johan Vaaler) and ignominiously, that country next to Sweden.
After being prodded by my ignorance of this Scandinavian country and a well-​written profile in a Winter 2011 issue of Edible Brooklyn [1], I decided to take the R train to Bay Ridge.
Neither a deli nor a bodega for Vikings, Nordic Deli is a specialty goods store that had served the Scandinavian population that used to live in the neighborhood. Now it seems like an outdated curiosity amid the Mexican, Middle Eastern, and Chinese stores that line 3^rd Avenue.
Like the specialty food section of the Red Hook IKEA, Nordic Deli carries your traditional Wasa rye crisps, lingonberry preserves, gingersnap cookies, and the infamous meatballs (kjottkaker). There’s also an assortment of herring and mackerel fillets, Norwegian chocolates, and caramelized goat cheeses (gjestost), which are very spreadable on a bagel or an English muffin.
Specialty Norwegian desserts include a larger, fatter version of a hot cross bun spiced with cardamom (boller), a thinner, spicier version of a Belgian waffle (vaffel), and a delicate, fragile, ice-​cream cone shaped cookie (krumkakker) that looks like a fatter, bluntier version of its Italian counterpart.
All were half-​eaten by the end of my subway ride home.
[1]:

THis place is really good. It has a lot of Scandinavian goodies but no black metal ;P