Harbor Classic · Bergen Tradition

Reker (Bag of Shrimp)

📷 Closely related photo — Photo via Pexels/Unsplash — free for commercial use

Bergen has sold seafood off the same harbor spot since the 1200s — a bag of shrimp is basically the fast-food version of an 800-year-old market.

Small cold-water shrimp, boiled and sold by the bag straight off fishing boats or market stalls, peeled by hand on the spot and eaten with bread, butter, mayonnaise and a squeeze of lemon. A summer ritual at harbors like Bergen's Fisketorget.

Why it's made this way: Norway's cold, clean fjord waters produce naturally sweet shrimp, and selling them straight off the boat by the bag kept the catch simple, fresh and affordable for dockside workers and visitors alike.