Hi! I'm not Saami myself, just a regular Norwegian, including in language and culture, but I grew up fairly far north, in a city called Bodø, which a couple of years ago got a dual name in Saami on it's road signs, I think it's Båddoa or something like that. It's a bit above the arctic circle.
Anyway, I've been reading about first nations having problems with diseases of civilisation, i.e. they appear in one or two generations and devastate whole communities. It makes sense to me also that gluten problems would be part of that, as the traditionally milk-drinking European peoples still have the world's highest adult tolerance for milk proteins.
In my town (currently Oslo), I don't know that many people with celiac sprue, but I do know a couple of them. Many or most restaurants have a gluten free option, including pizza restaurants. One of my friends who definitely has the disorder got his own, delicious rolls at a conference we attended together once, they looked amazing, much better food than the rest of us were getting... He says his friends like to eat at his place because there are always really great baked products. So yes, definitely available. Most general stores have a gluten-free/other allergy section. That's also where they put the soy milk, tofu and egg-free egg beaters, but the main products are likely to be gluten-free as that's the main "allergy" in most people's consciousness.
I'm not sure how many people have cut out grains because of a disorder or sensitivity, but more and more of us are doing it due to LC. We're currently in the second wave of the low carb so-called "craze". As in, we already had a "craze", and now it's back, this time with even more discussion in the media. There may well be more celiacs or gluten sensitive people among Saami, and Oslo is statistically where most Saami people live, but obviously here they're fairly steeped in Norwegian culture, and it's harder to live traditionally. Or so I would assume.
Health food stores seem to stock more and more "new" kinds of grains lately, in the last few years. About five or ten years ago spelt made a breakthrough, and you can absolutely buy your own bag of grain, milled or not, and make whatever you want. They ARE more expensive, though. Anything they don't stock may be available on request. Sweet potatoes I know I've seen in stores especially the biggest super markets. Asian markets may have more kinds, I not sure, but I believe it's hard to get any kind of variety, mostly just one or maybe two kinds.
Attitudes toward any person who has a "strange"-seeming way of eating are mostly fairly positive. I ordered an omelet recently and told the cook "no bread", he asked why that was. Not to put me down, but when he heard it was carbs, not gluten, he added more salad on his own initiative! Sweet... One of my best friends is a vegetarian, and while she can't eat well everywhere, most restaurants have a section of their menu or can modify a dish. I think when the person you're talking to has been reading a lot in the popular media about low carb and has formed a strong adverse opinion, you're in for a debate. Vegans might have the same problem, as would any extreme regimen, like fruitarians, raw foodists or all-meat carnivores.
I don't know enough about Kautokeino, never having been there, so I can't really comment. I think availability of some products would be lower, but then in the Saami community up there, I bet there would be a lot of lovely reindeer meat, for one! Traditional foods would likely be more emphasized, and more accepted. I think so, anyway. Maybe I'll visit one day and be proved wrong.
Gluten free beers I'm not sure, but several kinds of cider, alcohol or not. Some even produced here, Liercider is lovely, just too carby for me. Imported ciders are easy to find, even in super markets. Any Vinmonopolet (the wine monopoly, the state liquour and wine store) can also help with that, including ordering them up for you, and send them in the mail (within Norway, obviously).
Hope this helps!
Last edited by Equinox : Thu, Nov-10-11 at 01:57.
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