The fir is one of the most popular Christmas trees in Portugal. And now that it’s time to take them down, after the holiday season, it’s time to decide what to do with these natural trees. In Norway, there is a tradition that involves eating them.
It’s called “sandwich green” and it is a fir butter which is done in Norway, at Christmas, and beyond.
As tree needles are dried and then mixed with butter to create an aromatic and tasty product that can be used in breads, toasts and traditional dishes.
The tradition echoed in Belgium these days, after the Ghent municipality had suggested to citizens to eat their Christmas trees in an environmental campaign that encouraged people to recycle them.
“In Scandinavia, they have been doing this for a long time: they take the needles from the branches, dip them briefly in boiling water, pass them through a sieve and dry them on a clean cloth”, revealed the municipality in a publication, as cited by .
However, the municipality deleted the publication after an alert of the Federal Agency for Food Safety (FASFC) of Belgium.
The FASFC advised against the practice, emphasizing that consumers have no way of knowing “whether Christmas trees have been treated with “, which they may have.”serious consequencesor even fatal.”
“There is no way to guarantee that eating Christmas trees is safeboth for people and animals”, highlighted the Agency.
However, in Norway, “smörgåsgrön” continues to conquer palates and many people like to use it in winter to add a special touch to their recipes.
How to make fir butter
Norwegian biologist Kirsten Winge, who is known for her work on the so-called “wild cuisine” which is based on natural ingredients, leaves a fir butter recipe in its , praising the virtues of this delicacy.
“It is aromatic and has taste incredibly good“, writes Kirsten, recommending its use in game meat, barbecue and fish dishes.
“There is a tastes fantastic on freshly baked bread and toast“, he further points out.
Kirsten also leaves a fir butter recipe which only requires two ingredients: 100 grams of butter and about 25 grams of spruce buds.
The butter must be at room temperature. Fir shoots must be finely chopped after being thoroughly cleaned.
Mix the buds with the butter in a container until you obtain a homogeneous mixture.
Place the fir butter on parchment paper or aluminum foil and make a sausage-shaped wrap. Leave the content in a cool place for two to three hours.
Then, you can cut the butter into slices to use whenever you need it – and enjoy!
