The rebirth of Norway's cider tradition

There's a belief that some form of cider was made by Vikings in Norway, and today, its growing popularity has people convinced it's the country's national drink.
"Now, I want you to be opened minded," said Anne Gunn Rosvold, a food tour guide with Bergen Base Camp in Bergen, a city along the southwestern Fjord region of Norway. "Because you probably don't expect to drink this in Norway, but I am going to let you try Norwegian cider."

Rosvold would be right. Cider, made from fermented apple juice, is not something I'd expect the Norwegians to be drinking – it's more common in the British Isles and coastal parts of France, particularly in Normandy. But as she explained, it has been part of the culture for a while, in fact – possibly since the time of the Vikings.

The first recorded production of cider dates back to the Roman Empire, when it was made from native European crab apples, which grew wild throughout the continent. The definitive origin of this fizzy alcoholic drink is disputed, however. Some claim the Celtic Britons invented the drink after the Romans introduced the cultivation of crab apples around 50 CE, but others believe that some apple-based drinks were made long before that.