Why do Norwegians wrap their packed lunch sandwiches in paper sheets?
In Norway, it is common to bring lunch from home when going to school or work. This lunch is called matpakke, and it is usually made with slices of brown bread topped with cheese, ham, or other simple fillings, separated one by one with mellomleggspapir, or "paper in between," before being packed into a lunch box or bag.
Because many Norwegian schools do not provide lunch as a standard meal, and many workers also bring lunch from home, students and office workers often open the paper at a desk or break area and eat a simple sandwich.
The Oslo Breakfast, provided free to all primary school pupils in Oslo in 1932, was also a cold and simple school meal built around whole-grain bread, cheese, milk, and fruit. Today's matpakke is not a special lunch box, but a practical Norwegian lunch prepared in a few minutes in the morning and carried to school or work.