Spring has come to the Northern hemisphere - it is even approaching the Arctic coast of Northern Norway. This means it is almost time for a seasonal delicacy in these parts: beer and seagull's eggs. The eggs are gathered in late April/ early May, and are mostly eaten by the locals; though it is available is shops and restaurants in the region and in Oslo, too, if you know where to look. The eggs have a strong flavour, and are best eaten hard boiled with a pinch of salt or maybe a slice of smoked salmon.

The traditional beer to drink with this delicacy is a pilsner from Mack's, an old family brewery located in Tromsö. They claim to be the northernmost brewery in the world, and who am I to dispute this? Their main product is their Mack pils, which I feel is a bit too malty for my taste, but the eggs have a quite strong flavour in themselves, so this is not the time for a more sophisticated beer anyway. Mack brew several other pilsner type beers as well, and additionally have some seasonal beers, of which the Christmas beer is the most interesting.

If you want to taste this combination of beer and eggs, you should hurry up. The Norwegian government have issued warnings about the consumption of seagull's eggs, as they are contaminated by PCB and dioxins. Children and pregnant women should avoid them completely; others should limit their consumption to a few eggs during the season. Even the fish in these waters, far away from the industrialized areas on the European continent, have enough poison to seriously affect the seagulls and their eggs. This does not mean much to an occasional visitor, but for the locals, who have used these eggs both as a staple food and as a nice way of earning an extra income; it is the end of a way of life.