Karsk
Encyclopedia
Karsk is a Norwegian
name for liqueur coffee
with moonshine
or vodka
as the liqueur, and maybe a spoon of sugar (enthusiasts often consider moonshine
exclusively to be appropriate as an added component, as it has no inherent taste like other liquors). In english speaking countries, the variant with vodka instead of moonshine is sometimes called russian coffee, though russian coffee can also refer to a variant served with whipped cream. In Norway, the term Karsk is predominantly used in the mid-region of the country (Trøndelag, roughly corresponding to the counties of Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag), while it may be referred to with other terms in other parts of the country. For instance, it may also be referred to as kaffedoktor ("Coffee doctor") or knikt (Hedmark dialect for knekt (jack/knave)); both these are for instance popular designations in the counties of Hedmark
and Oppland
. In Northern Norway it may also be referred to as rotar, though some would use these terms (kaffedoktor and rotar) exclusively about a variety where sugar is added with the coffee. In Sweden
it is called kask kaffekask or kaffegök and is mainly drunk in the central and northern parts. Even the Southeastern dialect of Finnish
has an expression for the beverage, there called kaffeplörö or kaffeblörö. Alcohol content is a matter of personal taste, and can vary from 10 to 96%. The word karsk means fresh or quick http://starling.rinet.ru/cgi-bin/etymology.cgi?single=1&basename=/data/ie/germet&text_number=++1126.
In many rural areas of Norway it is common to sell half-full cups of coffee at festivals and concerts where people are expected to bring their own moonshine to mix with it.
A common saying
about karsk is that it is made it by placing a coin
(or a sugar cube) at the bottom of a cup, then pouring coffee until the coin can no longer be seen, and then adding moonshine until the coin is yet again visible.
A common joke goes "You put a coin on the table. Then you drink moonshine until you can't see it, then you drink coffee until you can see it."
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
name for liqueur coffee
Liqueur coffee
A liqueur coffee is a coffee drink with a shot of liqueur. It is usually served in a special liqueur coffee glass, often with whipped cream and sugar.-Liqueur coffee names:...
with moonshine
Moonshine
Moonshine is an illegally produced distilled beverage...
or vodka
Vodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
as the liqueur, and maybe a spoon of sugar (enthusiasts often consider moonshine
Moonshine
Moonshine is an illegally produced distilled beverage...
exclusively to be appropriate as an added component, as it has no inherent taste like other liquors). In english speaking countries, the variant with vodka instead of moonshine is sometimes called russian coffee, though russian coffee can also refer to a variant served with whipped cream. In Norway, the term Karsk is predominantly used in the mid-region of the country (Trøndelag, roughly corresponding to the counties of Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag), while it may be referred to with other terms in other parts of the country. For instance, it may also be referred to as kaffedoktor ("Coffee doctor") or knikt (Hedmark dialect for knekt (jack/knave)); both these are for instance popular designations in the counties of Hedmark
Hedmark
is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Akershus. The county administration is in Hamar.Hedmark makes up the northeastern part of Østlandet, the southeastern part of the country. It includes a long part of the borderline with Sweden, Dalarna County and Värmland County. The...
and Oppland
Oppland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo and Hedmark. The county administration is in Lillehammer. Oppland is, together with Hedmark, one of the only two landlocked counties of Norway....
. In Northern Norway it may also be referred to as rotar, though some would use these terms (kaffedoktor and rotar) exclusively about a variety where sugar is added with the coffee. In Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
it is called kask kaffekask or kaffegök and is mainly drunk in the central and northern parts. Even the Southeastern dialect of Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
has an expression for the beverage, there called kaffeplörö or kaffeblörö. Alcohol content is a matter of personal taste, and can vary from 10 to 96%. The word karsk means fresh or quick http://starling.rinet.ru/cgi-bin/etymology.cgi?single=1&basename=/data/ie/germet&text_number=++1126.
In many rural areas of Norway it is common to sell half-full cups of coffee at festivals and concerts where people are expected to bring their own moonshine to mix with it.
A common saying
Saying
A saying is something that is said, notable in one respect or another, to be "a pithy expression of wisdom or truth."There are a number of specific types of saying:...
about karsk is that it is made it by placing a coin
Coin
A coin is a piece of hard material that is standardized in weight, is produced in large quantities in order to facilitate trade, and primarily can be used as a legal tender token for commerce in the designated country, region, or territory....
(or a sugar cube) at the bottom of a cup, then pouring coffee until the coin can no longer be seen, and then adding moonshine until the coin is yet again visible.
A common joke goes "You put a coin on the table. Then you drink moonshine until you can't see it, then you drink coffee until you can see it."