a single berry growing from a stalk
While cloudberries grow wild across the Arctic Circle and Norwegian Vesterålen archipelago, the specific locations where it thrives are a closely guarded local secret.
Photograph by Annapurna Mellor

Photo story: cloudberry foraging across Norway's Arctic circle and archipelagos

Scattered across the Arctic, in boggy moorland and on mountain slopes, the cloudberry appears for just a few weeks a year. It’s so rare and precious, it’s often called ‘Arctic gold’.

Story and photographs byAnnapurna Mellor
September 19, 2023
4 min read
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).
a woman walking through a field with buckets in her hands
On the island of Andøya, a stream of locals walk and cycle down an unsigned dirt road, buckets in hand. Across the peat-rich moorland, backed by the misty peak of Ørnlitnden, they hunt for the elusive golden cloudberry — known locally as molte or multe.
Photograph by Annapurna Mellor
a bucket of berries
They grow on single stems just a few centimetres from the ground and are sparsely scattered across the boggy land. Searching for them is a challenge, but it’s also a tradition and an important summer activity for locals, who often take time off work during the short window of perfect ripeness. The tart berry is rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, providing important nutrients for people living in the harsh Arctic conditions.
Photograph by Annapurna Mellor
a beach with beach hits on the edge
The white-sand beaches of Bleik are linked by a Scenic Route (one of 18 such roads in Norway) that stretches along Andøya’s entire west coast. The island’s southern marshlands are some of the best locations for cloudberry hunting, as are the steep slopes of the mountains in the interior. These include the spectacular Måtinden, which offers views across Andøya.
Photograph by Annapurna Mellor
small fishing boats on the water
In summer, the midnight sun makes this island a 24-hour outdoor paradise, with the warm light of ‘golden hour’ hitting the coastline in the early hours of the morning. This constant daylight means the molte ripen fast — it can be a race to pick the berries at their best. 
Photograph by Annapurna Mellor
a woman standing in a field
Cloudberries hold cultural importance for many communities across the Arctic region. Laila Inga is a reindeer herder and Indigenous Sámi living on the island of Hinnøya, in the Vesterålen region. She collects cloudberries from her own marshland, as the Sami people have done for generations.
Photograph by Annapurna Mellor
a woman picking berries
Cloudberries aren’t only an important source of food and essential vitamins for the Sami, they were also used in traditional medicine, for example as a cure for scurvy. Knowing where to find the best picking locations is part of Indigenous knowledge that’s passed down through generations. 
Photograph by Annapurna Mellor
berries on toast
After the harvest, locals take buckets of golden cloudberries home, to be made into jams and desserts and preserved or frozen to be used throughout the year.
Photograph by Annapurna Mellor
a woman putting berries on a cake
Here, in her kitchen in Andenes, the largest settlement on Andøya, islander Siren Nymo mixes the berries with sugar to create a quick compote, which is eaten on toast or used to top a cake. In Norway, multekrem — whipped cream and cloudberries —  is a favourite combination, particularly enjoyed at Christmas time.
Photograph by Annapurna Mellor
Published in the October 2023 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).

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