It is partially due to a Scandinavian law known as allemansrätten, which translates to "every man’s right" or "freedom to roam". This means there are no trespassing laws and everyone is free to enjoy the use of the land, including foraging whatever tasty edibles might grow there. Couple allemansrätten with the fact that the Nordic countries have an ideal habitat for many wild edible foods, and you can understand why there is a long tradition of foraging in Scandinavia.