Promoting Nordic cuisine across the pond

Food brings us all closer together. It is a core component of all cultures across the world and sharing a meal is a source of friendship, hospitality and even diplomacy. Food is also one of the very first things we are introduced to. It teaches us to share, try new things and appreciate a peaceful moment with our loved ones. When we start school, our taste buds are challenged, and we must learn to adapt to new cuisines.

The New Nordic Cuisine Movement

The New Nordic Cuisine was started as a movement to promote Nordic food culture. It also encouraged locally based produce, sustainability and innovation in the Nordic kitchen.  In particular, the famous Danish restaurant Noma was an incubator for the New Nordic Cuisine, inspiring others to take advantage of traditional Scandinavian produce when creating new, inspiring dishes. In 2005, the Nordic Council agreed to provide support for the movement, resulting in the New Nordic Food Programme, running until 2014. Nordic Innovation ran several of the projects in the program, among them the Nordic Food Day in Washington DC. As a result, 45 000 students at public schools in the US capital were able to try Nordic food in their school. Young chefs from Nordic countries prepared food for over 20 different schools, supported by mentor chefs.

Salmon, rye bread, Nordic sandwiches and Swedish meatballs were just some of the foods that were served to American children. Moreover, a cookbook with easy recipes for children contributed to helping children cook healthy, Nordic recipes.

Young chefs serving up

The young chefs from the Nordics had been competing in a culinary competition. In order to win, the young chefs had to create a tasty and healthy meal with Nordic ingredients that could be served on a large scale in an American school kitchen. The preparation of the meal had to be filmed by a mobile phone and submitted as part of the competition. Magnus Westling, a 21-year-old Food art and Ecology student from Ørebro University (Sweden), was one of the young chefs that won the competition and went to Washington DC.

“In Washington, we young Nordic chefs worked in kitchens and had the opportunity to speak with people who are fighting for better food in these schools. We discovered a wide range of problems that hinder serving good, tasty, and healthy food to the schoolchildren. This is truly important because we learned about contrasts and differences between systems, and it is something that enables us to retain the good and change the bad. But the best part of the experience was meeting all the wonderful people that were involved in this project,” Magnus reflected after the experience.

Promotion of the competition

Royal attention

The project involved several key Nordic actors, including the Nordic embassies. Miner Elementary School were even lucky enough to host the Prince of Sweden at their school. The students welcomed the prince with a performance of the Swedish national anthem and the US national anthem, a symbol that marked the cultural exchange between the two countries.Local Washington DC TV-station reporting on the Nordic Food days in a DC school: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcsK120Ii30

To further promote Nordic culture, other components of the Nordic culture were introduced. For example, Brookland Educational campus had the pleasure of hosting fiddler Vilde Aasland and Icelandic Jazz musician Björn Thoroddsen.

Culinary diplomacy

Not only school children were invited to explore the New Nordic Cuisine during the early 2010’s. Nordic Innovation also organized Nordic Food days, were top chefs from different Nordic countries served up food at some of Washington DCs best restaurants. The event was the first time several world-class chefs from the Nordics gathered in the US. The New Nordic Food Program gathered these types of projects under the heading “Nordic Food Diplomacy”, where the key aim was to raise awareness about the New Nordic Cuisine abroad and strengthen the brand of classic, Nordic produce. Today, it is possible to find restaurants serving New Nordic Food across the globe.

During this period, Nordic Innovation also worked on a report on local produce, tourism and restaurants, through the project “EXPLORE - Experiencing Local Food Resources in the Nordic Countries”. The report presented 11 case studies of rural high-quality restaurants in Finland, Iceland, Sweden and Norway. They found that the rural high-quality restaurants contribute to the upgrading of local food and experience production systems in terms of product quality and the range of products and services offered. Another project was named Nordic Malt House, aiming to promote the use of Nordic malt locally and internationally as well as revitalizing the Nordic beer industry.

The philosophy of the New Nordic Cuisine movement, favoring locally sourced foods, has today been adopted as a key element in the future of sustainable food production and distribution. In addition, healthy Nordic products like fish are in increasing demand worldwide.

Today, Nordic Innovation promotes Nordic cuisine and products mainly through its continued effort to innovate within the maritime industry. In the program Sustainable Ocean Economy we find projects on seaweed, kelp and how different maritime industries can co-exist.

Summary of the competition, the winners and their trip to Washington DC.

Facts:

Background: 50 years and onwards

This article is produced as a part of Nordic Innovations 50 years anniversary. In 2023, we celebrate an era with Nordic collaboration and innovation by showcasing pieces of what we have co-created over the past 50 years.

Read about our 50 years anniversary here