New Nordic Cuisine Facts for Kids

A tasty New Nordic dish with local ingredients from the season. This is "Marrow with pickled vegetables" from Noma.

New Nordic Cuisine is a special way of cooking that started in the Nordic countries, especially Scandinavia, in the 2000s. It's like a food movement! This cooking style was inspired by ideas from a food expert named Claus Meyer and other chefs in 2004. They wanted to use local, natural, and seasonal foods to create new dishes. Many restaurants, especially in Denmark, now use ingredients that are new to many people, mixed with traditional foods made in fresh ways. A famous chef who helped this cuisine grow is Rene Redzepi, who used to be the head chef at the Noma restaurant.

History of New Nordic Cuisine
What is the New Nordic Approach to Food?
Famous New Nordic Restaurants
Images for kids
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History of New Nordic Cuisine

In November 2004, some Danish chefs, including René Redzepi and Claus Meyer from the Noma restaurant, invited food experts from all the Nordic countries to Copenhagen. They met to talk about how to make "New Nordic Cuisine" even better. They really wanted to focus on "purity, simplicity, and freshness" in food. They also wanted to use more foods that are only available during certain seasons. Restaurants were encouraged to create traditional dishes using ingredients that grow well in their local area's climate, water, and soil.

In 2005, the Nordic Council's food ministers from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden supported these ideas. They started something called the "New Nordic Food Programme." This program later received 3 million Euros in 2006 to help fund different activities related to this new cooking style.

What is the New Nordic Approach to Food?

This new way of cooking uses old Scandinavian recipes for fish and meat. It focuses on using local products and bringing back old cooking methods. These methods include marinating, smoking, and salting food. Foods like rapeseed, oats, cheeses, and old types of apples and pears are now prepared carefully. The goal is to keep their natural flavors.

People who support New Nordic Cuisine also care about organic foods. They want food to be "pure and fresh." They also try to use as many seasonal products as possible. For example, they use new potatoes, strawberries, and asparagus in the summer. During the Christmas period, they focus on baked goods and seasoned meats.

Claus Meyer has worked hard to promote this food style, not just in restaurants but also in how food is made across the Nordic region. The Swedish chef Magnus Nilsson also helped create New Nordic Cuisine. He even researched and brought back traditional cooking methods from all over the Nordic region.

Famous New Nordic Restaurants

The Noma restaurant in Copenhagen has been a leader in developing New Nordic Cuisine. Its name, "Noma," means "Nordic food." This restaurant has served dishes made with the new cuisine's guidelines. It was named the "world's best restaurant" in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014 by Restaurant magazine.

Other restaurants in Copenhagen and other areas have also followed this trend. They are becoming more popular both in their home countries and around the world. Some of these restaurants include Ti Trin Ned in Fredericia and Geranium in Copenhagen. The restaurant Fäviken in rural Sweden, run by Magnus Nilsson, was also very important for New Nordic Cuisine before it closed in 2019.