A proud food destination
“There is a lot of exciting things happening in the Norwegian food scene”, Sætre says.
“More and more people are concerned with where and how the ingredients are grown. We want our food to be ecological and locally sourced, and it’s become a trend to use more of what we already have.”
As more and more restaurants get stars in the Michelin guide, and with wins and awards in prestigious cooking competitions, Norway has positioned itself on the global food map.
“Masters from well-establish food destinations like Spain, Italy, and France now look towards the north and ask themselves: What’s the secret behind their wonderful apples? What is it with the fermentation techniques they use? They reach out for knowledge and inspiration and are now using and experimenting with our ingredients and methods”, Sætre says.
“It’s been this way with Norwegian fish for centuries, but now it’s starting to happen with fruit and berries as well.”
Small-scale producers are popping up all over the country, and the level of knowledge and professionalism is higher than ever. According to Sætre, this is one of the main success factors.
“Without skilled farmers who know exactly how to grow and when to pick the ingredients, chefs like myself don’t have a chance to succeed.”