The Nordic landscape is easily recognized by its beautiful misty mountains, open spaces, deep, dense pine forests with refreshingly cool air and clean water. Edible animals like lambs, elk, deer roam the forest and everyone can forage for wild berries, fruits and mushrooms as well as catch many kinds of fish. All the key ingredients in New Nordic cuisine, which is rapidly gaining popularity thanks to restaurants like Noma and some of the world’s best gourmet chefs.
Surprisingly for many, simplicity is one of the main characteristics of Nordic cuisine. Nordic cuisine relies on far fewer ingredients than many other cuisines and more high-quality ingredients grown in the cold, dry Nordic climate, which significantly influences the flavor of each dish.
The unique summers are short, but feature long days with a beautiful midnight sun, and therefore the growing season is very short. This tends to result in a short burst of fresh and tasty ingredients, especially wild berries, luscious fruits, and beautiful mushrooms. The long and cozy winters in our special part of the world have made Scandinavians experts in food preservation to stock up on summer ingredients.
Berries are what make the cuisine unique. Especially blackberries, blueberries and buckthorn berries. They can be found in all sorts of dishes and grow wild in the wild, so they are free to scavenge for everyone. Its health benefits are many and traces of its use date back to the Viking Age, who brought blackberries with them on their travels to prevent the loss of vitamin C.
Blackberries are the most popular berry in Norway. It is eaten during Christmas and used throughout the year for various purposes. It is considered THE Norwegian berry and is considered a national treasure. Scarce and not easy to propagate, they are not grown commercially. Blackberries are quite similar to raspberries, but slightly larger in size and with a sweet and sour apple flavor. Rich in vitamin C, they are a natural choice for recipes that call for berries and have considerable benefits, especially for healthy gums and healthy teeth. The rich berries and their many health benefits were already discovered by the Vikings and are still recognized as one of the tastiest and healthiest berries, but unfortunately they are also much more expensive than any other berry due to the rarity of this wonderful orange treat.
Next to strawberries, blueberries are the second most popular berry in the world. You can find cultivated and wild blueberries, the latter being more acidic in flavor. Being very low in calories and abundant in nutrition, it is suggested that you have a bowl of raw blueberries once a day. Native Americans have enjoyed cranberries for hundreds of years. In the Nordic countries you find them in the forests, and the Scandinavians have so many good memories as children picking blueberries in the deep pine forests.
Buckhorn Berries or Sea Buckhorn have been a source of food and medicine for centuries in China and Russia. The berries are quite tart, like sour orange with a hint of mango. Some people also compare them to pineapple. This little berry offers an impressive combination of nutrients, vitamins, and superior health benefits. Believe it or not, it is actually very easy to find sea buckthorn and collect it yourself. These berries even grow in Copenhagen. In the summer many Danes can be seen picking these berries and it has become something of a trend in Denmark. The sea buckthorn berry is a powerful source of Omegas 3, 6 and 9. It is considered a true super fruit.
When visiting the Nordic countries, one should try to try some of the delicious berries paired with the Nordic healthy dinner recipes that have recently become so popular all over the world. Nordic cuisine is here to stay and the Noma restaurant has proven it by being awarded as the best restaurant in the world more than three times in the last two years.
What berry is your favorite berry?