The Nordics

FOOD – THE NORDIC WAY

Nordic food has taken the world by storm.

From the underdog of the gastronomic world

to a global frontrunner, the Region is now recognised

for its ability to punch well above its weight.

TEN THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT NORDIC FOOD

#1	New Nordic Kitchen Manifesto: The Manifesto was developed in 2004 and was signed by chefs representing the five Nordic nation states, as well as Åland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, creating a Nordic sense of ownership for the new ideology. It contains ten value-based principles that guided the development of a new approach to food and territory.
#2	Nordic food on the map: The Nordics have quickly gained a top spot on the global gastronomic map. In 2018, 64 restaurants received Michelin stars (a hallmark of fine dining quality and restaurants globally) in the Nordic region. There are over 260 Michelin-recommended restaurants across the Region.
#3	The Copenhagen effect: In 2007, the city of Copenhagen created the ambitious goal of converting to 90% organic ingredients in public canteens. Many other Nordic cities have followed suit by creating equally as ambitious plans. Denmark and Sweden are the second and third biggest
#4	New Nordic Kitchen Manifesto: The Manifesto was developed in 2004 and was signed by chefs representing the five Nordic nation states, as well as Åland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, creating a Nordic sense of ownership for the new ideology. It contains ten value-based principles that guided the development of a new approach to food and territory.
#5	Nordic food on the map: The Nordics have quickly gained a top spot on the global gastronomic map. In 2018, 64 restaurants received Michelin stars (a hallmark of fine dining quality and restaurants globally) in the Nordic region. There are over 260 Michelin-recommended restaurants across the Region.
#6	The Copenhagen effect: In 2007, the city of Copenhagen created the ambitious goal of converting to 90% organic ingredients in public canteens. Many other Nordic cities have followed suit by creating equally as ambitious plans. Denmark and Sweden are the second and third biggest
#7	New Nordic Kitchen Manifesto: The Manifesto was developed in 2004 and was signed by chefs representing the five Nordic nation states, as well as Åland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, creating a Nordic sense of ownership for the new ideology. It contains ten value-based principles that guided the development of a new approach to food and territory.
#8	Nordic food on the map: The Nordics have quickly gained a top spot on the global gastronomic map. In 2018, 64 restaurants received Michelin stars (a hallmark of fine dining quality and restaurants globally) in the Nordic region. There are over 260 Michelin-recommended restaurants across the Region.
#9	The Copenhagen effect: In 2007, the city of Copenhagen created the ambitious goal of converting to 90% organic ingredients in public canteens. Many other Nordic cities have followed suit by creating equally as ambitious plans. Denmark and Sweden are the second and third biggest
#10	New Nordic Kitchen Manifesto: The Manifesto was developed in 2004 and was signed by chefs representing the five Nordic nation states, as well as Åland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, creating a Nordic sense of ownership for the new ideology. It contains ten value-based principles that guided the development of a new approach to food and territory.

NORDIC FOOD EVENT CHECKLIST

Don't serve mediocracy. When planning your next function, use food to strengthen your initiative's message and agenda. Food is often seen as an accessory — something that is an afterthought or a last-minute add-on. But it doesn't have to be this way. In fact, food is so much more; food can embody the five Nordic values — openness, equality, innovative spirit, sustainability and trust. Food is a conversation starter, a connector and a way to make sense of complex concepts. Confused? We'll show you how! By following this guide, you can learn about the most important elements to include, adding value to your next workshop, meeting or high-level event. We'll show you how simple it is to be conscious of the food that you are serving, how your event is staged and how can it increase the impact of your flagship project. And finally, we'll show you how to ensure that food is never again a missed opportunity.

	Make food professionals like chefs, food designers and caterers a part of the planning process from the very beginning!
	Make a plan before the event to ensure that no food is wasted. This could be, for example, through donations to food recovery organizations or by avoiding the temptation to order surplus quantities of food
	Think carefully about where the food is coming from: choose local, seasonal and climate-friendly or foraged foods
	Involve and showcase women, young talent and other groups working with climate- friendly food. Don’t use the excuse that you cannot find them – you just need to look harder
	Strengthen your agenda through storytelling. Tell stories through food and involve the projects/ programmes that exemplify this
	Use reusable or edible cutlery and dishes when food is served
	Bottled water gives you bad karma: serve tap water in reusable cups instead
	Food/catering is generally a basic element of a budget. However, we also recommend that you include food and the staging of your event within the communications budget. Be ambitious and extend the reach of your event/initiative!
	Don’t just consider the food, staging is also key – consider a sustainable venue and be creative about using food as a means of delivering your message
	Consider incorporating circular economy into your event: from farm to fork and back again.

QUOTES TO USE!

“Giving small-scale artisanal food producers a voice, as well as support and skill-training, is critical. If we don’t, few people will have an appreciation of diverse, nutritious, delicious and quality food”

-Bodil Cornell, Director of Eldrimner

“As Nordic chefs we find that the time has now come for us to create a New Nordic Kitchen, which in virtue of its good taste and special character compares favorable with the standard of the greatest kitchens of the world.”

- The 12 signatories of the New Nordic Kitchen Manifesto in 2004

“Many people look to the Nordic and Scandinavian countries for the social models that are here. I would love for us to become a leading star in equality in gastronomy, and be a role model for people to follow."

-Kamilla Seidler, Former Head Chef of Gustu Restaurant

GET INSPIRED!

Solutions Menu: A Nordic guide to sustainable food policy

– Explore 24 concrete examples of innovative food policy in action in an easy to read format

norden.org/solutionsmenu

New Nordic kitchen Manifesto

– Learn about the ten core principes of the Manifesto and how the New Nordic revolution got started.

norden.org/manifesto

New Nordic Food Programme

– Find out about the different projects that put the New Nordic Kitchen Manifesto into action.

newnordicfood.org

Click her to download a full list of suggested reading materials about Nordic food

TWEETS - TO - GO!

An oldie, but a goodie: for the past 15 years, the principles of the New Nordic Manifesto have inspired a sea change in the Nordic Region. Read more about them to understand how they can be adapted to your context here #TheNordics #nordicsolutions

From zero to hero: The Nordic countries have quickly become a culinary powerhouse. Learn about how it all happened starting here (pages 60-83) and here #nordicsolutions #TheNordics #solutionsmenu @The_Nordics

More than a decade ago, the Nordic countries set their sights on becoming one of the most outstanding and innovative food regions in the world. What are some of the secrets to their success? Read here

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FOOD – THE NORDIC WAY

Ten Things You Should Know about Nordic Culture

#1	Funding the future: The Nordic Culture Fund was established in 1966 and supports an innovative and dynamic artistic and cultural scene in the Nordic Region. The Fund has a budget of €4.8 million, the majority of which is awarded in the form of grants to projects in the Nordic Region and beyond.
#2	Awarding the best: The Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize, The Nordic Council Music Prize and the Nordic Council Literature Prize were created to award the highest standards of arts and culture and strengthen Nordic culture.
#3	Best in class: According to the Global Innovation Index and the Global Competitiveness Report, the Nordic countries are among the most innovation-driven societies in the world. The Nordic Region is also home to one of the largest creative classes in the world, spanning science and technology; arts and culture; and business, management, and the professions. As a whole, the Region ranks high for overall creativity, a broad-based measure for advanced economic growth and sustainable prosperity based on the 3Ts of economic development — talent, technology, and tolerance
#4	Art in a global context: Artists like Olafur Eliasson, Bjarne Melgaard, Jesper Just, Kim Simonsson, and Cajsa Von Zeipel represent a new breed of contemporary Nordic artists in a global context. Works like theirs and other artists from the Nordic Region can be found on display in exhibitions and collections around the world.
#5	Impeccable literary pedigree: Never in history have so many diverse books from the Nordics been translated into other languages. Over the past five years, this list has been growing exponentially. This can be seen in the success of bestselling contemporary authors such as Jo Nesbø, Stieg Larsson, Sjón and Leena Lehtolainen. The roots of Nordic literature run deep – just think Stringberg, Ibsen, Hamsun, Lagerlöf, Blixsen and the Icelandic Sagas.
#6	Melody-makers: From Abba and A-ha to Efterklang and Björk, the sound of the North resonates in all corners of the globe. With internationally accalimed festivals such as Roskilde, Iceland Airways and Way out West, the Nordic music scene is vibrant and diverse. Puls, a Nordic initiative, is network for artists working to establish contact with the music scene in other countries and reach out to a new, much larger audience
#7	Linguistic heritage: Mutual understanding of each other’s languages promotes mobility between the Nordic countries and enhances the sense of affinity between the peoples of the Region. The main source of regulation for language co-operation consists of the four agreements: the Helsinki Treaty, the Cultural Agreement, the Language Declaration and the Nordic Language Convention.
#8	Designing the world: Design is a major cultural export from the Nordics. Nordic design has flourished internationally since the 1950s, and is synonymous with beautiful, simple and clean designs that are inspired by nature and the northern climate.
#9	Fashionistas: The Nordics brought the world H&M, Marimekko, Tiger of Sweden, Acne. They and their Nordic fashion counterparts have increasingly influenced the rest of the world on the style front. In 2008, The Nordic Fashion Association was inaugurated with a core purpose of gathering the Nordic fashion industry and collectively embark on the process of working with and implementing principles for sustainable fashion.
#10	From the big screen to Netflix: Nordic cinema not only boasts several recent blockbusters and numerous classics, but also a significant level of screen talent that have crossed over into Hollywood. Iceland, as well as other locations within the Nordic Region, have become popular shooting locations for some major Hollywood films as well as mega-popular TV series such as Game of Thrones.

Checklist for a Nordic Culture Event:

	Cultural events can be powerful things! They don’t just bring people together, to entertain and inform, but also to educate and inspire. The more specific and focused an event is, the better it will be.
	Culture is a connector: use your event to communicate the Nordic values of equality, innovative spirit, openness, trust and sustainability.
	Make it worth the trip. The more there is to see, hear, play with, debate, eat and drink, the longer you can keep your visitors at the event. Find creative ways to hold their attention.
	When preparing your invitee list, consider which voices are missing from the event. Give yourself ample time to find ways to include them.
	Encourage internal and external feedback on the event to learn about any shortcomings and how to improve for the next time. It’s easy to forget to do this!
	Make sure to add your event to TheNordics.com and post some photos on Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #TheNordics

QUOTES TO USE!

#1 “Giving small-scale artisanal food producers a voice, as well as support and skill-training, is critical. If we don’t, few people will have an appreciation of diverse, nutritious, delicious and quality food”		#2 “As Nordic chefs we find that the time has now come for us to create a New Nordic Kitchen which in virtue of its good taste and special character compares favorable with the standard of the greatest kitchens of the world.”		#3 “Many people look to the Nordic and Scandinavian countries for the social models that are here. I would love for us to become a leading star in equality in gastronomy, and be a role model for people to follow."
-Bodil Cornell, Director of Eldrimner		- The 12 signatories of the New Nordic Kitchen Manifesto in 2004		-Kamilla Seidler, Former Head Chef of Gustu Restaurant

GET INSPIRED!

Solutions Menu: A Nordic guide to sustainable food policy

- Explore 24 concrete examples of innovative food policy in action in an easy to read format

norden.org/solutionsmenu

New Nordic kitchen Manifesto

- Learn about the ten core principes of the Manifesto and how the New Nordic revolution got started.

norden.org/manifesto

New Nordic Food Programme

- Find out about the different projects that put the New Nordic Kitchen Manifesto into action.

newnordicfood.org

Click her to download a full list of suggested reading materials about Nordic food

TWEETS - TO - GO!

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About us
Traces of North
Feature stories
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Open Call
Brand Toolbox
Contact us

Culture – The Nordic Way

From literature to TV series, lifestyle to gastronomy, design to music,

Nordic influence is evident throughout contemporary culture.

Culture is also an essential area for co-operation within the Nordic Region.

#1 “Giving small-scale artisanal food producers a voice, as well as support and skill-training, is critical. If we don’t, few people will have an appreciation of diverse, nutritious, delicious and quality food”		#2 “As Nordic chefs we find that the time has now come for us to create a New Nordic Kitchen which in virtue of its good taste and special character compares favorable with the standard of the greatest kitchens of the world.”		#3 “Many people look to the Nordic and Scandinavian countries for the social models that are here. I would love for us to become a leading star in equality in gastronomy, and be a role model for people to follow."
- Bodil Cornell, Director of Eldrimner		- The 12 signatories of the New Nordic Kitchen Manifesto in 2004		- Kamilla Seidler, Former Head Chef of Gustu Restaurant