From homemade dishes to Michelin-starred cuisine to completely foraged meals, The Nordics are known for their gastronomy, which relies heavily upon the local environments of each of the seven countries.
Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden signed the Nordic Kitchen Manifesto in 2004, which centers around ten core principles of seasonality, purity, ethics, health, sustainability, quality and more. Today, these countries offer a combined total of 65 Michelin-starred restaurants, nine of which boast a Michelin Green Star for their sustainability, as well as over 260 Michelin-recommended restaurants.
But each country has its own unique gifts, from an underwater restaurant in Norway to a unique brand of home hospitality that allows travelers to immerse themselves in the stories and the foods of the Faroe Islands.
In Denmark, travelers can strap on their waterproof boots and take a tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Wadden Sea National Park, where a local teaches them how to gather oysters along the banks. Oyster safaris can be booked for around US$40 per person from February through May and September through December.
Other fun foodie experiences in Denmark include wine tours of Europe's northernmost vineyards, foraging tours and meals at one or several of the country's 26 Michelin-starred restaurants.
The Faroe Islands has created a unique brand of home hospitality, called Heimablídni, which inspires locals to welcome travelers into their homes to eat a home-cooked meal. Travelers can spend a day fishing and learning to cook a fresh Faroese meal, or simply join a farm family for dinner. Dishes can include main ingredients such as sausages and lamb to whale and rhubarb.
In Finland, residents and visitors alike are allowed "Everyman's Rights," the freedom to forage, fish (with a permit) and more. Blueberries, chanterelles, cloudberries and more can be found throughout Finland during the summer and early fall, along with wild herbs. Some hotels like Hotel Punkaharju as well as tour operators offer foraging tours that are sure to interest plenty of sustainably-minded foodies.
For a different side to sustainable food production, foodies can travel to Lahti, where they'll find Ant Brew's unique beers, made from a variety of ingredients such as foraged lichens, orange peels that were gathered from a local juicer and even goose droppings.
Travelers to Greenland can enjoy a fish-centric food culture. From visiting a local Kalaaliaraq, or fish and meat market, to spending a day fishing along the coast or dining with a local, Greenland offers plenty of foodie experiences. One of the most isolated restaurants in the world, Qooqqut Nuan, is located on an island off Nuuk and offers dishes made from locally caught fish and its own vegetable garden. Visitors can also bring their own fish for the restaurant to prepare for them, too.
Iceland has been celebrated for utilizing geothermal energy, and that extends to its agriculture. Greenhouse farming is heated through geothermal energy, which means that all produce grown in Iceland is sustainable. Visitors to Laugarvatn Fontana can learn how Icelandic rye bread is baked underground using the heat from a hot spring, while other places throughout Iceland offer great farm-to-table experiences.
In Norway, the ocean reigns supreme in its cuisine. In Lindesnes, travelers can explore the underwater world at Under Restaurant, a half-sunken restaurant that provides stunning underwater views of the North Atlantic Ocean as guests enjoy an 18-course seafood smorgasbord.
In addition to unique restaurants, Norway also hosts a variety of food festivals throughout the year. The Gladmat food festival is held in Stavanger in June; the Trøndelag Food Festival is held in July, and the Matstreif is held in Oslo in September each year.
Like many of the Nordic countries, Sweden too relies upon seafood for much of its cuisine. The restaurant Musselbaren offers a 4.5-hour mussels tour along a fjord where guests can harvest their own catch and learn how to prepare their meal in a stunning environment.
Sweden's oldest orchard, Köpings Musteri, is a Swedish treasure. Located northwest of Stockholm, the certified organic cider farm offers a 1.5-hour tasting tour with over 40 apple varieties. Within Stockholm, notable restaurants include Green Michelin Starred Fotografiska, sustainable vegetarian restaurant Hermans and more.
The Nordics are a great place to understand the connection between food and the natural environment. From architecturally stunning underwater restaurants to cozy dinners on a farm along the coast, the Nordic countries offer incredible food cultures to experience.
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