The Nordic landscape is easily recognized by its beautiful cloudy mountains, its open spaces, deep and dense pine forests with fresh and refreshing air and clean water. Edible animals such as lambs, elk, deer roam the forest and all can drill for wild berries, fruits, and mushrooms, as well as catch fish of many kinds. All the key ingredients in new Nordic cuisine, which is rapidly gaining popularity thanks to restaurants like Noma and some of the best gourmet chefs in the world.

Surprisingly to many, simplicity is one of the main characteristics of Nordic cuisine. Nordic cuisine is based on far fewer ingredients than many other cuisines and on higher quality ingredients grown in the cold and dry Nordic climate, which significantly influences the taste of each dish.

Single 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 brief burst of fresh and flavorful ingredients, such as especially wild berries, delicious fruits, and beautiful mushrooms. Long and welcoming winters in our special part of the world have made Scandinavians experts in preserving food to store summer ingredients.

Berries are what make the kitchen unique. Especially blackberries, blueberries and sea buckthorn berries. They can be found in all kinds of dishes and grow wild in nature, so everyone can freely pick them up. Its health benefits are many and the traces of its use go back to the time of the Vikings who brought blackberries on their travels to avoid the loss of vitamin C.

Blackberries are the most popular berries in Norway. It is eaten during Christmas and is 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 with a sweet / sour apple flavor. Rich in vitamin C, they are a natural option for recipes that call for berries and have considerable benefits, especially for healthy teeth and gums. The rich berries and their many health benefits were already discovered by the Vikings and it is still recognized as one of the tastiest and healthiest berries out there, but unfortunately it is also much more expensive than any other berry due to the rarity of this wonderful. orange treat.

After strawberries, blueberries rank second in popularity among berries worldwide. There are 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 blueberries for hundreds of years. In the Nordic countries you find them in the forests, and the Scandinavians have great childhood memories of picking blueberries in the deep pine forests.

Buckhorn Berries or Sea Buckhorn has been a source of food and medicine for centuries in China and Russia. The berries are quite tart, like a 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’s actually very easy to find sea buckthorn and pick it up yourself. These berries even grow in Copenhagen. In the summer, many Danes can be seen picking these berries themselves and it has become a trend in Denmark. The sea buckthorn berry is a powerful source of Omegas 3, 6 and 9. It is considered a true superfruit.

When visiting the Nordic countries, one must try to taste some of the delicious berries combined 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 this 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?