Restaurateur Claus Meyer, co-founder of
Copenhagen’s most lauded restaurant,
Noma, discusses the evolution of New
Nordic cuisine in his hometownCOPENHAGEN
A TASTE OF
The French word ‘terroir’ is very important in
understanding the concept behind the New
Nordic movement. It’s the impact of natural
forces — soil condition, sun, wind and rain
— in a specific region that enables us to bring
food to the table with its own distinctive
characteristics. In the Nordic region, there
aren’t many people, but we have lots of fertile
soil. The idea was to deal with primary
produce that had been exposed to very little
cultural influence. Whatever we find in our
wild landscapes is unique to our region.
Previously, eating in Denmark was a
matter of economic efficiency. I grew up in
an era of canned meatballs and mashed
potato powder, the birth of sauce colouring
and of the bouillon cube. I knew that
Denmark not only needed but deserved an
enthusiastic approach to food — it was just
a matter of finding a way to unlock the true
potential of our food culture.
I’m still astonished by the impact Noma
and the New Nordic movement has had on the
culinary landscape. The idea that ingredients
cultivated close to home can harness an equal
if not superior taste experience compared to
sought-after delicacies traded across borders
has stood the test of time.
These days, however, the culinary scene
in Copenhagen still maintains a profound
understanding of the importance of using
local ingredients and working from a
sustainable starting point. The Danish
capital is a hotpot of taste explosions,
ranging from street food to Michelin dining,
covering every part of the globe along the
way. Young trailblazers and seasoned chefs
come together to form a food metropolis,
which may be small in size but still manages
to influence the global food agenda.
Read the full interview with Claus Meyer
online at nationalgeographic.co.uk/travelClaus lists his top
three Copenhagen
culinary experiencesLOLA
In 2012, I founded the part-restaurant,
part-social education project Gustu in
La Paz, Bolivia. Spearheading it was
Kamilla Seidler, who last year opened
Lola, combining great, affordable food
with a social empowerment programme
for trainee chefs. restaurantlola.dkDECIDERET CIDER
You can’t visit the cidery itself, but the
guys behind Decideret Cider make
some of the best cider I’ve ever had.
They create a hyper-local variety using
only surplus apples from private garden
owners in Copenhagen. You can buy
the ciders from good restaurants and
speciality stores. decideretcider.dkHART BAGERI
Richard Hart is a Brit with a remarkable
insight into the mechanics of baking.
He opened his storefront in the
Copenhagen district of Frederiksberg
in 2018. It’s a bit pricey, but the flavours
make it worthwhile. hartbageri.comCLAUS MEYER
kick-started the
New Nordic culinary
revolution in the late
1980s and opened the
acclaimed Noma
in 2003.TAKE IT HOME
The kanelsnurrer
cinnamon swirls
served in Meyer’s
Bakeries (a chain of
four artisanal bakeries
in Copenhagen) are a
great project to try at
home, combining easy
techniques with more
challenging ones.Find the recipe for kanelsnurrer
(pictured above) on our website. Share
your photos using #STAYINSPIREDJul/Aug 2020 21SMART TRAVELLER