Exploring the New Nordic

Swedish Taste Dinner Table For our final night in Stockholm, we had the opportunity to participate in a cooking class with Swedish Taste . My group was tasked with preparing the first course of the meal. This consisted of scallops, roasted cauliflower, a cauliflower puree, and a brown butter sauce. I spent most of our time opening up the scallops and scooping out the insides. While I was a little grossed out by this at first, I must say I ended up being pretty good at it. When it was time to sit down for the meal we also enjoyed beef tartare, lamb, and strawberry rhubarb sorbet. I was not very excited about trying the beef tartare, because raw beef did not sound the least bit appetizing. But after hyping myself for a minute I was surprised to realize that it was actually pretty good. The highlight of the meal for me was the strawberry rhubarb sorbet and the mini dance party that followed. I could not have asked for a more perfect way to cap off the last two weeks of traveling.  

The Ostermalms Saluhalls has been a part of the Stockholm food scene since the late 1800s. It first began as a way to control the sanitation levels of food carts that were once on the nearby streets of Stockholm. In recent years it has been rennovated to more closely resemble the original building design. While there, we got to see some of what the vendors are selling. While today many of the stands provide meals and more modern selections, there are still some stands that have been there since the opening. These stands sell a variety of fish, meats, fruits, and vegetables. While many of the offerings are a little bit out of my price range, I hope that Ostermalms Saluhall is able to remain open for many years to come. 

  Chocolate History Tasting I was not at all surprised that our chocolate tasting at Fjaderholmarna Choklad was one of my favorite things we have done on the entire trip. It was the perfect combination of my two favorite things, history, and really good chocolate. I initially thought that the tour would be just like any other tasting experience where we all sit in a room and try whatever is presented to us. But this tasting included a walk around the island of Fjaderholmarna, which had beautiful views, and information on the surprisingly interesting history of the land. Each chocolate was nothing like I had before, but the herbal schnapps truffle was especially different. At first, I was thrown off by the completely liquid and intense flavor, but the more I chewed it, the more I realized how delicious it was. Of course, once our tour was over I had to go inside the shop and buy some chocolates to bring home to my family.

  Rose Garden and House Our time at Rosendals Tradgard was not what I thought it would be. I was just expecting to walk around a typical garden for a little while and then get lunch afterward. What ended up happening was a very educational experience about the history of the area, organic farming, and how they implement composting into their farming. My favorite thing I learned was how they are able to attach a new branch to an existing tree in order to improve it. This allows for extremely old trees to continue to produce fruits long after they experience damage. My only complaint about my time at Rosendals Tradgard would be that the ducks and birds were a little too comfortable coming up to people. I would have preferred if they kept their distance.  Attaching a New Branch

Lake Views The company Green Trails provides outdoor excursions around Stockholm. We had the opportunity to go on one of these excursions, which was a hike with a fika break halfway through. During our hike we got to see amazing views of a lake along with learning about some local wildlife. For our fika we made cinnamon rolls and coffee over the fire. Though it did result in some possibly concerning levels of smoke inhalation, I still had a great time enjoying the view and refreshments. The second half of our hike included spending some isolated quiet time in the woods for reflection. To be honest I did spend most of that time throwing sticks but I still enjoyed it. After walking through what seemed like a swamp for a little bit, we all safely returned back to the cars.  Making Coffee on the Fire  

  Parliament Building As a self-proclaimed history lover, the walking history tour of Stockholm was right up my alley. Our guide, Znid, did an amazing job of making Sweden's long history easy to understand by breaking it into chunks based off of what is in front of us. I also really loved his sense of humor which made the tour even more fun. In American public high schools, Swedish history is not something that is taught so almost all of the information was brand new to me. One of my favorite facts was that in order to maintain the Swedish monarchy, the king had the amazing idea of adopting a 47-year-old French man. This decision led to what would be the biggest war on European soil until World War I. I was also surprised by the general lack of celebration for Sweden's independence. But it makes sense that since it happened so long ago there really is not much to celebrate at this point. The biggest takeaway from the history tour was the love that Sweden has for Gustav II . Lov...

Swedish Meatball Dinner at Kvarnen  I thought I knew what Swedish meatballs tasted like because I had tried them in the Ikea food court a few times. Our Saturday night meal completely changed everything I knew about the food. The meatballs and mashed potatoes were one of the most amazing meals I have had in a long time. When imagining meatballs and mashed potatoes, it is easy to think that they could not be anything special. What they make at Kvarnen is special, especially when you eat them with the lingonberries and cucumbers. I am entirely aware that this post is just me rambling on about one meal, but if everyone could have had it with me I think they would all feel the exact same way. While the food itself tasted like something you would have at a fancy restaurant, the vibe at Kvarnen is similar to a tavern, where the people are in casual clothing and loudly talking with all their friends. Overall, I would love to be able to return to Kvarnen sometime in the future. ...

  The Vejrhoj Vineyard  in  Faravejle, Denmark that 20 years could not be imagined. Nina and Niels Fink are growing grapes that are designed specifically for the climate in the Nordic region. People were originally skeptical of the quality of wines that could be produced in this region, but the results  have  been amazing so far. When we first met Nina, she explained that she and Niels first left Copenhagen in order to be able to relax and enjoy the view that came with their new home. But after a friend suggested they start growing grapes and making wines, they began to love the process. I was truly shocked to find out that the entire growing process of around 10,000 vines was  managed by  just Nina and Niels. During our tour of  the  winery, Niels explained that people from  around  the area who are interested in wine-making come to help during the  production  and  bottling  process. We even got to see  ho...

Empirical Spirits Test Kitchen On Wednesday, we had the opportunity to take a tour of Empirical Spirits along with a tasting of some of their products. Many of the places we have visited have supported the implementation of the New Nordic Manifesto. Empirical Spirits believe that the world is full of amazing flavors that can be used to make great things, and they should not be limited to only flavors native to Scandinavia. I think this mindset allows them to create many more unique things for people to try. Along with using flavors from around the world, Empirical Spirits utilizes its employees with a variety of backgrounds in order to better develop the spirit. Their test kitchen is used to create small batches with flavors that they would like to experiment with. Empirical Spirits' philosophy surrounding flavors reminded me of our discussion during our first lecture. Jonathon pointed out that supporters of the New Nordic Manifesto believe that it is fine to go hundreds of miles t...

  Our visit to Yduns Have on the island of Samos was not something I expected to be as great as it was. That's not to say I was thinking it would be really boring, but I did not think I would really enjoy walking around a farm that much. The farms I grew up around could not be more different than this one. My farming experience has consisted mostly of large monocultures that do not put much thought into how what they plant or the livestock they raise could impact their environment. As someone who has recently added a sustainable agriculture minor, I loved getting to see a perfect example of sustainable farming that was successful. Some of my favorite concepts that they have implemented are the incorporation of trees into their agricultural practices and rotating the placement of chicken pastures. These methods improved soil nutrients, reduce erosions, increase nitrogen fixation, and improve habitats for pollinators. Along with raising chickens, I was surprised to see that they wer...

  When I found out that we would be doing a cooking class while in Copenhagen, I really had no clue what to expect. But, as soon as I saw the beautiful dining room and very professional-looking kitchen, I knew it would be a great experience. The menu for our meal consisted entirely of plant-based foods, which was something completely new for me and I believed I would still be left hungry after the meal was over. My group began preparing the brussels sprouts, cauliflower, parsnips, various sauces, and brownies. While it was a little stressful at some points, I really appreciated that we couldn't mess up anything too terribly and had a few opportunities to customize things to our liking. By the end, I was incredibly proud of the meal we had created. Though, in all honesty, I wasn't sure how much of it I was going to actually enjoy eating. To my surprise, each part of our meal was incredibly delicious and by the end, I was more than full. The best part of the whole experience was...

Before coming to Europe I was aware that produce and drink culture would be different, but seeing it in person is an entirely different thing. The first that really shocked me was the produce selection at the Glass Market , notably those insane strawberries. I could not believe how beautiful they looked. Every single one looked like it had been crafted to perfection before they were sold. I wonder if this level of quality is standard in all fruits and vegetables, regardless of where they are purchased, or if the Glass Market, where most things are of higher quality is a unique experience. Either way, those strawberries were a marvelous experience that I never have been able to have at a typical American market. The produce selection was not the only food experience that was different for me. While visiting the rooftop bar at Hotel Danmark ,  I knew it would be the perfect opportunity for me to try the Aperol Spritz that I had been seeing everywhere. After ...

  During our final class meeting of the semester, we had to opportunity to hear from Emily Vikre from Vikre Distillery. She spoke about what led her to open the distillery and the inspiration behind the products they create. One part of the discussion that really stood out to me was what Emily had to say about incorporating typical "Minnesota" things into their Nordic spirits. These standard spirits typically have strong flavors that may be off-putting to someone who is unfamiliar. Vikre Distillery decided to add more familiar flavors like rhubarb, black currant, and cinnamon that reflect life in Minnesota. I really love the idea of bringing together two different cultures in order to create something entirely new.