Norwegians may be born with skis under their feet, but no country scores worse than us when it comes to traditional food.
At least that’s what readers of the Taste Atlas website think. The website itself claims to be an encyclopedia of food recipes from around the world.
It is not stated how many voted.
Norwegian ranks 95th on their list of the world’s best cuisines. So it is the last place.
At the top of the list is Italy, followed by Greece and Spain.
BON APPETIT: What would you choose?
– Not completely agree with the premise
This is a traditional food that has been considered. Minister of Agriculture and Food Sandra Borch thus disagrees that “Norwegian food is the worst in the world”.
– It’s about what dishes are used in this survey. After all, we have chefs who stand out in international competitions and we’re about to have a World Cheese Championship, so I’m not totally on board with the place for this award, he said.
According to surveys, there is little access to a wider selection of raw materials in Norway. The Minister of Food believes that traditional Norwegian cuisine has potential.
– I think we benefit from trying to “spice up” our traditional dishes.
Norwegian food is the worst in the world. This is what the food minister said:
Jimmy Øyen, head chef and co-owner of Restaurant Rest, agrees with Borch.
– If you hold lasagna with pickled herring, then it will win in what is convenient for you, he says.
Nevertheless, the master chef is content with Norwegian ingredients.
– We have some of the world’s best raw materials. We had amazing fish and a great selection of root vegetables. But it is traditional food that we value now.
– Damage
Website Forbes also caught wind of this news.
Arne Sørvik, general manager of the Norwegian Gastronomy Foundation, fears the survey could hurt Norway as a culinary destination.
– This is not good for the reputation of Norwegian food, according to him.
– Norwegian food culture is known for its rather raw food-based gastronomy. And compete with, for example, Italy, it may not look as colorful and good.
WINNER: Filip August Bendi from Norway (right) and his team won the Bocuse d’or cooking competition in January. Photo: Laurent Cipriani
He also believes that a revolution has taken place in the Norwegian kitchen.
– The outside world hasn’t caught on yet. This may exceed the export potential of Norwegian products.
“Infuriatingly humble coffee guru. Travel practitioner. Freelance zombie fanatic. Certified problem solver. Food scholar. Student.”
