november-2012

ILLUSTRATION: EMMA KELLY @ HANDSOME FRANK
T
observation deck: copenhagen
from nature to plate, Poul Arnedal delights in the nordic art of foraging
en years ago, I would
never have dreamt of
wandering through the
woods outside Copenhagen in
search of ramsløg (ramson);
now, I’ve become expert at
spotting its tapering leaves
and white-spiked flowers,
and recognising its
pungent, garlicky scent. And
I’m not the only one. During
the high season in May, I find
plenty of other locals scouring
the forest floor, as if they were
looking for truffles or chanterelles.
The revival of long-forgotten,
local ingredients is largely down to
the influence of one man: René Redzepi.
The son of a Macedonian immigrant, he
has transformed the Nordic kitchen and
indeed helped to shape a whole continental
cuisine.His restaurant, Noma, holds two
Michelin stars; earlier this year, it was
pronounced ‘the best restaurant in the world’
for the third consecutive year in the 50 best
restaurants list.
But as well as winning global renown for his
harbourside restaurant, Redzepi has had a
huge impact on the wider food scene here in
Copenhagen. We now have 12 Michelin-starred
eateries and 12 Bib Gourmand restaurants – not
FLY TO copenhagen four times daily. brusselsairlines.com
bad for a country of just five-anda-half
million inhabitants.
Perceptions of fine dining have shifted.
Forget ostentatious French-inflected fare or
imported caviar: nowadays, the true luxury
ingredients are those that are seasonal, local
and foraged. It’s a new approach, but one
that goes very well with the relaxed, laid-back
attitude of the Danes as a whole: snobbishness
has never been a Danish trait.
At Restaurant AOC, 27-year-old head
chef Ronny Emborg elevates ingredients such
as kohlrabi – previously considered more
suitable for cattle fodder – nettles and moss
to gourmet status, winning a
Michelin star in the process.
It’s the same story at Relæ,
run by former Noma sous-chef
Christian Puglisi. His motto is “keep it
simple”, and the restaurant’s secondhand
furniture, modest prices and
cheap cutlery haven’t stopped the
Michelin inspectors from rewarding
it with a star this year.
At home, too, the city’s foodies are
taking a more experimental approach –
though not everyone heads to the forest
to find their ingredients. Inveterate urbanites
prefer to do their foraging at Torvehallerne, the
city’s upscale new covered market. After years
of struggling with investment, it opened last
year in two sleek, architect-designed glass
halls on Israels Plads – a symbol of the city’s
reawakened appetite for quality produce.
Alongside acorn-fed Spanish hams and Italian
olive oils there are more earthy, homegrown
spoils: vivid green ramson, tender young
goutweed leaves and tart sea-buckthorn berries.
Of course, some ingredients are best left to
the professionals: I’ve never tried my hand at
serving live ants, which are sometimes to be
found on the menu at Noma. According to
Redzepi, they have a refreshing citrus taste.
For now, though, I think I’ll just stick to lemons.
Next month: Stockholm
november 2012 11