Scandinavia and the New Nordic Cuisine

[MUSIC PLAYING]

KRISTEN RASMUSSEN DE VASQUEZ: Like many Americans, my genetic makeup is varied

far and wide. However, I do have quite a bit of Danish ancestry as well as a lot of experience in
Denmark, working with Nordic cuisine. So I'll be using Scandinavia and the new Nordic diet to
illustrate course concepts.

Every biocultural factor contributes the foods eaten in Scandinavia. But I would argue that the
cold, harsh physical environment has most dramatically shaped Scandinavian cuisine. As you
can see from this map, the Arctic Circle actually passes through the top of Scandinavia. So you'll
find most of the population in the southern regions, near the coast, where there is always
plentiful access to seafood, a very prominent component of the diet.

The fjords of Norway further illustrate that there is ample coastline. Fish is so important that it's
considered necessary for good health, demonstrating how ideology connects with cuisine. This
makes sense, as it would have been hard to live without seafood in Scandinavia before modern
technology existed.

In addition to seafood, meat, and dairy, cold weather vegetables are also common, as are rye and
other grains that can be grown in cold climates, like barley and oats. Rye is especially common
in the form of dense, nutty bread that is used for open-faced sandwiches.

The harsh weather has led to a wide variety of preservation methods, from cured salmon for
gravlax to fermented beets and dairy products. Although this is changing with globalization,
people of Denmark still eat pretty seasonally. I'm lucky to have spent a few Summers in
Copenhagen when new potatoes, strawberries, and peas are on every menu because it's the
season for them, and everyone is so excited.

It's important not to forget the sociocultural environment and history of Vikings that was
dominant in Scandinavia. Because the climate was so harsh, Scandinavians often left to take
forcefully what they could not grow at home. Although this historical practice was extremely
detrimental to the subjugated countries, and that should not be overlooked, these ingredients,
such as spices like cardamom and cloves, allowed for trade in interesting flavors in many
Scandinavian foods that persist today.

The New Nordic Movement was coined by Rene Redzepi of Noma, a restaurant in Copenhagen
that received the award for Best Restaurant in the World several times. The movement has
several intentions, including a focus on the authentic cuisine of the region, emphasis on
traditional techniques, and returning the balance back to Earth.

In Scandinavia, this includes the foods that we have mentioned and techniques such as
fermentation and foraging, while recognizing that in the modern era, there needs to be a shift
toward a more plant-based diet and innovations in sustainable food production practices for a
larger population.
Several years ago, I spent time as a visiting researcher at the Nordic Food Lab in Copenhagen,
where among other things, I learned about New Nordic Food ways and how traditional
ingredients, such as mackerel and cabbage, can and should exist alongside more novel foods, like
fermented broccoli stems and freeze dried ants. One aspect of the New Nordic Cuisine
movement that I particularly appreciate is how it reminds us that culture and tradition can play a
role in promoting healthful, sustainable foods, merging ancient practices with current times.

Challenge yourself to think about the traditional food culture of your ancestors or other regions
of the world and what we might be able to learn from them. Many traditional Nordic foods and
techniques include a lot of salt. This is no surprise, since Nordic countries are surrounded by
ocean, and Scandinavians historically had to make preserved foods, like pickles, sausage, and
salted fish, to get through the winter.

Additionally, in years past, salted food, specifically salted cod, was a very valuable currency for
trading with other countries. With modern technological developments, such as refrigeration,
these preservation methods are no longer necessary for most Scandinavians, but they are still
widely cherished, because they are ingrained in the food culture.

Hearing this, you might think that sodium intake in Scandinavian populations would be high.
And you'd be right. The average sodium intake in Scandinavia is even higher than in the United
States, which is already much higher than recommendations.

However, rates of cardiovascular disease, which many highlight as the main reason for reducing
sodium consumption, are lower in Scandinavia compared to the US. In light of this, and the fact
that chronic disease is a new occurrence, while high sodium consumption is not, it's a far stretch
to connect the sodium in traditional diets to increases in chronic disease in Scandinavia.

Think about how the various factors of the biocultural framework lead to higher sodium intake in
Scandinavia but also might play a role in the fact that cardiovascular disease rates are lower there
than in the US. For example, from this chart, you can see that sodium intake in America
primarily comes from processed foods, while the traditional Scandinavian diet would be lower in
sodium from processed foods and higher in sodium from naturally occurring foods and home
cooking.

I say the traditional Scandinavian diet because like other countries, there's unfortunately a shift
toward processed foods in Scandinavia with increasing globalization. There are many other
confounding factors to consider as well. This is just one example.

Finally, I'd like to take a step back and challenge you to question the impacts of salt consumption
and cardiovascular disease risk in general. One of the readings for this module, the Bates' topic,
and while you're reading the article, keep this lecture in Scandinavian cuisine in mind.

As the article points out, the risks of salt consumption are J-shaped. While it is true that high
consumption of salt is associated with chronic disease risk, consumption of salt in levels that are
too low is also detrimental to health. Fortunately, the USDA did take this evidence into
consideration in the most current 2015 dietary guidelines and now has a more moderate stance
on sodium.

It's important to remember that even in light of this J-shaped curve, most individuals in the US
currently consume too much sodium, largely due to the high intake of processed foods. To
further clarify this point, this chart shows the results of another study measuring sodium
excretion, which is directly related to sodium consumption, and rates of mortality and
cardiovascular disease risk.

As you can see, extremes are the enemy when it comes to sodium. It's clear from many studies
that a diet very high in sodium is dangerous. But the problem is we usually run too far in the
other direction.

Similar to other nutrition lessons, the take home message with sodium is that moderation is key
and decreasing process food intake, potentially by seeking out a diet of more traditional foods,
will dramatically help you to have a healthy sodium intake.