Under the (Norwegian) Sea
by CWA
@ 10 Jul 2019
When people think of fine, fresh seafood, people often point towards Japan as *the* place to get the best, naming salmon as the signature sashimi dish. However, what many people wouldn’t actually know is that the salmon often served in Japanese restaurants actually come from Norway.
The Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC), and the team behind it, is dedicated to making sure more people know about it.
“If you go to the sushi restaurants, more than 50% of the dishes sold have salmon,” says Jon Erik Steenslid, Regional Director of the Norwegian Seafood Council in Southeast Asia. “ Japan doesn’t actually export any salmon. When you eat fresh salmon, or sashimi, it’s most likely from Norway.” This is a fairly important fact, and recently, the NSC held a special Kitchen Jam Session at V Dining to showcase the best of Norwegian seafood. Led by two outstanding female chefs, Chef Heidi Bjerkan, and Chef Rungthiwa Chummongkhon, the session took the opportunity to feature three dishes from each chef. Both were able to show how seafood like langoustine, scallops, king crab and clams can be created to the best of its abilities, and all the products are marked with the Seafood From Norway symbol to show the mark of origin.
Native Thai Chef Chummongkhon, (aka Chef Fae), was excited to showcase her skills and love for Norwegian seafood. While she’s currently based in Bangkok, the chef has a love for Norwegian seafood that stems from her living in Denmark, and being married to a Dane.
“In Southeast Asia, we have a tendency to overwhelm the fish with spices, flavours, and sauces that can mask or hide the natural flavours of the original fish,” she says. “Norwegian cuisine, on the other hand, works on accentuating or doing minimal work to bring out the sweetness of the flesh. You don’t have to do much in order to bring the best of it out.”
Also along for the event was veteran Chef Jimmy Chok, as well as the team at V Dining, who took the opportunity to serve up their interpretations of seafood, using unique ingredients, distinct cultures and various techniques. Guests took the chance to mingle, walk and discuss the quality of Norwegian seafood, all while chatting with the chefs and asking them for their views on Norwegian seafood.
Seafood From Norway is proud to be the Official Seafood Partner of the World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards 2019. To learn more about the Norwegian Seafood Council and the work they do, please go here.
