Lucky Swedish. The Faroese food and culture show Spískamarið (English title: The Nordic Pantry) has been picked up on Swedish television network SVT. Audiences in Norway and Finland are supposed to follow later this year. I believe that even more TV broadcasting companies should get in line quickly. And this is why.
The creators of The Nordic Pantry, Gutti Winther and Pætur Marjunarson Dahl, have done an excellent job. Spískamarið is not only about cooking. It is also about food culture, lifestyle, nature, villages and people on Faroe Islands. Chef Winther is the charismatic host of the show, Dahl acts as director and producer.
Spískamarið is an honest series. The Nordic Pantry doesn’t only promote the benefits of using fresh and local ingredients. It simply shows where food comes from. I remember watching a film about the Sami culture once. The kindergartners and the kids sat down on the floor and cut up a caribou. I liked that. Because it is honest. Spískamarið does not tiptoe around the issue of slaughtering. Blood flows. Nevertheless, it is full of beautiful images and information about Faroe Islands.
One of the episodes is available on Vimeo, with English subtitles. Chef Gutti Winther visits Vágar, the most westerly of the large islands. Outdoor cooking at its best: At the end of the show, Winther serves a great meal. Horse mussels, grilled over peat, with potatoes. Mackerel with sliced and marinated white turnip and beetroot. Potato salad. Fried fish. And berry compote ... Sorry, I have to go now. I'm hungry.
