New Nordic cuisine

This episode of Witness History explores the birth of New Nordic cuisine, a culinary revolution that transformed Denmark and the broader Nordic region. Centered on the journey of food entrepreneur Klaus Meyer, the story traces his difficult upbringing in 1960s Denmark—marked by a strained family life and a childhood defined by bland, processed meals—through his transformative experience in rural France, where he discovered the concept of terroir and the deep connection between food and place. Inspired by his mentor Guy, Meyer returned to Denmark with a mission to reinvent Danish food culture. In 2004, he launched Noma, a restaurant dedicated to using only seasonal, local Nordic ingredients, and co-authored the Nordic Kitchen Manifesto, a groundbreaking document promoting freshness, sustainability, and localism. The movement gained widespread acclaim, culminating in Noma being named the world’s best restaurant five times. However, the episode also confronts the darker side of this success, acknowledging serious allegations of workplace abuse against Noma’s former head chef René Redzepi, which led to his resignation and a cultural reckoning at the restaurant. Klaus Meyer, while distancing himself from day-to-day operations, expressed regret for not being more attentive to the work environment, highlighting the gap between culinary excellence and leadership responsibility.