I look a lot at science when I cook and getting to cook for brilliant minds at the Nobel Banquet is a great honor, says Jessie Sommarström, who is the head chef at this year's Nobel Banquet at a press conference on Thursday.
Sommarström was named Chef of the Year 2022 and has also been awarded the Gastronomic Academy's gold medal. After many years in the restaurant industry, including at Esperanto and Sturehof in Stockholm, she now works as a gastronomic chef at Sodexo, which delivers food to, among other things, schools and elderly care.
Oatmeal on the tables
Cooking sustainable food for a few wealthy people may not drive the change we need. We must really understand that the challenges we face are linked to the food system and what we put on our plates, and public meals are incredibly important.
She hopes that her menu at the Nobel Banquet will have a signaling effect. In the otherwise secret menu, she reveals one ingredient – oatmeal.
I call it a modern cultural porridge. We have a long tradition of growing grains in Sweden, while the lack of whole grains is one of the major food-related causes of ill health in Sweden, she says.
Praised pastry chef
Frida Bäcke is responsible for the dessert and is the Pastry Chef of the Year. She has been named "Pastry Chefs' Pastry Chef" for two years in a row. She is also betting on Swedish tradition in the form of apples.
We've had a fantastic apple year and this is an opportunity to highlight what grows wild in nature. Apples are also rich in vitamin C and fiber, she says.
Frida Bäcke is from Dalarna and tells us that since she was a child, she has utilized raw materials such as mushrooms and lingonberries that she has picked herself.
The entire menu and all ingredients will be revealed when the guests sit down at 7:00 pm on December 10.
