CHEF NICOLAI NØRREGAARD FROM RESTAURANT KADEAU IN COPENHAGEN TAKES THE STAGE AT GASTROMASA ISTANBUL TO SHOWCASE BORNHOLM’S SMOKING TRADITION

CHEF NICOLAI NØRREGAARD FROM RESTAURANT KADEAU IN COPENHAGEN TAKES THE STAGE AT GASTROMASA ISTANBUL TO SHOWCASE BORNHOLM’S SMOKING TRADITION

On the occasion of the gastronomic congress “Gastromasa” held annually in Istanbul, the team from restaurant Kadeau (2* Michelin and 1* Green Michelin) in Denmark has traveled to Turkey to participate as speakers in this year’s edition.

The International Gastromasa Gastronomy Conference, which continues to act as a bridge between Turkey and the world gastronomy and ranks in the top two among world gastronomy events, is being held for the 9th time at Haliç Congress Center in Istanbul, within the framework of the theme “Legacy & Menu”.

Today, the inaugural day, Nicolai Nørregaard and his head chef Kyumin Hahn have taken the stage to hold a presentation under the premise “Bornholm’s Smoking Heritage: Tradition and Innovation.”

The guiding thread for their talk has been their star dish at Kadeau: the hot and cold smoked salmon, a key technique in Bornholm’s cuisine that has become a cornerstone of the restaurant.

As a young kid, Nicolai spent much of his time with his uncle, only smoker who was still smoking fish in the traditional way on Bornholm, learning the importance of tradition and patience.

In a world where most kitchens are modernising, the tradition of smoking and preserving in the old ways is something that keeps Kadeau rooted in an ethos of sustainable and real cooking.

Istanbul, November 13th 2024. «Bornholm’s Smoking Heritage: Tradition and Innovation.” This is how chef Nicolai Nørregaard has framed his presentation in the auditorium of Gastromasa Istanbul.

As a young kid, Nicolai spent much of his time with his uncle, only smoker who was still smoking fish in the traditional way on Bornholm, learning the importance of tradition and patience. He was also highly influenced by his grandfather’s cooking, who grew his own vegetables, caught much of his own seafood and spent a lot of time carefully preserving ingredients so that he could remain self-sufficient during the winter months. This way of cooking – very traditional in Bornholm – is what inspired Kadeau, and is the foundation of Nicolai’s cooking.

As such, when invited to participate as speakers at the 9th edition of Gastromasa Istanbul, under the framework “Legacy & Menu”, he could not choose any other dish than the “Hot and Cold Smoked Salmon”, which has now become a signature at Kadeau, to showcase the heritage and tradition is his homeland. It is the only dish that has constantly been on the menu, since 9 years ago, and will stay for a long time. “It is the heritage of me, my family and Bornholm” shared chef Nørregaard.

On stage, by the hand of his head chef and partner Kyumin Hahn, he has explained the history and culture of smoking fish and smokehouses on Bornholm. He has delved into his past experiences and family connections to the traditions and unique techniques used to smoke fish to explain how this has inspired not only the hot and cold smoked salmon, but the philosophy at Kadeau.

As chef Hahn prepared a tasting of their iconic salmon, which they have brought all the way from Denmark for the audience to try, Nicolai explained, step by step, the process of salting, curing and cold and hot smoking the salmon, a key technique in Bornholm’s cuisine that has become a cornerstone of the restaurant.

“Our smoked salmon represents how we stick to legacy from restaurant Kadeau. Smokehouses are becoming fewer and this is one of the techniques that can’t be automated, it needs to be done by hand. It can’t get lost. Our purpose is to dive into that heritage and bring it forward, showing Nordic techniques to other chefs and other people around the world.” expressed the chefs after participating for the first time in the annual gastronomic congress Gastromasa.

For over fifteen years, Kadeau has attracted discerning guests from around the world to experience the unique cuisine and story of Bornholm. The original restaurant, founded in 2007 on the southernmost tip of the island, features expansive views of the pristine beaches of Sømarken. A small island in the Baltic Sea, just off the coast of Sweden, Bornholm is essentially a large rock, with its very own special microclimate. Nicknamed the Sunshine Island, Spring sometimes takes a little longer to arrive but once the sun settles in, the island heats up and maintains its heat until late in the autumn, allowing fruits such as figs, peaches and mulberries to ripen completely.

With a dedicated kitchen garden nearby and access to forests, beaches and wild fields, Nicolai Nørregaard began to shape a cuisine with local terroir as the main focus. Kadeau Bornholm still remains the only restaurant on Bornholm with a Michelin star – and was awarded a Michelin green star in 2023.

Kadeau Copenhagen was founded in 2011 and is now located in the old Christianshavn area of the city. With two distinct seasons throughout the year, the kitchen showcases the best produce and food traditions of Bornholm with a clear focus on foraging and preservation. It has successfully retained two Michelin stars since 2018, as well as a Michelin green star since 2023. Today, Kadeau is open on Bornholm during the summer months – from May to September – and in Copenhagen all year round.

Nicolai Nørregaard is the head chef and co-owner of restaurant Kadeau in Copenhagen(**) and Bornholm(*). He was born and raised on the island of Bornholm, a small Danish Island in the Baltic Sea.

He is widely acclaimed as one of the forerunners of the New Nordic movement, working hyper-seasonally in close connection with nature, bringing innovative advancements and new perspectives to the ancient art of preservation, and ultimately challenging and redefining attitudes towards traditional fine dining.

Images in this link

Do you want to search?