Title: Eating the North: An Analysis of the Cookbook NOMA: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine Author(s): L. Sasha Gora Source: Graduate Journal of Food Studies, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Nov. 2017) Published by: Graduate Association for Food Studies

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art itself.” or (2)conversation thanby directconfrontationwiththe are aware ofanartist’sworkthrough(1)theprintedmedia “For many years ithasbeenwell knownthatmorepeople of StudioInternationalMagazine ’s timeandplaceinNordic cuisine? of thisbookcommunicateabout,asthetitlesuggests, design supportthevisual?Whatdoesvisuallanguage identity, howisidentityvisuallyexpressed? Howdotext and Nordic landscape.Iffoodactsasanexpression ofcultural of therestaurant’s interior, andromanticrenderingsofthe white portraits oftherestaurant’s suppliers,blurryshots book depictmessyarrangements ofdelicatefood,blackand graphed by DitteIsager, theimagesthroughoutcook- sets thetoneforbook:poeticandunderstated.Photo- introduction, titled“MilkSkinwithGrass.” Thisintroduction Danish-Icelandic artistOlafurEliassonpennedthebook’s channels thanthrough eatingitsfood. through itscookbooks, presscoverage, andsocialmedia Noma. Morepeople,theauthor included,experience Noma NOMA: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine abstract Nordic in Place and Time NOMA: Eating the North: AnAnalysisoftheCookbook SASHAGORA L. 230€ or$245(US)perperson), course meal(themenu,without wine,is1.700DK,nearly that seatsonlyforty-four)and thehighcostofamulti- Cuisine. English languagecookbook:NOMA:TimeandPlaceinNordic keywords demonstrating howthecookbookdoesnotrepresentatimeandplace,butinsteadconstructsone. is consideredNordicfood,butalsotheregion?IthencloselyreadNOMA:Time andPlaceinNordicCuisine Nordic foodandtheregionfromwhichitcomes?Howdoescompositionofbookasawholeshapenotonlywhat communication andmarketing—andconsidertherolevisualplaysinthisprocess.Howdoescookbookrepresent and recipessignifytimeplacefordiversepublics.Ibeginwithaliteratu Nordic Cuisine competition. Thatsameyear,2010,therestaurant publisheditsfirstEnglishcookbook in2003.Sevenyearslater,itwascrownedfirstRestau ervations. 2010, therestaurant had100,000onlinerequestsforres- magazine’s BestRestaurant intheWorld competitionin In aconversation withCharlesHarrisonin a1969issue The day afterNomawascrownedfirstinRestaurant 2 Authoredby chefRenéRedzepi,thecontemporary 3 | 1 Withitsmonth-longwaitinglist(forarestaurant Thatsameyear, therestaurant publisheditsfirst |

A portmanteauoftheDanishwordsnordisk(Nordic)andmad(food),NomaopenedinCopenhagen,

Cookbooks, NewNordic,visualculture, hautecuisine , authored by chef René Redzepi. In this article I analyze this cookbook, focusing on howthevisuals,texts, focusing InthisarticleI analyze thiscookbook, Redzepi. , authoredbychefRené , SethSiegelaubremarked: 4 thesamecanbesaidabout 5 Noma’s cookbooks recipes signify time and place for diverse publics. In this arti- the Nomacookbook, focusingonhowthevisuals, texts, and from whichitcomes?Withthis questioninmind,Ianalyze Place inNordic Cuisine nicate asenseoftimeandplace? HowdoesNOMA:Timeand cookbooks valuablemarketing toolsfortherestaurant. stories thatexpress asenseofcultural identity. Thismakes and theNordic.Therecipestellstoriesbehindfood, them aspecificcultural valuerelated toideasoftheNorth izes therecipeswithstoriesofpeopleandplacesthatassign more thanacollectionofrecipes.Thecookbookcontextual- indicates, NOMA:TimeandPlaceinNordic Cuisine a senseoftimeandplaceinNordiccuisine.Asthename text creates,andwhatthisallsuggestsaboutconstructing page, howfoodiscontextualized, theatmospherethiscon - ed, howitlooksinfrontofthecamera andontheprinted ly; instead,Idiscusswhereitcomesfrom,howispresent- not discusshowthefoodtastesorwhatitdoesnutritional- visual, foodanditscompositionalsochannelemotions.Ido in whichtherestaurant isbased. as wellhowthiscookbookcreatesanimageoftheregion structs thefoodfromoneofworld’sbestrestaurants, on howthemediumofacookbookcommunicatesandcon- approach todiscusswhatpeopleeatandhow. HereIfocus visual culture.Onecantake aneconomic,social,orpolitical process. rant experience. The visualplays anessentialrole inthis complement, aswellcompletelysubstitute,therestau- So, inwhatway canacookbookconstructandcommu- Food andeatingcanbestudiedasbothmaterial rant Magazine’sBestRestaurant intheWorld re review—discussingcookbooksastoolsof represent Nordicfoodandthe region NOMA: Time andPlacein 6 Beyond thephysical and is much ,

GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 7 GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 8 tion ofwhatcookbooksdoandstudyingthemreveals: Cuisine: CookbooksinContemporary India” withadescrip- Appadurai openedhis1988article“HowtoMake aNational um forstorytelling.Thesocial-cultural anthropologistArjun they communicatemorethanrecipes.Acookbookisamedi- THE PUBLICANDPRIVATE LIVESOFCOOKBOOKS Nordic region. shapes perceptionsofnotonlyNordicfood,butalsothe designed, andhowthiscompositionofthebookasawhole I alsoexamine theway thebookiswritten,structured,and structs one.Ianalyzethenarratives formedby thevisuals. the cookbookdoesnotrepresentatimeandplace,butcon- NOMA: TimeandPlaceinNordic Cuisine the rolevisualplays inthisprocess.Ithencloselyread as toolsofcommunicationandmarketing, andconsider cle, Ibeginby reviewing literature thatdiscussescookbooks perhaps fictitious oridealizedinotherinstances.” autobiographical in mostcases,historicalsometimes, and books ingeneral, asshewrites,“. .cookbookstellstories — to generate aprofit,herfindingscanbeappliedtocook- community cookbooksthatserve tofund-raise asopposed Stories, Histories. trum ofstoriesinRecipesforReading:CommunityCookbooks, can narrate Bowerdiscussesthisspec- isdiverse. AnneL. Appadurai describes? The range of unusual tales a cookbook NOMA: TimeandPlaceinNordic Cuisine. is considerededible,aperspective specifically relevant to ingredients. Noma’s generative effortsreflectashift inwhat that specificallyfocusesondeveloping ordiscovering new dients andworkswithalaboratory—the Nordicfoodlab— introduces newingredients.Nomahighlightsforaged ingre- new ways tocookoldingredients,theNomacookbookalso them cultural artifacts.Insteadofmerelydemonstrating lationships betweenpeople,food,andvalues.Thismakes Cookbooks areaboutmuchmorethanjustcookingand How docookbookstellthe“unusualcultural tales”that According toAppadurai, cookbooksreveal shiftingre- the structure ofdomesticideologies. household budget,thevagaries ofthemarket, and culinary process, thelogicofmeals,exigencies of in theboundariesofedibility, theproperties ofthe of theliterature ofthesenses.Theyreflect shifts virtues ofallmanualswiththevicariouspleasures cultural tales.Theycombinethesturdy pragmatic literature ofcomplex civilizations,tell unusual Cookbooks, whichusuallybelongtothehumble Although shewritesspecifically about 7 , demonstrating how 8 Inthe “...cookbooks reveal muchaboutthesocieties thatproduce Home Cooking:Cookbooks andGenderinModern America As Jessamyn NeuhausputsitinManlyMealsandMom’s books morelike novels: booksreadfortheirstories. ration thanutility. Asshewrites,italso frames thesecook- makes somecookbooksmoreaboutinspiration andaspi- without theintentionofever cookingfromthem.This As Brennersuggests,somepeoplepurchasecookbooks fingertips.” has elaborately madeorhard-to-findingredientsatone’s difficult tocookfrom,sincethey usuallyassumethatone are certainlyexceptions, chefcookbooksarenotoriously of aNationalCuisine different intention.InAmericanAppetite:TheComingofAge cookbook isoftendeveloped forthehomecook, butwitha surements andeasy-to-followinstructions—thistypeof their, sometimeschaotic,cookingintostandardizedmea- whose responsibilityitistoshadowthechefandtranslate of cooking.Writtenby achef—orperhapsghostwriter of cookbookdirectlylinksthepublicandprivatespheres ment isoftensimpleandingredientsfamiliar. Anothertype a cookbook:asiffromonehomekitchentoanother. Equip- recipes intheirkitchenandthensharethemtheformatof follows aformula,asthesecookbookauthorswriteandtest tures recipesthatserve fourpeople.Thistypeofcookbook typically forafamily, asthestandardcookbookoftenfea- with theintentionthatthesebookswillbecooked from, spheres. Women authormany booksabouthomecooking books, booksthatoperate inboththepublicandprivate rai describesonlyoneofthemany differenttypesofcook- an importantposition. Nordic region,bothpastandpresent,inwhichNomaholds is alsohistoricalasitconstructsanidealizedimageofthe the biography oftherestaurant. Furthermore, thecookbook the storyofRedzepiandhowhebecameachef. Italsotells case oftheNomacookbook,itisautobiographical asittells with nointentiontocookfromit?Brennercontinues: cookbook. Butwhy doessomeonepurchaseacookbook These storiescantellusalotabout aplaceandtime. As heexplores cookinginthedomesticsphere,Appadu- to cookvicariouslyrevel infantasymeals. may notbeabletofind.Thesebooksallow readers never have timetomake, featuringingredients they ateurs dream aboutelaborate constructionsthey’ll them like novels. Theprofessional cookbookletsam cook from cookbooksanyway; insteadtheyread But chefbookssell.many peopledon’t actually 9 NOMA:TimeandPlaceinNordic Food , Leslie Brennerwrites:“Although there 10 issucha - : col ofusages,situations,andbehavior.” time, asystemofcommunication,bodyimages,proto- for statisticalornutritionalstudies.Itisalso,andatthesame food? Itisnotonlyacollectionofproductsthatcanbeused gests suchaway ofanalyzingfoodashewrites,“For whatis stood asasymptomofcommunication.RolandBarthessug- the city, country, andregioninwhichitisbased. usual tales”abouttherestaurant thatproducedit,aswell those whopurchasecookbooks.” forces ofmarketing andpublishingtheprivatelives of as afascinatingbutmurkyintersectionbetweenthepublic writes, “Commercial cookbooks,ontheotherhand,function document dishestherestaurant hasserved. Yet, asNeuhaus about restaurant cookbooks,like NOMA purposes” cookbooksserve. spheres, revealing thenumerous“and sometimesobscure and PlaceinNordic Cuisine books, especiallythosepennedby chefslike NOMA:Time books, toexperience Noma,even fromafar. lowers oftherestaurant, bothonsocialmediaand through it constructsitsownidentity. Imagesbecomeaway for fol- restaurant andarethusatoolfortherestaurant touseas rience. ImagesofNomainfluence howpeopleperceive the itself, portray aparticularperspective, andshareanexpe- Photography becomes amediumfortherestaurant tobrand Time andPlaceinNordic Cuisine es offood,itisnowonderthathalfthepagesNOMA: instructions. However, withthepopularityofglossyimag- the dishlooksorcouldlook,ifoneobedientlyfollows illustrations showhowtomake adish,asopposedtohow which serve amore instructive thanaestheticrole.These Everything the ArtofFrench Cooking lia Child,Louisette Bertholl,andSimoneBeck’sMastering cookbooks donothave photographs, asinclassicslike Ju- THE ROLES OFIMAGES INCOOKBOOKS thes, foodisasignandimagesofformvisuallanguage. precisely forthesereasonsthatisasign.” ing, summingup,andsignalizingotherbehaviors, anditis eat isabehavior thatdevelops beyond itsownends,replac- communication, foodcanbe“read.” Barthescontinues:“To them.” men) have cooked atleastonce. books atleastdocumentwhatrealwomen(andsometimes as Brennerargues.Neuhausassertsthatcommunitycook- what peopleeatasmuchwouldlike toeat, ciety isnotstraightforward. Cookbookscandemonstrate If cookbookstellstories,thenthey canalsobeunder- Images play varyingroleswithincookbooks.Some 11 However, assessingtherolecookbooksplay inso- . Thesecookbooksinsteadfeatureillustrations, and MarkBittman’s HowTo Cook , intersectthepublicandprivate 14 NOMA are full-pagephotographs. 12 13 Thesamecanbesaid Inotherwords,cook- tellsstoriesand“un- 15 Cast as a system of Castasasystemof , asthey mostly 16 AccordingtoBar- rary societies.” images play aprimaryroleinthecommerceofcontempo- consumption withareminder:“Imagesarenotfree.Visual Lisa Cartwrightbegintheirchapteronvisualcultureand books want or what they do. Images sell. Marita Sturken and possible answertothequestionofwhatpicturesincook- tion; they arealsopersuasive marketing tools,whichisone Cuisine What dothepicturesinNOMA:TimeandPlaceNordic leads tothequestion:whatdopicturesincookbookswant? thus thereisacultureofseeing. is lessneutral andassumesthatvisionisconstructed, ing. Heprefersthetermvisualculturetostudiesasit visual cultureandstudieswherethefieldishead- culture. Instead,heoffersthereaderhispersonaltake on he doesnothave categoricalanswersfordefiningvisual seeing is,andhowitworks.However, heconfessesthat Mitchell’s text seekstoanswerwhatvisualcultureis, on theirvision,like onewouldtrytoonanewwintercoat. to mindwhenonetriesonsomeoneelse’s glasses,trying talk aboutit,describeandunderstandit?Thetitlebrings secret oftheirvitality?’and‘whatdothey want?’” ‘what dothey mean?’or‘whatdothey do?’but‘what isthe es that“.thequestionstoaskaboutimagesarenotjust he performswithstudentsto“showseeing”summariz- ments.” they provide importantdualmeaningsinmany advertise- photographic truthyet arealsoaprimarysourceoffantasy, . photographs always carrywith themtheconnotationof Sturken andCartwright discussthemspecifically, writing,“ graphs? Photographs work differently than illustrations, and the future,whatdoesthisimplyforacookbookwithphoto- means forproducinglifestyle-baseddesireprojectedinto and lifeasit‘should’be.” ents animageofthingstobedesired,peopleenvied, self-improvement, andglamour.Advertising oftenpres- the constructionofcultural ideas about lifestyle,self-image, Cartwright write:“Suchadvertising imagesarecentral to ry roleistoadvertise with theintentiontosell.Sturken and general areentangledandactive incommerce.Theirprima- and Cartwright’sassertionsuggeststhatvisualimagesin culture by asking:Howdoweshowseeing? Critique ofVisualCulture” approachesthefieldofvisual From itstitle,W.J.T. Mitchell’sessay “ShowingSeeing:A like it,NOMA Place inNordic Cuisine tisement, itneeds thissenseoffantasy. Theimageneedsto Chefcookbooksaremorethanjustsourcesofinspira- Given thesignificantroleimagesplay inNOMA:Timeand 22 want? Inorderforaphotograph tofunctionasanadver- canbestudiedinthecontext ofvisualculture. 20 Even beyond advertising images,Sturkin andinotherimage-heavy cookbooks 21 Ifadvertising isanabstraction, a 18 Indescribinganexercise 17 Howdowe 19 This

GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 9 GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 10 cookery.” classified aswhat RolandBarthesdescribes as “ornamental dia site,itdocumentsandaestheticizes food.Thiscanbe be seen.Whenanimageofadish appearsonasocialme- something thatispurelydecorative. Itsonlyfunctionisto that imagesoffoodhave thepotentialtorenderfoodas McBride’s referencetoMageeissignificantasitimplies enters arealmwheresurfaceappearance isall-important.” becomes divorced fromits nutritive ortastequalitiesand mative dimensions: “Food, whenremoved fromthekitchen, refers tocriticRichardMagee’s discussionoffood’sperfor- what “foodporn” isandwhetheritexists, Anne E. McBride their mealatanexclusive restaurant. Inherdiscussionof describes the act of an individual photographing and sharing one’s lifestyle, thusfunctioningascultural capital.Thisalso mote arestaurant orrecipe,topersonallypromotesome- aesthetic. Itsusevalueistocommunicate,eitherpro- pleasure. Food inanimagebecomespurelyrepresentative, a usevalue.Itfeedsyou, relieving hunger, oftenproviding Photographing foodchangesitsstatus.Food onaplatehas images offoodonsocialmediaandacrosstheInternet. lications thatcover topicsrelatedtofood,one nowfinds cook orrecipetester’sendresult. when anovice’s attemptlookslittlelike theprofessional expectation ofhowthedishshouldlook,but alsofrustrating ing. Imagesareusefulinthesensethatthey establishaclear can beespeciallyusefulfornovice cooks,butalsofrustrat- contextualize them,andtotelltheirlargerstories. Images necessary, imageshelpcookbookstodemonstrate recipes, were sharedinwrittenformandcirculated.Althoughnot cookbooks weretheprimarychannelthroughwhichrecipes rant asawhole. dishes, they assertaspecificstyleandmarket therestau- restaurant’s overall visualbranding. Indepictingparticular dishes shouldlook,theseimagesfunctionaspartofthe unfamiliar ingredients.Inadditiontoshowinghowspecific Place inNordic Cuisine Neuhaus revealed. ThisisespeciallytrueofNOMA:Timeand resent notwhatoneiseating,butcouldeat,as images presentedinacookbook.Cookbooksoftenrep- an elementoffantasyinfoodphotography, especiallythe can become.Thistransformative emphasisalsointroduces transformation. Adsdonotshowwhooneis,but space otherthanthepresent.Advertising imagesareabout oneself init,butforeignenoughthatitoccupiesatemporal and thenotionofphotographic truth—thatonecanimagine be familiarenough—whichisachieved throughphotography Beyond cookbooks,foodmagazines,and general pub- Before theriseoffood-focusedblogsandwebsites, 24 Barthesspecifically addressedtheglossyphoto - due toitselaborate instructionsand 23

to many photographs offood: graphs ofElle on socialmediaissocommonbecause: popular. BrendanI.Koerner arguesthatfoodphotography duce foodphotography. Photographs offoodareincredibly thors, bloggers,andsocialmediastars,consumersalsopro- inaccessible. ornamental, even iftheirinstructionalpurpose may remain manding therecipestepsmay be,theimagesaremorethan plies thatnomatterhowexotic theingredientsorhowde- the recipesstep-by-step canproduceintheend.Thisim- NOMA though thefinaldishmay stillbeinaccessible.Inthecaseof instructive modelofhowthefinaldishshouldlook, even recipe, asincookbooks,ithasthepurposeofproviding an with themouth.However, whenanimageispairedwitha cessible. Theirpurposeistobeeatenwiththeeyes andnot less valuablethan anything IRL[inreallife] ..” family? Somebloggers wouldsay thatvirtualsharing isno anticipation ofsharingagood meal withyour friendsand producing aperfectpicturefor ablogpost,rather thanthe does itmean,similarly, ifcookingbecomesmoregearedto Social Media:You Are WhatYou Tweet, and sharing.SigneRousseauaddressesthisinFood and This reveals howimagesoffoodconnotebothconsuming personal, somethingtowhichnearlyeveryone canrelate. (and pleasure). Thiscastsimagesoffoodasemotionaland way ofconnectingpubliclyover asharedphysical need connect. Moreimportantly, itserves asasociallyaccepted In additiontorecipewriters,, cookbookau- Because thedishesareornamental,they becomeinac- According toKoerner, foodprovides acommonway to accomplished simplybylooking. cessible, whoseconsumptioncanperfectlywellbe from ahighangle,asobjectsatoncenearandinac like cookery....which never showthedishesexcept wholly mythical economics.Thisisanopenlydream- This ornamentalcookery isindeedsupportedby tional connectionwithfollowers. photos ofit.isasurefire waytoestablishanemo Because passionforfoodissouniversal, posting shelter, andquiteabitmore photogenicthanwater. more wholesomethansex, more titillatingthan that’s mostidealforsharingonsocialmedia:It’s Among thebasichumanneeds.foodisone , theimagesprovide ablueprintforwhatfollowing magazine,buthisobservationsareapplicable 25 26

asks: “What as sheasks:“What 27 Working - - a representationoftheevent? the descriptionoffoodalsopartevent, orisitmerely documentation isalsotheartwork;soinRousseau’scase, formance art,thisintroducesthequestionofwhether food? Similartodebatesincontemporary artregardingper- event andnotathing,canthesamebesaidaboutimagesof professional foodphotography, ashewrites: sional photographers takingpicturesoftheirfoodaffects with oureyes.” Koerner documentshowmany non-profes- ant ashowittastes.Afterall,thesaying goesthat“weeat eras around,howadishlooksmay becomenearlyasimport- experience andunderstandfoodtoday? Withsomany cam- before even tastingthefood,communicate abouthowwe this habitofreachingforone’s phoneandtakingapicture, phone andphotographing whatisonone’s plate. Whatdoes operates differentlythanthepractice ofpickingupone’s working withfood.However, artthatusesordepictsfood ists alongtradition ofartengagingwith,representing,and It representsanevent, notathing.” unlike mostotherartifacts,foodismadetobeconsumed. has acomplicatedrelationshiptostatus:“For onething,and from theimageofafood.Rousseaualsoassertsthatfood But thisalsodemonstrates thedifficultyinseparating food physical forms,canbeamediumforconnectingandsharing. sharing thatismostimportant.Food, bothinitsdigitaland social mediaissopopular, Rousseausuggeststhatitisthe to answerthequestionofwhy sharingimagesoffoodon ply surprisethe viewer. Thiscreates spaceforphotographs They needtotellastoryorcommunicate anemotionorsim- food needtodomorethanjust make theviewerhungry. now take one.Therefore, asKoerner suggests,images of just aprettypicturesince,asKoerner implies,anyone can fessional level, aphotograph offoodneedstobe morethan From stilllifepaintingtopost-studiopractices, thereex- This socalled“amateur deluge” suggeststhat,atapro- stifling. by breaking withconventions thathave become tence becomesubiquitous;thetrueartistsrespond like paintingandmusicexperienced whencompe is goingthrough thesametransition thatartforms well assalivate. Inotherwords, foodphotography pictures thatinspire theirviewerstomeditateas are takingaturnfortheavant-garde, producing manna from heaven, thebestfoodphotographers that it’ssoeasytomake ahumblesandwichlooklike photographers todomore withtheirshots.Now That amateurdelugehasputpressure onelitefood 30 29

28 Iffoodrepresentsan - such astomatoesandolive oilinitskitchen. dic food,Nomahasbannedstaplerestaurant ingredients READING NOMA:HOWITSIGNIFIESTIMEANDPLACE visually take inthefish’s texture. and—because ofthephotograph’s abstract composition—to reader tothinkaboutthewatersfromwhichfishcomes, appetizing, butinthecontext ofNOMA, For example, apictureofraw fishmay notbetraditionally opposed tosimplydepictingtheendproductonaplate. so thatthey cantellstoriesaboutwherethey arefrom,as tographs of“raw materials.” Thispositionstheingredients NOMA: TimeandPlaceinNordic Cuisine, children’s adventure book.” cookbook refers toitasadorable, “like somethingfroma titled, “A MapoftheNordicRegion.” One review ofthe alone. classic white,whichisreserved forthephotograph captions nude, apaleyellow, apalepink,lightblue,dustygrey, and The pagespresentaspectrumofmutedpastels:peachy the photographs (200colorphotographs) fromthetext. with differenttypesofpaper, thebookclearlyseparates Nordic countries.They become asignoftheNordic.Printed other regions,thebook’sgraphic design claimsthemforthe bling thebarkofabirchtree.Althoughtreesgrowin The lettersthemselves are marbledshadesofgrey, resem- rant appearsengraved incapitalletterstworowsoftwo. book. Thecover isapalegrey andthenameofrestau- bus. Itisabookthatshouldstay put,aclassiccoffeetable 2.8 kg. At 368 pages, this is not a book to pack to read on the sures roughly25.9x4.130cmanditsshippingweightis material, visual,andtextual. Amammothofabook,itmea - Nordic Cuisine to take part. are conceptualizedtoday andwhichingredientsareallowed vides greatinsightintohowNordicfoodanditslandscape significantly withhistoricdietsintheregion.And yet itpro- or Scandinavian restaurant cuisinemay notalways overlap and “reinterpretation?”WhatisconsideredtobeNordic between “invention” and“reinvention” or“interpretation” sine, like culture,isofteninflux,whatarethedifferences rather than“traditional” Nordicfood.However, sincecui- restaurant serves reflectsaninterpretationofNordicfood “native” totheregion.Nomamakes itclearthatwhatthe restaurant onlycooksandserves ingredientsthatare of foodtobelesstraditionally appetizing. Considered theprotagonistofreinvention ofNor- Just beforethetableofcontents restsafoldoutmap From itsdesignandfirstpages,NOMA:TimePlacein seekstodefinetheNordicthroughelements 33 Avery basicillustration ofa as itincludespho- itencourages the 31 Thisappliesto 32 Insteadthe

GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 11 GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 12 more deeply.” donotstopthe worldwhenweeat;gointoitalittle “We The essay draws parallels betweenfoodandart,asitclaims: artist setthestageisanunusual strategy foracookbook. essay, “MilkSkinwithGrass.” in 2016publishedhisowncookbook,authoredthefirst The renownedIcelandic-DanishartistOlafurEliasson,who Place,” “TheWeather Recipes,” and“TheRaw Materials.” with chaptertitlessuchas“ThePerfect Storm,” “Timeand Nordic regionareimagined. geography andculturethatdefineshowtheborders ofthe ical andcultural region.Therefore, itisthecombinationof The Nordicregion,however, isconsideredtobeageograph- gion, shareslanguage,history, andgovernment. considered partofScandinavia. Consideredacultural re- asks, someoftheotherNordiccountriesmay ormay notbe way andSweden.Dependingonthecontext andwhomone of thethreecoreScandinavian countries,alongwithNor- and notnewScandinavian cuisine?Afterall,Denmarkisone dinavia andtheNordicregion.Why isitnewNordiccuisine cludes, revealing theambivalentdistinction betweenScan- the areasNordicregionincludes,aswellthoseitex- while Estoniaisnot.Themap,therefore,visuallyrepresents tory, Greenlandismappedasbelongingtothesameregion, to EstoniathanitisGreenland,becauseofpoliticalhis- constructed. Althoughgeographically Copenhageniscloser side ofthebordersthatNomadraws. they arenotincludedinNoma’s geography. They exist out- that areassociatedwithNordic(andnewNordic)cuisine, might behometosimilar, andeven thesame,ingredients masses oftrees,they arenotidentified.Even thoughthey parts oftheBalticStatesandRussiaappearasdustyland the Nordicregion,aswellthosethatdonot.Although Finland, themapclearlymarkswhichcountriesbelongto , theFaroeIslands,Denmark,Sweden,, and most importantofNoma’s suppliers.” IdentifyingGreenland, explains themap:“Namesshowlocationsofsome tions arealways illustrative andrecognizable.Acaption messy andwispy strokes ofink.Never neat,theirillustra- fame) orEdwardGorey, bothofwhomareknownforusing place inabookillustrated by QuentinBlake (of RoaldDahl sketches oftreesandhousesthatwouldnotfeelout book’s cover. Themaphasasimilaraesthetic,withloose folds out,drawing aconnectiontothebirchpatternon skinny birchtreeappearsonthefirstpartofmapthat of placeinthebook’s title.Food, like people,hearguesare as hedoesabout food,whichdirectlyaddresses thenotion After themapistableofcontents.Itreadspoetically These mappedbordersalsoreveal howregionsare 35 Eliassonwritesjustasmuchabout nature 34 Having acontemporary - the environment.” part ofabiggersystem.they, like us,areinseparable from just like thetreeandpotato,mealonplateis Field’—a dishofbrownish–black,knobby, crunchy food.And, then describesadishhetried:“the‘Newly-PloughedPotato from thesoilinwhichithasgrown.Renéknowsthat.” roots. Inhiswords:“.thepotatocannotbeseparated deeply rootedandcannotbeunderstoodwithoutthese rant.” Danish island of Fynen are cooked every week at the restau- is captioned:“Quail Eggs–About600quaileggsfromthe are identified by nameandplace.Aphotograph ofquaileggs feature captions.Portraits ofbothpeopleandingredients capital letters.Throughoutthecookbook,allphotographs printed onaseparate sheet.Namesareprintedinloud,bold, the photographs appearfirstinaclusterwithlistofdishes index. Aphotograph accompanieseachrecipe;however, staff, whocomefromacrosstheworld; aglossary;andan foragers, andsuppliers;smallPolaroid-style picturesofthe suppliers; adescriptionoftherestaurant’s maingrowers, eled aroundtheNordicregionsearchingforingredientsand journey asachef;excerpts fromRedzepi’sdiaryas he trav- two essays aboutthestartofrestaurant andRedzepi’s relationship betweenfoodandplaceatNoma. plate representssaidplace,thusfurtheremphasizingthe ing theingredientfromplacewhichitcomes, most importantly, imaginablefordiners.Insteadofseparat- keeps theenvironmental originsofaningredientintactand, erence toasnail’snatural habitat.Thisway ofplatingameal forms abedonwhichtoserve snails,atongue-in-cheekref- repeatedly referstoecosystems.Actualmoss,forexample, depiction ofNoma’s interior. The lastfull-page photograph inthebookrendersablurry photographs mirrorsthestyleofrestaurant’s décor. four timesinitsseven pages.Furthermore, thestyleof Skyum-Nielsen—actually uses theword“unpretentious” tious.” Thesecond essay—“The Perfect Storm” by Rune also emphasizesthefoodandrestaurant as“unpreten - ents,” thetext tendstouse“raw materials.” Thecookbook nature. For example, insteadofusingtheword“ingredi- muted andnatural. Thecookbook expresses closenesswith is cleanwithoutbeingperfectorboring.Thepalette simple andminimal,butwithmessydetails.Theaesthetic and, equallyimportant,wheretheeggscamefrom. how many quaileggsarecooked perweekattherestaurant place oforigin,aclearcontext. Thecookbookcommunicates of timeandplace.Thecookbookpresentsingredientswitha Beyond recipes and photographs, the book also includes: The cookbookalsoemploys a“Scandianvian” aesthetic: 38 Thisisoneway thatthecookbookconstructsasense 37 Inbothrecipesandphotographs, Noma 39 Thecaptionreads: “Noma 36 He tures capturethe beforeandafter, referencing thealchemy appear ontheplate, asopposedtoimaginative. Some pic- The recipenamesaredescriptive, listingexactly what will inant materials.” in throughouttheday. Stone,wood,andironarethedom- is ontheCopenhagenwaterfrontandnatural lightfloods Hammershøj &Krøyer.” Inspiration comesfromthelightinDanishmasters, Working withcontrast inmaterials,light,color, andobjects. as “shootinginteriors,personalities,lifestyleandtravel. after several years inNewYork. Herwebsitedescribesher and raised inCopenhagen,wheresherecentlyrelocated Place inNordic Cuisine sual profileofNomaandtheNordic.TheNOMA:Time representation ofit. is apartoftheNordiclandscapeitself, insteadofmerelya able totheirraw forms.ThisconstructsasensethatNoma region’s exterior. Allofthebuildingmaterialslookrecogniz- aim tovisuallyconnecttherestaurant’s interiorwiththe rant interioranditsrepresentationthroughphotographs at Nomareflectwholeecosystems,thedesignofrestau- this minimal,yet messyaesthetic.Similartohowthedishes blurred photograph oftherestaurant décorfurtherreflects rocks. Thewoodenbeamsofthebuildingareexposed. The tableware resemblessmoothwhiteshellsandtextured grey in leather. Thetablesarebarewithouttablecloths,andthe chairs withbacksmadefromwoodandseatsupholstered chicken skinandryebread, smoked cheese andlumpfish roe. such asturboskirtsandcheeks,asparagus and verbena, or crisply capturesthetexture ofthefish’s scales),andpeople. ingredients (suchasanextreme close-upofpike-perch that referenced onboththecover andinthemap), portraits of of nature(freshlycutlogsbirchwood,thetree crowded. Theimagesjumpbackandforthbetweenshots be fineartprints. Food islightlystyledandplatesarenever design eachconstructthiseffect.Thephotographs could photography, theillustrations ofthemap,andoverall and ecosystemsinwhichtherestaurant isbased.Styling, NOMA: TimeandPlaceinNordic Cuisine shine thespotlightonasinglechef, Isager’sphotography for map. Unlike hercookbooksforRamsay andLakshmi,which and HannahWarren, alsobasedinLondon, illustrated the the photos.London-based Studio Frith designedthebook, in 2007. Tangy, Tart, HotandSweet:AWorld ofRecipesforEvery Day say onCookingforFriends in2008andPadma Lakshmion she worked withcelebritychefs,suchasGordonRam - A range ofactorsandmany handsconstructedthevi- As acookbook,therearealsoimages ofplateddishes, 42 -basedChristineRudolphstyled 40 Sheepskinsdrape over modernDanish photographer DitteIsagerwasborn 41 Beforephotographing Noma, depictstheregion 43

ingredients andsocialstatusatNoma,writing: ticle fortheNewYorker examines therelationshipbetween many madeintovinegarsandpickles.JaneKramer, inanar- does stealtheshowareunusualandexotic ingredients, often cooked sous-vide,whichistypicaloffinedining.What Meat doesnotstealtheshow, butwhenitdoesappearis cookbook celebrates whatisedible,yet notofteneaten. the experience ofeconomy andactasstatussymbols.The ing, selling,andconsumingNOMA of theNordicregion,outsiderslookingin. headquarters, thebooktargetsanaudiencemostlyoutside in Nordiccuisine.WithPhaidon’s globalreachandLondon outsiders shapedtheconstructionofNoma’s timeandplace Nordic regionandoutsideofit,reveal thatbothinsiders and hands thatwereinvolved increatingthisbook,boththe overall aestheticofPhaidon’s cookery collection?Themany sent Noma’s style,andhowmuchdothey representthe the Nordicregion?Howmuchdophotographs repre- guide therepresentationofNoma,newNordicfood,and on aglobalaudience.HowmuchdidPhaidon’s involvement fashion, andfood,Phaidon’s widelyrecognizedbooksfocus books” thatcover fieldssuchasart,design, architecture, published cookbookswithPhaidon.Specializingin“lifestyle famed chefs,suchasFerran Adriàand London, furthershapedthecookbook’sfinalproduct.Other the Nordicregion. book, suchasthemapandcaptions,firmlyrootthemin certain ingredients—therestofthedesignelementsin from whichtodeciphertheirlocation—suchasclose-upsof dic Cuisine many ofthephotographs inNOMA:TimeandPlaceNor roots ofaningredientordishintact.Furthermore, although materials” unrecognizable.ItisNoma’s styletokeep the raw tocooked doesnotrendertheingredientsor“raw they areserved smoked. However, thetransformation from on anotherintoadishthatlooksalmostgift-wrapped, as of cooking.Thequaileggs,featuredononepage,transform In additiontothemany stakeholders involved inproduc- The publisher, PhaidonPress,alsoheadquarteredin the planet’sbounty getstoanyone’s dinner table, a virtuosoreminder thatonlyasmallfraction of spread theword .Therestaurant isashowcase, anywhere intheworld,canbe.Hismissionisto demonstrate howgoodcooking withregional food, charging peopleforconviviality.’ Thepointis to would befree, because‘there isnothingworsethan feed therich—thatinhisbest-possible-worldNoma He [Redzepi]saysthatthepointofNomaisn’t to areplacelessinthatthey donothave any signs , exotic ingredientsshape Marcus Nilsson,have -

GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 13 GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 14 of control.Barthescontinues: image isintendedtoberead,whichintroducesanelement rect level ofperceptionsuggeststhat there isaway thatthe directions areclear, impersonal, minimal,andwithoutpoet - painstakingly precise. Unlike thephotographs andessays, wander, therecipesdonot.Measurementsareingrams and cookbook. be lookingat,engaginginthefantasy inherentinthistypeof for readerstoponderanddaydream aboutwhatthey might fore landingonthepagewithcaptions.Thisleaves room One oftenhastoflipthroughmany morephotographs be- image ofanunfamiliaringredientbeforeitsdescription. tographs arekept separate fromtext, oneencountersthe approach, perhapsalessauthoritative one.Becausepho- NOMA: TimeandPlaceinNordic Food gaze butalsomy understanding”(original italics). correct level ofperception (‘rice andtunafishwithmushrooms’ hesitate inidentifyingtheformsandmasses;caption plateful ofsomething(inanAmieux relays howtext functionsinthiscontext, arguing:“Showa separate fromthephotographs inthebook.RolandBarthes ther. Thereforetext plays avitalrole,even thoughitiskept people outsideoftheNordicregion,orperhapswithinitei- that many oftheingredientsNomausesarenotfamiliarto can. book plays agreaterroleinthismissionthantherestaurant more accessibleformthanagourmetrestaurant. Thecook- cook withmoreknowledgeandcreativitytime—ina ones weroutinelypickupatthemarket, thatweneedto values—that wecaneatmany moreingredientsthanthe One isleftwonderingifitpossibletodemonstrate these Although thephotographs leave roomforthemind to With suchintensefocusupontheexotic, itissignificant inal italics). and ideologyofasocietyare above allinvested (orig we canseethatitisatthislevel thatthemorality the image,text thushasarepressive value and sage. Withrespect totheliberty ofthesignifieds projective powerofpictures— control, bearingaresponsibility right ofinspectionover theimage;anchorage isa The text isindeedthecreator’s (and hencesociety’s) ination, andalittlehot-coldchemistry. there—even better,cookedit’s if imag patience, with and thatmostofitisjustasgoodwhatdoesget 46 , permitsmetofocusnotsimplymy for theuseofmes ) helpsmetochoosethe — advertisement), Imay in thefaceof takes adifferent 44 45 Thecor- - - - The Atlantic sarily meantforcookinginstruction.AsTejal Raowritesin ic language.Thismay bebecausethecookbookisnotneces- in 2017. approach toAustralian ingredients, andtraveled toMexico the sameinSydney, Australia, thistimeapplying theNoma apply ittoJapaneseingredients.In2016,therestaurant did Instead, theconceptwastotake theNomaapproachand on themenuinTokyo cannotbeconsidered“Nordic”food. Noma inCopenhagentookahiatus.Furthermore, what was another locationelsewhere.InordertorelocateTokyo, a move muchdifferentthanarestaurant simplyopening the winterof2015,Nomatemporarily relocatedtoTokyo, gen, travel hasbeenapartoftherestaurant’s evolution. In DEFINING NOMAANDTHENORDIC to theNordiccountriesasitisaboutfantasticalfood. Nordic region,itisjustasmuchaboutanimaginedjourney ry, fromafar. For thosereadingthecookbookoutsideof about experiencing therestaurant, itsvision,style,andsto- and place.ReturningtoSethSiegelaub,thecookbookis lens throughwhichtoseetheingredientsofone’s owntime some ofAppadurai’s argumentscanbeappliedto analyzing between “regional inflectionandnationalstandardization,” and theinterplay thattakes placeincookbooks India ically addressesthecreationof anationalcuisineinIndia as importantitsingredients. AlthoughAppadurai specif- approach coherestoanoverarching philosophy whichisjust restaurant hassetupshopelsewhere suggeststhatNoma’s curately newNordiccuisine. However, thefactthat the serves canbedescribed asNordiccuisine,ormoreac- Nordic region?WhenlocatedinCopenhagen,whatNoma Although NomawasfoundedandisbasedinCopenha- Rao suggeststhatreaderscanusethiscookbookasa What doesthissay aboutNoma’s relationshiptothe the greens hecanfind. with bakingpaperandheateduntiltranslucent—to apply thatsealettucetechnique—pickled,protected flavor combinations.Anadventurous cookmight the instructionsfrom therecipes, imaginingthe through thephotosandread theessays,absorbing For playing.Anarmchairchefmightdreamily flip this generous, isn’t forduplicating.It’sinspiring. dishes from therestaurant .Abookthispersonal, some cases.ifyou’re lookingtoactuallyreplicate er timeandplacethanyour own,itwillbedifficultin Redzepi’s ingredientsSince are from collected anoth 48 : 47 - However, terroir into away ofclassifying foodsandtheirconnection toland. Trubek demonstrates howtheconcepthasbeennaturalized By describingterroir the cuisinesproducedinvery differentcultural contexts. writes: Regarding cookbookswitharegionalfocus,Appadurai Terroir. Shewrites: Trubek discussesinTheTaste ofPlace:ACulinaryJourneyInto it. ThisbringsuptheFrench notionofterroir from whichthefoodcomesandstoriestoldabout matter theseason. less hautecuisine,inwhichfreshraspberries areserved no rooted inaspecificregion,asopposedto version ofplace- sine representshighdining,butaversion ofitthatisdeeply feels fittinglyNordic.NOMA:TimeandPlaceinNordic Cui started tomigrate elsewhereforthewinterseason,which cookbook ofregionalcuisine.ItwaswrittenbeforeNoma Cuisine this forfaraway readers.NOMA:TimeandPlaceinNordic someone else.Raosuggestedthecookbookcouldachieve landscapes, faunaandflora, andfoodthroughthe eyes of own regionsandingredients.Inthisway, they seetheirown high-dining experience witha“Nordic”approachtotheir experience. DinersatNomainTokyo mightthenexpect a Diners atNomainCopenhagenthereforeexpect a“Nordic” To talkaboutlocalfoodistoland—theland intimately connected. ethnic Other. Thesetwofunctionsare distinctbut growing bodyoffood-basedcharacterizations ofthe nary traditions ofanother;andtheyalsorepresent a one region orplaceasystematicglimpseoftheculi Like touristart,theybegintoprovide peoplefrom These regional andethniccookbooksdotwothings: earth itself. connection isconsidered essential,astimelessthe to theland,beitsensual,practical, orhabitual.This ries forframing andexplaining people’s relationships this foodview. Terroir andgoût duterroir are catego terroir bestexplain theoriginsandpersistenceof or shouldwesayafoodview?Theagrarian roots of that frame perceptions andpractices –aworldview, words, terroir andgoûtduterroir are categories thought topossessuniquetastes.Thus,more than In France, foodanddrinkfrom acertainplaceare can be considered both a chef’s cookbookanda canbeconsideredbothachef’s 51 andgoûtduterroir

asacategoryrather thanaword, 50 donotdescribe there- , whichAmy - - - 49

is aNorwegian Fjord: “A beautiful fjordinArcticNorway, be moreturquoise thanblue.Thecaptionreveals thatthis a snow-cappedhill,andthebottom waterthatappearsto three vertical layers: thetopisamuted bluesky, thecenter to notbefilteredthroughawindow. Thephotograph has clearer thantherest,presenting aviewonewouldexpect but theimageblursthisdistinction,asonecroppedareais The windowsuggeststhatinsideandoutsideareseparated, ed landscape,reflectedthroughthewindowsofaboat. to findintheNordicregion,suchasanimageofablue-tint- an atmospherethatvisualizeswhatonehascometoexpect a “Nordicity?”Someofthepicturesincookbookcreate and PlaceinNordic Cuisine, a culturerather thanawhole.Applying thistoNOMA:Time to whatthistermdoesnotinclude.Itrefersfragments of Italy. Byreferringtoitasthecondensedessence,healludes Barthes clarifiesthat“Italianicity”issomethingotherthan leans.” example, couldbeclaimedjustaslegitimatelyby NewOr- the pan-searedlangoustinewithoyster-parsley purée,for of thefoodisactuallyNordic,thoughnotexclusively so: sibility ofplacesasopposedtothesingularplace:“Much food itself, foodwriterMarkBittmanintroducesthepos- people perceive therelationshipbetweenfoodandland. lationship betweenfoodandland;they onlydescribehow may actuallyhelpreinvigorate, ifnotinfactcreate, these.” of belonging,identityandaffiliation,globalizationprocesses write: “Farfromdestroying morelocalandspecificsenses food, place,andtheglobalinTheGlobalizationofFood Inglis andDebra Gimlindiscusstherelationshipbetween Noma’s focusonitsdirectlocalityalsorelatestohow David route of believing that one dish is only specific to one region. Cuisine which canbeappliedtoNOMA:TimeandPlaceinNordic for interpretingtheconnectionbetweenfoodandplace, pasta andsaucesuggests“Italianicity”provides aroadmap The globaldemandforregionalidentityhelpstocreateit. However, regionsoverlap, asdoflavors. Regardingthe Barthes’s readingofhowaPanzani advertisement for spaghetti topainting(original italics). essence ofeverything thatcouldbeItalian,from adjective: ItalianicityisnotItaly, itisthecondensed the suffix–icityderivinganabstract nounfrom the able toaccountforthesignifiedsofconnotation, with barbarismsoftheItalianicitykindasbestbeing fore require aspecialmetalanguageandweare left To express thesesemesofconnotationwouldthere- 52 . Bartheswrites: Thisisagoodremindernottogotoofardownthe do thecookbookimagessuggest 54 . They 55

53

GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 15 GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 16 with seaurchins. veals tobeRoderickSloanfromBodø,whosuppliesNoma is ablackandwhiteportrait ofaman,whothecaptionre- Nordic cuisine,ashewrites: tional toolsformakingsenseofNoma’s timeandplacein to champion. other possiblenorths.ThisisthenorththatNomachooses a “particular”north,Kramer reveals thatthisisonlyoneof resources.” However, by referringtoRedzepi’simaginingof depicts Redzepi’simaginingofthisregionasonewith“vast outdoor professions),andreligion(Protestant).Kramer tation, salt,andsmoke), lifestyle(origins in“hardscrabble” foods (rye grains andfish),modesofpreparation (fermen- Here theNordiccountriesaretiedtogetherwithtypesof shot fromthewindowofasmallfishingboat.” dicity:” Jane Kramer furtherhintsatwhatcanbeconsidered“Nor- beautiful. also, like Isager’sstyleofphotography, refined,simple,and Noma imaginesNordicnatureasblue,icy, andrugged,but inside andoutside,emphasizingaclosenesswithnature. struct auniversal Nordicthatblursthedistinctionbetween erything thatcouldbeNordic.” Thecookbookimagescon - Barthes, “Nordicity”isthenthe“condensed essenceofev - refined imageoftheNordicregion. To borrowthewordsof clearly captured.Together theimagessuggestaruggedyet looks icy, freezing,emphasizedby theman’s breath,whichis In hisstudyoffoodadvertising, Barthesprovides addi- In “TheFood atOurFeet. Why isForaging alltheRage?,” rience, oftheaccumulated wisdomofourancestors . They are, weare told,therepository ofawholeexpe - (preparation andcooking).These have longroots . ical qualityisobviouslylinked tofoodtechniques partake eachdayofthenationalpast . thishistor . commemorative: foodpermitsaperson.to The firstoftheseassignstofoodafunctionthatis wouldn’t begettingeasier. and adourProtestant certaintythatthoselives from farmersandfishermenwithhardscrabble lives grains, fish,fermentation,salt,andsmoke, inherited end, re-imagine andrefine acommonculture ofrye —and usingthemtoevoke and,inthe the NorthAtlantic totheFaroes, Iceland,and west from Finlandthrough Scandinaviaandacross the vast resources ofaparticularnorth—running A Nordic cuisine,forRedzepi,beginswithharvesting 57 Althoughthebackgroundisblurred,it 58 56 To itsright - emphasized, notblood. society’s survival.Inthecontext offoodandNoma,soilis exemplifies Barthes’snotionofvaluingahistorical,rural take root.Kramer’s mentionoffarmersandfishermenalso and thesoiliswherenotionsofplaceregionalidentities common Nordicpast.Food connectsthetabletosoil, fits withKramer’s descriptionofwhatcanbeconsidereda the past.Thisnotionoffood’scommemorative functionalso value. Food provides away ofrememberingandperforming Barthes impliesthatconnectingfoodtohistoryincreasesits rant onevisits againandagain.Becausethe restaurant be aone-offexperience fordiners as opposedtoarestau- vation andthehighpricemakes Nomamuchmorelikely to gage aninternationalelite.The difficultyinsecuringareser- by its pop-ups in other parts of the world, Noma seeks to en- rant’s targetaudience,northecookbook’s.Asexemplified who donotlive there.However, they arenottherestau- likely tohave thechancetovisitrestaurant thanpeople itants ofotherpartstheNordicregionaremuchmore Nordic Cuisine the Nordicregionwithinitspages,NOMA:TimeandPlacein The samecanbesaidaboutasharedgeography. Bymapping and itsfoodintheEnglishlanguage,asopposedtoDanish. Furthermore, itconstructsanimageoftheNordicregion and PlaceinNordic Cuisine to imagineasharedpast.PublishedinEnglish,NOMA:Time aries ofNordiccuisine.Asharedlanguagemakes iteasier in NOMA belongs andwhoistheoutsider.” community, establishespersonalidentity, andtellsuswho recipes, particularlytheway inwhichlanguageconstructs course, broaderimplicationsinlookingatthelanguageof the importanceofwordchoice,asshewrites,“Thereare, can bestudiedbothformallyandstructurally, shestresses reach. Inapproachingrecipesasaformofnarrative that constructing thecommunitiesandaudiencesthey aimto past. AsColeenCotterdiscusses,cookbooksplay arolein dic Cuisine Because ofproximity, Danes,Scandinavians, andinhab- Various actorsdesignedNOMA:TimeandPlaceinNor contemporary life. food bringsthememoryofsoilintoourvery society thatisitselfhighlyidealized.Inthismanner, representing theflavourful survival ofanold,rural on theotherhand,foodfrequently carriesnotionsof the onehand,itimpliesanaristocratic tradition . in ouradvertising, mobilizes twodifferent values: on . Thehistoricaltheme,whichwassooftensounded , andhowtherestaurant determinesthebound- to triggerasenseofsharedsoilandcommon draws boundariesofinclusionandexclusion. 60 59

targetsaninternationalaudience. 61 Thisrelatestothemap - . .” which sheasserts“includeshistoricaltimeandsocialmilieu. when analyzingcookbooks.Shefirstbeginswiththesetting, describe Noma’s setting,anelementthatBowerincludes readers, butalsoattracts potentialdinners.Thisbeginsto the tripandmeal,cookbookdoesnotjustinspire further roleasamarketing device. For thosewhocanafford targets aninternationalclientele,thecookbooktakes ona CONCLUSION: THECONSTRUCTION OFTIMEANDPLACE awareness oftherestaurant without anexperience ofit. For Copenhagen. As SethSiegelaubremarked, itcreates an experience of therestaurant withoutboardingaplane to an alternative todiningattherestaurant. Itallowsforan them. For suchanaudience, thecookbookalsodoublesas its recipes,andtheingredients, places,andpeoplebehind of theNordicregionthroughastorysinglerestaurant, journey totheNorth, oraNorth,aswellanexperience NOMA: TimeandPlaceinNordic Cuisine who isexperiencing it.For aninternationalaudience, The experience oftimeandplacevariesdependingupon text, andrecipes—communicateasenseoftimeplace? various anddiverse publics. and place,butconstructsoneforglobalconsumptionby Time andPlaceinNordic Cuisine views, inphotographs andrecipes.Intheseways, NOMA: the workoftheseactors:incookbooksandrestaurant re- international audiencethenexperiences thislocalthrough publishers, whicheachshapetheperceptionoflocal.An as foodwritersandstylists,photographers, andcookbook such asNordicCo-operation—and internationalones—such like theNordicFood Lab,andpublically fundedinstitutions like RenéRedzepi,restaurants like Noma,organizations Local isenactedby bothlocalactors—ranging fromchefs particular placeandhowlocalityisimaginedthroughfood. dients isaglobaltrend,definitionsoflocalarerootedin the Nordicregion.Althoughchampioningoflocalingre- between therestaurant’s homebaseofCopenhagenand is thissensethatdistancedoesnotweaken theconnection the Nordicregionwithanotherlocale’s ingredients,there one’s regiontoinsiders.Even whenNoma cooksoutsideof where, tooutsiders,isapartofexpressing anidentityin destination forfine-diningclientele. a localrestaurant occupiedby regulars,butaninternational dients areartisticallyprepared.Andthesocialmilieuisnot hunted and caught—and a professional kitchen where ingre- doors—where “raw materials”areforaged andharvested, 62 Thephysical settingforNomaranges betweentheout- In whatway canacookbook—throughphotography, Expressing anidentitythroughfoodtopeopleelse- does notrepresentatime offers thereadera to theNordiclandscape matters.Nomadeeply rootsitself finished dishes served attherestaurant. Thisconnection landscapes fromwhichthey areharvested, asitdoesonthe almost equallyoningredients in theirraw statesandthe culture andasatextual document.Thephotographs focus without text, Ihave approachedthecookbookasbothvisual full-page photographs, andthephotographs always appear rant. Sincemorethanhalfof thepagesofcookbookare eat there. of therestaurant even forthosewhowillnever beableto customers, itfurtherseekstoexpand thecultural influence for therestaurant. Inadditiontopotentially attracting new spheres itcanbereadasamarketing tool,anadvertisement NOMA liesatthecrossroadsofcooking’spublicandprivate kitchen, thanitdoesautilitarianone.Furthermore, because takes onmoreofaninspirational andaspirational roleinthe to-find ingredients—itstilltargetsthehomecook,thoughit of itsdemandingtechniques,preciseinstructions,andhard- though actuallycookingfromitcanbeachallenge—because intersection ofthepublicandprivatespherescooking.Al- NOMA: TimeandPlaceinNordic Cuisine to specificpeople,producers,andsites.Ihave arguedthat NOMA narrative techniquesitemploys; and,mostimportantlyfor through thestoriesitselects,visuallyandwithtext; the narratives associatedwithit.Acookbookconstructsplace a cookbookplays inconstructingasenseofplaceandthe Nordic Cuisine gives actualfacestotheirproducers. nature. Itoffersbackgroundstoriesfortheingredientsand ing asenseofclosenessbetweentherestaurant andNordic within Nomatoacertainimageoftheregionoutside,creat- ence oftherestaurant andfurtherconnectstheexperience presented onplates.Itreveals a“behind-the-scenes”experi- ity inthekitchenandprocessesbehindfinaldishes substitutes, thediningexperience. Itzoomsinontheactiv- sorts, abookthatcomplements,asopposedtocompletely its documentation,thecookbookbecomesasouvenir of rienced thefoodatNomaas“theevent,” asopposedtoonly engage inthisdocumentaryrole.For thosewhohave expe- able tosecureareservationandaffordmealatNomaalso Nordic food,andeven theNordicregion.Dinerswhoare and thenpreserving,thepresenttimeplaceofNoma, cookbook takes onadocumentaryroleby constructing, borders thatincludeandexclude. For alocalaudience,the what ispartoftheNordicregion,andnot.Itdraws an internationalaudience,thecookbookalsocommunicates The visualplays acrucialroleinmarketing therestau- Through aclosereadingofNOMA:TimeandPlacein , throughhowspecificingredientsareconnected , thisessay demonstrates therolethatsuch is locatedatthe

GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 17 GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 18 in 2014. El CellerdeCan RocainSpain),andreturned to numberone in 2010,2011, 2012. In2013itranked number two(behind ber ten in 2008, number three in 2009 and then number one ber thirty-three,andthenatnumber fifteenin2007,num- 2006 Nomaappearedonthelist forthefirsttime,atnum- , andsecondplaceby OsteriaFrancescana inItaly. In place. Firstplaceisnowheldby ElCellerdeCanRocain for theyear 2015in JuneandNomawentdowntothird nav=top-news&_r=0. page&module=photo-spot-region®ion=top-news&WT. redzepi-urban-farm.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Home- http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/16/dining/noma-rene- Times Plans toCloseNoma,ReopenItasanUrbanFarm.” NewYork there forthosewhodonot;JeffGordinier, “RenéRedzepi for thosewholive there,nottomentionthecostofgetting Nonetheless dininginCopenhagenisgenerally expensive is notclearwherethepricerange ofthisnewversion willlie. cally transform itsmenuandtablewarewitheachseason.It that canbeseenasasecondlife,version thatwilldramati- farm. Thenewlocationwillalsohave arestaurant, butone would closeattheendof2016andreopenasanurban Blake Stimson(Cambridge: TheMITPress,2000),199. ceptual Art:ACriticalAnthology Large: SethSiegelaubinConversation withCharles,” inCon- print. er translated intoEnglish,isdifficulttofind,andnowoutof book in2006Danish:Noma,Nordisk Mad show/2010/10/12/130517065/noma. September 5,2015,http://www.npr.org/sections/picture- World’s BestRestaurant,’” October14,2010,accessed NOTES showcasing allthatisedible. fantasizing aboutwhatitsculinaryfuturecouldtastelike by reflects theculinaryheritageofNordicregion,while culinary approach.The“time” thatNOMA’s titlerefersto or Mexico. Placemakinginvolves bothingredientsanda strategic way, even whenNomacooksinJapan,Australia in theNordicregion,aregionitinterpretsspecificand 6 5 4 3 2 1 , September14,2015,accessed Restaurant magazinepublishedtheirnewrankings ItwasannouncedinSeptember2015thatNoma Currencyconverted onDecember7,2016. SethSiegelaub,“On ExhibitionsandtheWorld at RenéRedzepihadpreviously publishedacook- NPR,“Foraging forFood: RecipesFrom ‘The , ed.Alexander Alberroand , whichwasnev- Press, 1972). ogies, (2010): 38. University Press,2001), 189. Looking: AnIntroduction toVisualCulture (NewYork: Oxford Nicholas Mirzoeff, 86-101(NewYork: Routledge,2002),86. visual culture,” inTheVisualCulture Reader,2 more: TheJohnHopkinsUniversity Press,2003),1. Cooking: CookbooksandGenderinModernAmerica 243. Age ofaNationalCuisine ton: University ofMassachusettsPress,1997),2. Cookbooks, Stories,Histories Stories, andReadings,” inRecipesforReading:Community (New York: CambridgeUniversity Press,1998),3. Studies inSocietyandHistory sine: CookbooksinContemporary India,” inComparative 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 trans. Annette Lavers, 78-80(New York: TheNoonday RolandBarthes,“Ornamental Cookery,” inMythol AnneE.McBride,“Food Porn,” Gastronomica Ibid.,209. Ibid.,189. MaritaSturken andLisaCartwright,Practices of Ibid.,97. Ibid.,87. W.J.T. Mitchell,“ShowingSeeing:ACritiqueof Ibid.,33. Ibid,29. Ibid.,1. Ibid.,3. Ibid.,3. Jessamyn Neuhaus,ManlyMealsandMom’s Home Ibid.,243-244. Leslie Brenner, AmericanAppetite:TheComingof Bower, AnneL. “BoundTogether: Recipes,Lives, ArjunAppadurai, “HowtoMake aNationalCui- (New York: HarperCollins,2000), , ed. Anne L. Bower,, ed.AnneL. 1-14(Bos- , ed.Raymond Grewetal.,3-24 nd edition,ed. (Balti- 10 - What You Tweet food-photography-2/. accessed June24,2015,http://www.wired.com/2014/07/ Photography Went Mainstream,” Wired, July22,2014, Power Biopolitics: From ArtworktoArtDocumentation” inArt see thefollowingchapter:BorisGroys, “Art intheAgeof mark, introducesthebook. time LarsUlrichofMetallicafame, whowasborninDen- by staff. Insteadofhaving anartistpentheintroduction,this last asmallbookofsnapshots from behindthescenes,taken calendar year withnewrecipesfromtherestaurant, andthe personal journalby Rezepi, oneacookbookorganizedby of threebooksindifferentshadesgreen,oneisa then thelatterisaglimpseintoRedzepi’smind.Acollection in 2013.Iftheformerwasaglimpseintorestaurant, published AWork inProgress: Journal,RecipesandSnapshots from-the-worlds-best-chef/63033/. health/archive/2010/09/the-inspiring-new-cookbook- accessed September3,2015,http://www.theatlantic.com/ BestChef,’”the ‘World’s TheAtlantic native inoneregion“goesnative” inanother. ish, isfascinating,asitanexample ofwhenaningredient the factthatpotatohasbeenadoptedasNordic,orDan- Noma, potatoesarenot.SinceneitheroriginateinEurope, reality ofwhatonewouldfindinan average family’skitchen. style. Thefoodstylingisbasedmoreonfantasythanthe appealing. Thecolorsaresaturated, typicalofhissignature The imagesarekitschy, odd,andoriginal,allmakingthem tographed the2013cookbookEatingatHotelIlPellicano. is knownforhisless-conventional commercialwork,pho- phy Went Mainstream,” Wired. 27 26 25 29 28 34 33 32 31 30 , 53-66(Cambridge: TheMITPress, 2008). SigneRousseau,Food andSocialMedia:You Are BrendanI.Koerner, “HowtheWeird ArtofFood Ibid.,79. For moreaboutthisdebateincontemporary art, Ibid.,18. Following thesuccessofNoma Tejal Rao,“TheInspiringNewCookbookFrom Althoughtomatoesareessentiallybannedat For example, JürgenTeller, aphotographer who Koerner, “HowtheWeird ArtofFood Photogra- (Lanham: AltaMira Press,2012),xiii. , September17,2010, , RenéRedzepi

rene-redzepi-the-prince-of-denmark.html. 3, 2015,http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/magazine/ Times Magazine 18. into Terroir New York Times BestChef,’”‘World’s TheAtlantic Haven: Leete’s IslandBooks,1980),274-275. Essays onPhotography, ed.A.Trachtenberg, 269-285(New azine/2011/11/21/the-food-at-our-feet. accessed August4,2015,http://www.newyorker.com/mag- aging alltherage?” TheNewYorker, November 21,2011, Cuisine Books, 2007). Sweet: AWorld ofRecipesforEvery Day(NewYork: Weinstein HarperCollins, 2008).Padma Lakshmi,Tangy, Tart, Hotand www.ditteisager.dk. 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 43 42 (NewYork: Phaidon,2010),7. MarkBittman,“PrinceofDenmark,” NewYork Amy Trubek, TheTaste ofPlace:ACultural Journey Ibid.,15. Appadurai, “HowtoMake aNationalCuisine,” 9. Gordinier, “RenéRedzepiPlansto CloseNoma,” Tejal Rao,“TheInspiringNewCookbookFrom the Ibid.,275. RolandBarthes,“RhetoricoftheImage,” inClassic JaneKramer, “TheFood atOurFeet. Why isfor- Ibid.,243. Ibid.,248. Ibid.,225. Ibid.,9. Ibid.,7. RenéRedzepi,NOMA:TimeandPlaceinNordic Redzepi,NOMA GordonRamsay, CookingforFriends (NewYork: Ditte Isager, accessedSeptember3,2015,http:// (Berkeley: University ofCalifornia Press,2008), . , November 3,2011,accessedSeptember ,. .

GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 19 GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 20 porary Food Consumption,” 32. ing alltherage?” TheNewYorker. Debra Gimlin(London: BloomsburyAcademic,2010),8. Globality,” inTheGlobalizationofFood izations: IroniesandAmbivalencesofFood, Cuisineand 59 58 57 56 55 54 53 Barthes,“Towards aPsychosociology ofContem- JaneKramer, “TheFood atOurFeet. Why isforag- Ibid.,133. Ibid.,129. Redzepi,NOMA Barthes,“RhetoricoftheImage,” 281. David InglisandDebra Gimlin,“Food Global- , 132. , eds.David Inglis,and (Boston: University ofMassachusettsPress,1997),33. Community Cookbooks,Stories,Histories Elements inCommunityCookbooks,” inRecipesforReading: 52. Bower (Boston:University ofMassachusettsPress,1997), Reading: CommunityCookbooks,Stories,Histories, the LanguageofRecipesDefinesCommunity,” inRecipesfor land. who connectsandsewsrootsinthesoilthenbelongsto Although ittoocanbeproblematic,suggeststhatanyone blood isamoreflexible andopenconceptofbelonging. his summersinMacedonia.Anemphasisonsoilrather than donian. Hewasbornandraised inCopenhagen,andspent 62 61 60 Anne L. Bower, AnneL. “Cooking UpStories:Narrative ColleenCotter, “Claiming aPieceofthePie:How Redzepi’smotherisDanishandhisfatherMace- , ed. Anne L. Bower., ed.AnneL. ed. Anne L. ed. AnneL.