More than a decade after it began, the New Nordic culinary movement is still going strong, and there’s a whole new crop of mouthwatering cookbooks to prove it. From Nordic coffee rituals to slow fermentation baking and visual storytelling, you’ll want these Scandinavian cookbooks to line your bookshelves.
Here are the best Scandinavian cookbooks for everything from Scandinavian bread baking to seasonal dishes:
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Classic Scandi Cookbooks
The Nordic Cookbook
Magnus Nilsson, the Swedish chef behind Faviken, has put together 700 recipes from across the Nordic region including the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Finland. The recipes run from traditional and well-known to weird and lesser-known. Nilsson takes the reader through how to create each recipe in an accessible way, organizing the recipes by food type for ease. It’s a big, beautiful cookbook full of great information that’s actually useable.
Almanak
No list of Scandinavian cookbooks would be legitimate without this tome: the bible of Danish cooking by the godfather of New Nordic, Claus Meyer. Meyer’s title regarding New Nordic is a little misleading though, because much of his cooking is actually very traditional. This book is just that – all the recipes you’d want to know to create a full table of Danish delights, from baked goods to herring to bolle i karry. No pictures, just step-by-step instructions.
NB: this book is only available in Denmark, in Danish.
Fire + Ice: Classic Nordic Cooking
This comprehensive book of Nordic recipes was nominated for the James Beard Award in 2016. With easy-to-execute recipes for both savory and sweet, classic dishes, this is definitely a cookbook you’ll be reaching for again and again. This book isn’t about complicate plates; it’s all about homecooking and how to bring Nordic flavors into your life in a real way.
New Nordic Cookbooks
Noma: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine
Not everyone can get a table at a world’s best restaurant but René Redzepi’s noma Time and Place will make you feel like you were there. It’s the kind of cookbook that one buys to lust after the gorgeous photos, as well as learn some incredible techniques and recipes. Even though it’s almost 10 years old the cookbook is no less stunning or enlightening.
Noma: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine by René Redzepi, €70
Fäviken: 4015 Days, Beginning to End
Magnus Nilsson opened his renowned restaurant, Fäviken, in Jämtland, Sweden, in 2008. He closed the space in 2019, and a year later published this impressive book. It is, in many ways, the story of Faviken – not just recipes (although there’s that, too). There are essays on food culture, a chronological list of dishes served at the restaurant, and archival imagery of the food as well as the landscape of Fäviken. For those who dined there, or who dreamed of doing so someday, this book is a special piece of history.
The Noma Guide to Fermentation
Do you know that fermentation is a pillar of the New Nordic cuisine style that noma-founder and chef Rene Redzepi made internationally famous? This book explores that element of New Nordic food, including over 100 easy-to-do recipes. Learn to ferment in your own kitchen from an expert!
North: The New Nordic Cuisine of Iceland
The debut cookbook of Gunnar Gíslason, the chef behind Reykjavík’s Michelin-star restaurant Dill, documents contemporary Icelandic culinary traditions through photos, recipes and personal stories. Gíslason’s dishes reflect the uniqueness of the country’s flora and fauna, and are a true celebration of Iceland’s food culture.
Essential Scandi Baking
Meyer’s Bakery: Bread and Baking in the Nordic Kitchen
For the perfect bread, particularly sourdough, step right up. Published in 2017 by Claus Meyer, Meyer’s Bakery is the gospel for whole-grain, slow fermentation baking. The cookbook has step-by-step instructions with lots of pictures and troubleshooting that can guide even the reluctant baker to a delicious loaf. This is a great book for experts and beginners alike.
Scandinavian from Scratch
Does anyone else just love a straightforward baking cookbook? Takes you through the steps, has great pictures, and produces excellent results. This book is just that – a “love letter to the baking of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.” Learn how to make the sweet, delicious traditional pastries that you crave.
Norwegian Baking Through The Seasons
One thing you should know about Scandinavian cooking is that it is very seasonal. That goes double for their baking! This book by Nevada Berg, who also wrote the fantastic North Wild Kitchen, follows the five (yes, five) seasons of Norway and offers both sweet and savory baking recipes. The photography is gorgeous, the recipes are easy to follow, and the flavors…well, those are something else (Wild Blueberry and Oregano Bread? Yes please!).
Scandinavian Baking: Loving Baking at Home
Trine Hahnemann is a well-known Danish cook and food entrepreneur who has produced many books over the years. This one is fantastic for its beautiful pictures shot on location in Denmark, straightforward recipes, and modern twist on traditional dishes.
Hygge / Fika / Lagom Cookbooks
Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break
Fika is more than the tradition of having a midday coffee; it’s a Swedish ritual of slowing down and enjoying life. In their cookbook, Anna Brones and Johanna Kindvall describe the cultural concept alongside 50 delightfully illustrated recipes to create the perfect fika experience. Coffee and Danish pastry lovers: this one is for you!
Lagom: The Swedish Art of Eating Harmoniously
Channeling the Swedish concept of lagom (“lah-gom”) – which means “just the right amount” in Swedish – The Swedish Art of Eating Harmoniously offers a peek into Swedish living. With gluten-free recipes like savory buckwheat pancakes and minimalist photos, this cookbook will inspire you to embrace indulgent moderation.
GRØD Cookbook
This cookbook may seem a bit out of place compared to the others, but there’s a good reason why it’s included on the list. Compiled by the two childhood friends behind the world’s first porridge bar, Grød, the eponymous cookbook is a collection of their most popular dishes. Recipes include traditional Danish ones like øllebrød (rye beer porridge) to more delicate, seasonal Nordic bowls like sweet rhubarb porridge. You might not think you need a porridge-centric recipe book, but we can assure you that you do!
Scandinavian Culinary Travelogues
North Wild Kitchen: Home Cooking from the Heart of Norway
This beautiful cookbook photographed and written by food blogger Nevada Berg garnered critical acclaim shortly after its release. The cookbook tells a visual story of Norwegian culinary traditions with each chapter centred on a different element of local food culture. The recipes range from smoked trout mousse to cinnamon buns, and demonstrate that Norway is a culinary force within the New Nordic movement.
Nordic by Nature: Nordic Cuisine and Culinary Excursions
Both a cookbook and a visual delight, this book works with famous chefs like Nicolai Nørregaard, Claus Meyer, Rasmus Munk or Kamilla Seidler to get their interpretation of classic Danish recipes. Pairing those recipes – which can be a little complicated and involved, but are incredibly tasty – with imagery and stories of the Nordic landscape. It’s a cookbook, but also a book about the culture of Nordic food and how chefs approach it.
For more cookbooks check out our Six Essential Danish Cookbooks.
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