Islands in the Sun: Storytelling, Place & Terroir in Food Production on Nordic Islands

25 Pages·2015·1.95 MB·English

Islands in the Sun
Storytelling, Place & Terroir in Food Production on Nordic Islands
Pico Larsen, Hanne; Osterlund-Potzsch, Susanne
Document Version
Final published version
Published in:
Ethnologia Scandinavica
Publication date:
2015
License
Unspecified
Citation for published version (APA):
Pico Larsen, H., & Osterlund-Potzsch, S. (2015). Islands in the Sun: Storytelling, Place & Terroir in Food
Production on Nordic Islands . Ethnologia Scandinavica, 45, 29-52.
Link to publication in CBS Research Portal
General rights
Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners
and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights.
Take down policy
If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us ([email protected]) providing details, and we will remove access to
the work immediately and investigate your claim.
Download date: 01. Feb. 2023
Islands in the Sun: Storytelling, Place & Terroir
in Food Production on Nordic Islands
Hanne Pico Larsen and Susanne Osterlund-Potzsch
Journal article (Publishers version)

CITE: Islands in the Sun: Storytelling, Place & Terroir in Food Production on
Nordic Islands. / Pico Larsen, Hanne; Osterlund-Potzsch, Susanne. In:
Ethnologia Scandinavica, Vol. 45, 2015, p. 29-52.
Link: http://www.kgaa.nu/tidskrift_ar.php?id=5&year=2015

Uploaded to Research@CBS: May 2017
Islands in the Sun
Storytelling, Place & Terroir in Food Production on Nordic Islands1
By Hanne Pico Larsen & Susanne Österlund-Pötzsch
Åland has always had a special status as a group thenticity, artisanship, and heritage). Fre-
of islands between Finland and Sweden. A matter quently, these motifs and images have
not always noted is that the Ålandic kitchen con-
strong moral values connected with them.
stitutes a unique food region in Finland (…) An
The so-called New Nordic Food move-
explanation for this development can be found in
ment is, directly or indirectly, an influence
a strong attachment to one’s own soil, agriculture,
on many food entrepreneurs. We will in-
the archipelago and the sea. Add a tradition of sea-
faring, trade and entrepreneurship and the result vestigate to what degree the particular
spells the food destination Åland (Kenneth Nars, kind of storytelling intrinsic to the gour-
Affärsmagasinet Forum 27.9.2014 http://www.fo- met side of the New Nordic Cuisine is em-
rummag.fi/matlust-pa-aland).2
ployed by island entrepreneurs and how
Food, as defined by Encyclopaedia Bri- food tourism has become an increasingly
tannica, is “material consisting essentially important niche intertwined with food
of protein, carbohydrate, and fat used in production. Moreover, we aim to ascertain
the body of an organism to sustain growth, the various ways in which the themes of
repair, and vital processes and to furnish place and taste are interrelated, juxtaposed
energy” (http://global.britannica.com). and constructed in this context.
However, beyond nourishment food is
also many other things, such as business, Ny Nordisk Mad II (New Nordic Food II)
politics, entertainment – and a common is a programme under the Nordic Council
ingredient in the construction of place of Ministers intended to promote Nordic
identity. In this article, we propose that is- food in the region and beyond. The inspi-
lands as bordered places constitute par- ration for the programme stems from the
ticularly illuminating examples of how Manifesto of New Nordic Cuisine that
food is constructed as local – that is was drawn up and signed by a group of
place-specific – in the process of food pro- twelve high-profile Nordic chefs in 2004.
duction. Food production, here, is taken to Apart from the ambition to encourage
cover the production of raw produce, as healthy eating in the Nordic countries, the
well as the production of refined food NNF programme aims to promote Nordic
items (e.g. beer, jam and bread) and food as an opportunity for marketing and
ready-made dishes. We will discuss how branding.3 Consequently, the NNF web-
and to what effect food entrepreneurs on site provides practical advice (even check-
Nordic islands combine story-motifs in lists) for how to plan a meeting, presenta-
the form of images, tropes and stereotypes tion or similar event with New Nordic
with present day trends in food production Food catering. Among the tools recom-
and consumption. Our premise is that ste- mended for the event are concepts, design,
reotypes and characteristics pertaining to decoration – and storytelling. The NNF
islands might yield benefits in this con- website states that stories and narratives
nection. Food entrepreneurs need to dis- are shared “in every culture as a means of
tinguish their product and make consum- entertainment, education, cultural preser-
ers relate to it. This tends to be done by us- vation and in order to instil moral values”.
ing established motifs and images evoking After suggesting different types of stories
a range of consumer values (such as au- that could fit the occasion, the NNF
Ethnologia Scandinavica, Vol. 45, 2015
30 Hanne Pico Larsen & Susanne Österlund-Pötzsch, Islands in the Sun
recommendation concludes that “in Lolland in the south of Denmark. This lit-
regards to the meal or food it’s a good erally small island (Lilleø means “little is-
idea to tell a story that gives the meal land”) is just over eight square kilometres
some perspective. It can be a story de- and has seven permanent inhabitants (in
scribing the origins of the different January 2014). In spite of its small size the
courses or the produce used. [But] there island looms large in the awareness of
is no limit to what stories can be told Danish food lovers. It has a long tradition
about the meal. The only rule is to make of growing apples, but in recent years the
sure it enhances the guest’s meal experi- island has also become known for its af-
ence” (www.nfd.nynordiskmad.org). filiation with food entrepreneur Claus
Stories, evidently, can make eating Meyer and restaurant Noma. Both Claus
more meaningful. What humans eat is Meyer and Noma collaborate with farmers
about availability, but also, as demonstrat- on the island in developing liquid delights
ed already back in the early days of food such as juice, cider, vinegar and wine.
ethnography, about traditions, beliefs and However, due to its small size and few in-
narratives (Harris 1997). When it comes habitants, Lilleø is not a main tourist des-
to eating, culture often takes precedence tination such as Åland. Instead the popular
over pure nutritional needs. If a certain produce is exported. Within our study, we
food item becomes associated with a par- have conducted interviews with food en-
ticular discourse, its desirability might trepreneurs and people in different ways
change. In the contemporary Western involved in food production on Åland and
world, where consuming food entails an Lilleø. Those who we have talked to in
abundance of options and considerations their official capacity are quoted with their
for the majority of people, the stories and names. Apart from the fieldwork material
images connected with various foods are from our two main case studies we will be
frequently decisive for the culinary drawing upon a broad material of litera-
choices made. Our interest concerns food ture, newspaper articles, brochures, and
stories connected with island, and how the web sources pertaining to Nordic islands
“island-factor” (arguably) makes eating such as Bornholm, Öland, Fyn and Muhu.
more meaningful. All of these islands have in common that
Our case studies are the Åland Islands they have been successful in marketing
and the apple orchards on the Danish is- their placeness (“islandness”) either in
land of Lilleø. Åland is an autonomous, food production or as food destination, or
Swedish-speaking region of Finland, con- both.
sisting of an archipelago of approximately
6 500 islands and skerries. The population Branding and the Taste of Place
is around 28 600, whereof the majority Storytelling is one of the most common
lives on the main island. The Ålandic strategies for strengthening brands, both
economy is dominated by shipping and internally and externally, to create strong
tourism. Not least because of the semi-in- bonds between brand and consumer, and
dependent status, Åland has a strong sense ultimately to secure consumer loyalty. In
of local identity. Lilleø is situated north of the Western world, the market economy
Hanne Pico Larsen & Susanne Österlund-Pötzsch, Islands in the Sun 31
increasingly builds on emotions and the branding and regional development initia-
pursuit of the ideal life. Hence, the need tives. Skärgårdssmak was developed as a
for good stories become more apparent, regional-political project financed by
and storytelling has been turned into a EU’s Interreg IIIA (IIA)4 and the national
popular tool for building brands: “as a governments in Finland and Sweden be-
concept, storytelling has won a decisive tween the years 1996 and 2006. The
foothold in the debate on how brands of Skärgårdssmak-area extends across na-
the future will be shaped” (Fog, Budtz, tional borders and comprises the greater
Munch & Blancette 2010:17, see also Stockholm archipelago, the Åland Islands
Hansen 2012). and the archipelago of Southwest Finland.
There is a multifaceted relationship be- The incentive for initiating the project was
tween food and branding. On the one to develop local industry and commerce
hand, branding strategies are employed in but also to promote regional identity. The
order to market and sell food items. On the plan was implemented by introducing a
other hand, food items and food produc- quality label (i.e. the trademark white
tion are increasingly used in the creation wave on a blue background) to be used by
of brands. Both of these aspects appear in the project participants of restaurants,
our case material on Nordic islands. An food and raw produce suppliers, artisans
important part of the NNF programme is and local grocery shops that fulfilled the
to “strengthen the region’s competitive requirements. The programme on the
edge on the increasingly aggressive global whole was deemed as very successful
food market” (http://newnordicfood.org/ (Gripenberg 2006:6, 23). Consequently,
about-nnf-ii/om/) as well as to encourage after the Interreg IIIA programme ended,
the use of Nordic food as a tool for promo- Skärgårdssmak was continued by being
tion. The values singled out in the very turned into a commercial limited company
first paragraph of the New Nordic Cuisine in 2007.
manifesto, “to express the purity, fresh- In her study of regional food projects,
ness, simplicity and ethics we wish to as- Susanne Heldt Cassel names regional
sociate to our region” (http://newnordic- branding as the most prominent aspect of
food.org/about-nnf-ii/new-nordic-kitch- the Skärgårdssmak project. Promoting the
en-manifesto/), are cornerstones of the Swedish-Ålandic-Finnish archipelago as
NNF Programme and are frequently sug- one region was in line with EU’s regional
gested being characteristic of the Nordic politics and the overarching idea of Euro-
region as such, thus simultaneously evok- pean integration. However, there are also
ing Nordic as a brand. many examples of regional food projects
However, combined food and branding that have different aims, such as creating
projects are not a new concept in the Nor- local networks (Heldt Cassel 2003:58, 77,
dic countries. For example, long before 151). Regional food culture has become a
the New Nordic Cuisine manifesto of favoured strategy to promote economic
2004, the regional development project and rural growth in regions suffering re-
Skärgårdssmak (“A flavour of the Archi- cession (see Tellström, Gustavsson &
pelago”) used food as a tool for regional Mossberg 2006:131). Since the initiation
32 Hanne Pico Larsen & Susanne Österlund-Pötzsch, Islands in the Sun
of the Skärgårdssmak project in 1996, the such as many hours of daylight – for vari-
interest in the connection between food ous food produce (Hermansen 2012;
and place has reached new heights. Today, Meyer & Ehler 2006). In this context, the
“local food” is a catchphrase heavily em- concept, “local food” is closely related to
ployed in a wide range of contexts, of and sometimes overlapping with terroir.
which the NNF movement is but one ex- The notion of place-related food covers a
ample. While the Skärgårdssmak project plethora of concerns ranging from taste,
was marketing the archipelago as a setting nutrition and health to patriotism, politics,
in which to experience extraordinary food ecology, and ethics (see e.g. Amilien, Tor-
sensations, the branding message today jusen & Vittersø 2005; Hermansen 2012;
contains an even stronger intertwining of Bendix & Fenske 2014). As pointed out
food and place. “The taste of…” has be- by Lucy R. Lippard, “the lure of the local
come a ubiquitous slogan applied to spe- is that undertone to modern life that con-
cific localities as well as more unspecific nects it to the past we know so little and
larger regions, in both cases indicating a the future we are aimlessly concocting”
literal consumption of place. (Lippard 1997:7).
The idea of “taste of place” is well es- In the context of food, “local” has more
tablished in haute cuisine through the or less become synonymous with reli-
French concept of terroir. A product’s ter- ability and good taste (in both respects of
roir is affected by everything from the the word). Despite the fact that the interest
composition of the soil to the local cli- in local food is often described as a recent
mate, in other words, everything that can fad, this culinary trend can be traced back
be said to add to a distinctive taste and fla- to the introduction of Nouvelle Cuisine in
vour. The American anthropologist Amy France in the 1960s (Jönsson 2013:56).
B. Trubek has described terroir as a story, The strong emphasis in Nouvelle Cuisine
a narrative, about a product’s unique on fresh and locally produced foods was
background. These narratives not only picked up by Scandinavian chefs, and
lend the product a sense of authenticity place-specificity soon came to signal
but also help the consumer to localize the quality. To the point, ethnologist Håkan
product geographically and within a sys- Jönsson quips, that “reading a menu in a
tem of values and ideals (Trubek 2008). fine-dining restaurant in Sweden has grad-
Traditionally connected with French wine ually turned into a geography lesson”
production to secure and regulate distinct (ibid.:59(cid:237)60).
regional tradition, know-how, soil com- Emphasizing the local yields results in
plexion and quality (see e.g. Høyrup & food branding and tends to attract urban
Munk 2007), the concept of terroir is consumers who associate the label of “lo-
presently used for a wide range of prod- cal food” with authenticity (Tellström,
ucts as a stamp of quality (see e.g. Schous- Gustavsson & Mossberg 2006:135f., 138,
boe 2014). The elite chefs adhering to the 140). However, the formula of authentici-
New Nordic Cuisine frequently refer to ty-through-locality involves a great deal
terroir in the Nordic context, pointing to of flexibility. Obvious constructions such
the advantages of the Nordic conditions – as New Nordic Food, representing a huge
Hanne Pico Larsen & Susanne Österlund-Pötzsch, Islands in the Sun 33
geographical area comprising all of Scan- selves more easily to the building of
dinavia including Iceland and Finland, can terroir-stories (Trubek 2008:123). Inter-
thus stand for “local food” (Skaarup 2013: estingly, regions like islands and rural
50). Not even geographical proximity is areas, perceived as marginalized and dis-
needed for a perceived closeness in food advantaged, often take a central role in
production. As observed by Jon Thor food storytelling. In this study, we look
Pétursson, even food that has travelled in particular at how Nordic islands have
across the globe can gain the badge of lo- used their “islandness” to turn a seem-
cality and trustworthiness if convincingly ingly unfavourable situation into an as-
personalized (Pétursson 2013). set in both tourism and product brand-
Brand humanization is a vital part of ing.
branding strategy. Marketing scholars Islands, as pointed out by John Gillis,
Anne-Marie Hede and Torgeir Watne sug- are perceived as remote, and remote
gest that creating a sense of place encour- places are often associated with a quality
ages consumers to connect emotionally of pastness regardless of their actual histo-
with a brand. Stories drawing upon tradi- ry. Consequently, islands are also regard-
tional folk motifs has proved to be an effi- ed as older, more isolated, and more root-
cient means to promote the consumer’s ed than other places (Gillis 2001). Per-
proclivity to relate to the place-conscious- forming islandness is closely tied to heri-
ness of a region (Hede & Watne 2013: tage production, notes Owe Ronström in
207f., 211, 218). In the next section we his study of heritage processes on the is-
aim to investigate how a focus on place land of Gotland. When island heritage is
and traditional motifs regarding islands being produced for tourism, island “quali-
has been employed in this context. ties” such as remoteness, a slower pace of
life and authenticity tend to be empha-
The Island Advantage sized (Ronström 2008:2, 7, 15). The Nor-
Islands, as well as rural areas, are often dic countries, especially the area stretch-
marginalized and suffer both political ing from the east coast of Sweden through
and economic disadvantages and distress the Ålandic archipelago to the west coast
when people move away due to unem- of Finland, have among the greatest densi-
ployment, the attraction of urban centres ty of islands in the world (Ronström
and other reasons (Lyck 2014). How- 2009). Questions regarding branding,
ever, in recent years, some of the stereo- identity and economic survival are natur-
types and characteristics connected with ally vital to the island communities of the
islands seem to present a place branding Baltic Sea. The present day interest in ar-
advantage to food entrepreneurs. Indeed, tisan and small-scale food production has
not all places are created equal, and even created new income opportunities for
a cursory look at food marketed through farmers and entrepreneurs in marginalized
place connections demonstrates that areas (Bonow & Rytkönen 2013:81). It
some places are more compelling than should come as no surprise that the stereo-
others (see e.g. Burstedt 2002). Certain types of island heritage production merge
places and conditions seem to lend them- with the tropes of the successful New Nor-
34 Hanne Pico Larsen & Susanne Österlund-Pötzsch, Islands in the Sun
dic Cuisine. However, the level of how products, but to constitute a unique com-
deliberately and consciously this connec- bination of micro factors that suggest,
tion is made and turned into a terroir-nar- what we have elsewhere referred to as, a
rative among the island food entrepre- Nordic island superterroir (Larsen &
neurs obviously varies. Österlund-Pötzsch 2013). The island
One example of a conscious perform- landscape together with the perception of
ance of islandness, is the apple orchards of islands as somehow more genuine, re-
the Danish island Lilleø. The owner of the mote, natural, and even older, than the
orchard is Claus Meyer, one of the most mainland, serves as the ingredients for a
influential food entrepreneurs in Denmark perfect terroir-narrative. The island for-
and co-founder of the world famous res- mat condenses, exotifies and lends au-
taurant Noma in Copenhagen. Meyer was thenticity – in this perspective even a
until recently also the owner of several commercial venture such as large scale
other food related businesses such as growing of apple trees seems closer to
Meyers Madhus and Meyer’s bakeries as traditional forging than modern-day in-
well as the commercial production of fruit dustries. In fact, island stereotypes seem
juices and vinegars made from Lilleø- to go hand in hand with a “taste of
apples.5 As one of the early and high pro- place”-branding. Similarly, when the
file advocates of the New Nordic Cuisine, Finnish food-critic Kenneth Nars de-
Meyer is well familiar with the vocabulary
scribes the local food on the Åland is-
of the gastronomic world and the descrip-
lands in his food guide to Åland (Åländsk
tion of the island orchards from Meyer’s
matguide. Vägvisare till åländska smak-
own webpages is a textbook example of a
upplevelser, 2009), he singles out the is-
terroir-story:
landness of Åland as decisive: “As all is-
The island Lilleø has a unique micro climate and lands, Åland has due to its isolation been
is one the smallest islands in Denmark. It is situat- able to preserve its food culture in a dif-
ed in the sea surrounded by the islands of Zealand, ferent way than on the mainland. But at
Møn, Falster and Lolland. Since the 1930ties fruit
the same time the Ålandic seafarers have
farming has been the main activity of the island
throughout history brought impressions,
which today has more than 25 apple cultivars.
ideas and flavours with them from coun-
There is no irrigation on the island which leads to
a smaller yield compared to the traditional or- tries far away. On Åland, food culture
chards. Plenty of night dew, the salty sea air and has always been a mix of traditional
the smaller yield contribute to giving the fruits a Ålandic and foreign impressions” (Nars
great intense taste. The fruit trees are normally cut
2009). The island paradox of simultane-
down when they are 15 years old, but on this is-
ously being isolated and well connected
land many of the trees are both 20 and 60 years old
is in other words seen as characteristic of
which gives them a first class quality of taste.
Unique for Lilleø is also its vineyard. Hansen's the Ålandic cuisine. In the same vein, as-
vineyard produces top quality wines for Noma sumed island qualities of authenticity, a
(http://www.clausmeyer.dk/en/the_island_lill- slower pace of life and a sense of history
eoe.html).
all go to support claims of a terroir-prod-
In this presentation, the island conditions uct. From a brand-building perspective
are not only attested to yield high quality there is plenty to draw upon in terms of
Hanne Pico Larsen & Susanne Österlund-Pötzsch, Islands in the Sun 35
perceived island lifestyle and island nos- standing for uniqueness, island magic and
talgia to appeal to a large set of (urban) island terroir (Ronström 2012:254f.). On
consumers (cf. Trubek 2008:16, 212f., the other hand, connecting a food item to
236). an island might make the product itself
However, there are other, and very con- more recognisable. The fact that Lilleø-
crete, ways in which the island-factor can apples stem from an island – a clearly dis-
play a significant part in food branding. tinguishable area – has greatly benefitted
Locality is frequently used as a framework their marketing, as Lilleø fruit grower and
for food projects. Nevertheless, defining vineyard owner Hans Lund Hansen testi-
what actually is local is often problematic. fies (interview 14.8.2012). Even disad-
What counts as local is ultimately socially vantages and challenges can have positive
constructed and fluid (Østrup Backe 2013: consequences. In 2006, Lilleø was flood-
60). In this case, the clear-cut borders of ed and a large part of the island’s orchards
islands are beneficial. Lena Brenner, de- were badly damaged. However, the media
veloper at the Ålandic Agricultural Centre coverage secured nationwide sympathy,
and Chair of the NNF steering committee, which, Hans Lund Hansen recounts, re-
describes the island frame as helpful in ar- sulted in more attention and interest in the
ranging local food events such as the apples from the small island. Narratives of
Ålandic harvest festival: David vs. Goliath and the unlikely win-
ner’s success against the odds are com-
Yes, I do believe it is a huge advantage. I’m in
mon in folk culture and tend to raise sym-
contact with many similar food projects and
events on both the Swedish and the Finnish side. pathy. Consequently, a brand biography
And the biggest problem they have, and constant- of disadvantage and struggle can give rise
ly complain about, is where to draw the line. What to an “underdog effect” of increased brand
is locally produced? When you’ve drawn a border
loyalty among consumers (Paharia,
there is always someone on the other side of it that
Keinan, Avery & Schor 2011:775f.). The
also wants to come along. This issue always
relative smallness and vulnerability of is-
comes up, they say they are a bit jealous of Åland
lands put into contrast with large-scale na-
because it is so crystal clear here – the border is
Åland. You don’t need to discuss it because it is tional actors may thus have valuable mar-
obvious and natural (Interview with Lena Brenner keting effects for the perceived underdog.
SLS 2014:31).
As noted above, food is often used for Island Entrepreneurship
marketing place and seems to be a particu- Godfrey Baldacchino, scholar of island
larly common strategy for marketing is- studies, ponders the problem of how to
lands. Ronström describes how the well- bring about the transformation from
known Gotlandic saffron pancake is per- smallness and isolation to becoming a
ceived as a typical and traditional local powerful centre for sustainable growth
dish, although it was in fact a fairly un- and prosperity. He answers the question
common food until the 1970s. The saffron by pointing to the branding of niche prod-
pancake simply fit the bill for a local deli- ucts. The marketing strategy in this case
cacy. The dish consequently became “is- involves branding goods and services as
landed” and part of the Gotland brand – belonging specifically to a distinct loca-
36 Hanne Pico Larsen & Susanne Österlund-Pötzsch, Islands in the Sun
Apple orchard at Lilleø, Denmark, 2013. Photo: Morten Sørensen.
tion. He identifies breweries as a particu- dients (Baldacchino 2010:66), which fur-
larly suitable niche for many small island ther enhances the uniqueness of the prod-
jurisdictions around the globe (Baldacchi- uct.
no 2010:62, 64). Hede and Watne also As a case in point, the Ålandic micro-
single out microbreweries as successful in brewery Stallhagen has, despite some ini-
using a sense of place for their brand nar- tial struggles, thus far been a success sto-
ratives. Microbreweries are contrasted ry. In 2013, Finnish newspapers reported
with national and international mass that the demand for Stallhagen beer was
brewery brands to the advantage of the greater than the brewery’s production
former. Increasingly, beer consumers are capacity (Ålandstidningen 8.1.2013, Hbl
turning away from national beer brands 3.10.2013). Stallhagen beer is mainly sold
because of their homogeneity (Hede & on the local Ålandic market, but is also ex-
Watne 2013:212f.). Microbreweries, for ported to the Finnish mainland and Swe-
the connoisseurs as well as the general den. Stallhagen’s main profile is as a
beer-drinking public, have come to repre- microbrewery making “Hand-made Slow
sent character, craftsmanship and tradition Beer” using natural raw products. Apart
as well as innovation and novelty. More- from the use of local ingredients, there are
over, beer produced on small islands is of- also several further references to a “sense
ten tied to place by the use of local ingre- of place” in their production. For example,