H.E. Mrs. Kjersti Rødsmoen, Norwegian Ambassador-Designate to Thailand hosted a Norwegian Seafood Media dinner, featuring an extensive range of freshly imported seafood from Norway. The luxurious five-course dinner was cooked and served by Norwegian celebrity Chef Øyvind Naesheim, owner of KITA Restaurant and former Head Chef at NOBU restaurants, and the event was led by Jon Erik Steenslid, Southeast-Asia Director of the Norwegian Seafood Council. The dinner event was hosted a few days ago with great success at the Ambassador’s Residence.
H.E. Mrs. Kjersti Rødsmoen, Norwegian Ambassador-Designate to Thailand said: “Bangkok is a city of great food; I’ve been overwhelmed by how fantastic this city is. I would like to say thank you to everybody for coming tonight to share this experience with us, as well as the Norwegian Seafood council and their partners here in Bangkok for organizing this.”
“Norway is the world’s second largest seafood exporter; we produce some of the world’s best and freshest seafood. In as little as 48 hours, the fish swimming in Norway can arrive at markets in Bangkok”, said Jon Erik Steenslid, Southeast Asia Regional Director of the Norwegian Seafood Council, “The only way we can increase the world’s production of seafood is through aquaculture. Sustainability is at the core of seafood production in Norway because we have an obligation towards the world to take care of the seafood. A vital key to feeding future generations lies in the ocean.”
Chef Øyvind Naesheim, owner of KITA Restaurant and former Head Chef at NOBU restaurants said: “I am a private chef who travels around the world; I like to cook with local ingredients wherever I go, and being back in Norway means that I get to use Norway’s freshest, delicious seafood products more often.” Norway is a nation of seafood, the world’s number one commercial producer of salmon, known for highly sustainable methods of aquaculture. From farming salmon and trout that live on sustainably sourced feed in giant pens anchored to the ocean floor, to developing fish vaccines to limit the use of antibiotics in nature, and catching individual scallops by hand to ensure that the marine fauna remain unaffected, the Norwegian seafood industry takes pride in producing high quality products that are best for its consumers and best for nature.
“I see that there is so much potential for Norwegian seafood in Asia, and at the moment only a small part of the resources is being used. This is one thing I really burn to tell more people about,” said Chef Øyvind, owner of KITA Restaurant and former Head Chef at NOBU restaurants, “The first thing I did after getting off the plane at Suvarnabhumi Airport was to go to the market. I was excited to use local Thai ingredients to create a new dining experience, and I’m expecting to incorporate more elements of the Thai cuisine in more of my cooking.”
This event was hosted to inspire awareness among consumers in Thailand that Norwegian ethically sourced, sustainable produce may just be the answer to the country’s massive demand for seafood. With Norway’s ability to supply fresh produces in as little as 48 hours and Thailand’s existing position as the largest importer of Norwegian salmon in Southeast Asia, the preference for Norwegian seafood is already in place. It may only be a matter of realization for the Food and Beverage sector in Thailand to recognize this enormous growth potential, and start riding on the bandwagon to make Norwegian products their solution to serving up sustainable seafood.
The inspiring five-course dinner was a harmonious marriage between fresh Norwegian produce, Japanese flavors, and local Thai ingredients, including:
- Scallop Sashimi, paired with 2015 Riesling Nikolaihof Vom Stein Federspiel Wachau, Austria
- Fjord trout Yuzu miso, paired with 2015 Riesling Schloss Shönborn Rheingau, Germany
- Snow crab Salad with Citrus dressing, paired with 2015 Lan Duquesa de Valladolid Verdejo, Rueda, Spain
- Baked Norwegian cod with Teriyaki, paired with 2014 Domaine Faiveley Mercurey Clos des Myglands 1er Cru, Burgundy France
- Whiskey iced Cappuccino, paired Glenfarclas Whisky aged 12 years
