Relevant facts.

Bergen is a vibrant port city located on the west coast of Norway, in the heart of the fjords. As a UNESCO World Heritage City and a European City of Culture, the Bergen region has the ideal combination of nature, culture and exciting urban life all year around.

The city builds on its thousand-year history as a meeting place and trading center for local produce and unique culinary traditions, especially within seafood. Surrounded by the sea, deep fjords and high mountains, the region produces first-rate produce from the sea and land. The city´s food culture, rooted in the biodiversity of its oceans, is widely regarded as the most sustainable in Europe. Emphasizing the importance of healthy nutrition, Bergen`s gastronomy flourishes with organic food.

Gordon Ramsay, Paul Hollywood, the New York Times and BBC have all discovered it – that Bergen has much more to offer than nature – Bergen also has a rich offering as a city of gastronomy.

What makes the Creative Field of Gastronomy special?

The rich traditional culinary culture of the city and access to a great variety of produce from magnificent, pure surroundings provide the inspiration for a creative and innovative cuisine. The Bergen region has a number of internationally renowned restaurants and a growing number of world-class chefs. The city’s chefs are creative culinary artists who cultivate, develop and pass on local food culture and gastronomy, and who combine world-class local produce, seasonal twists and creativity in an exquisite manner.

How the designation is being managed?

The designation is being managed through the City of Bergen government. The Section for Business Development and Agriculture within the Department of Business Development, Culture and Sports is the project coordinator. The project depends on substantial cooperation with external players from the public, business and volunteer sectors.

Gastronomy traditions.

• Most Norwegians eat breakfast, lunch, dinner and an evening meal. Normally dinner at home is served around 5 pm.
• Typical food traditions in Bergen is “pinnekjøtt” (cured and dried, sometimes smoked, lamb ribs) with rutabaga puree and potatoes at Christmas and oven-baked leg-of-lamb in Eastern
• Bergen’s signature seafood dish is “persetorsk” (pressed cod in a salt and sugar solution) with sides
• A typical everyday dish is “plukkfisk” (traditional stewed fish) or the Bergen fish soup
• For more signature dishes, look here: https://matarena.no/alt-om-mat/signaturretter/

Iconic local products.

• Seafood of all kinds, both fish and shellfish
• Meat - especially lamb that roams freely on the mountains during the season
• Seasonal vegetables
• Cider from Hardanger
• Craft beer

Local stakeholders.

• Restaurants and food producers, the tourism sector, business cluster organizations like Matarena
• Volunteer sector: Lystgården, the City Farmer of Bergen etc.  
• Public sector: Vestland County Council (region), County Governor of Vestland (state)
• Academia: Particularly University of Bergen (UiB), Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL)

Gastronomy main events.

1. The Bergen Food Festival and Norwegian Cider Festival - september
2. The Bergen Seafood Festival - february
3. Celebration of UN’s annual Sustainable Gastronomy Day - summer/fall
4. The day of the Persetorsk (pressed cod - Bergen signature dish) - January
5. Many smaller indie festivals like the Bergen Craft Beer festival, the Hot!Hot!Hot! Food festival, the Laxevaag beer festival etc.