Norway voted as the 10th most underrated foodie destination in the world

While this might not be the best time to travel, it’s a good time for travelers to be thinking about their next foodie travel adventure. 

The Chef’s Pencil asked 250 chefs and foodies to tell them which place they thought was the most underrated foodie destination. 

They could name countries, cities, or regions, with no restrictions whatsoever.

The Chef’s Pencil put together a list of the most underrated foodie destinations based on their responses. 

According to the survey, the following countries are in the top 10 of the most underrated foodie destinations:

1. Philippines
2. Vietnam
3. Mexico
4. Croatia
5. Thailand
6. Peru
7. Australia
8. Jamaica
9. Portugal
10. Norway

The chefs and foodies also selected the top 10 most underrated foodie cities:

1. Cape Town
2. Budapest 
3. Chicago
4. Melbourne
5. Mexico City
6. San Sebastian
7. Bergen
8. Hong Kong
9. Montreal
10. Napoli

The evolution of Norwegian cuisine

The Chef’s Pencil had words of praise for the evolution of Norwegian cuisine.

“Long winters, infertile land, rain, and more rain, it is little wonder the key word for Norwegian cuisine for many years was bland. 

“So hostile is the environment that even the farmers didn’t want to stick around – in the 19th century, a third left for the States.

“But that was before the country discovered the gastronomic treasures it already had. And that discovery was reliant on the discovery of oil. Oil led to wealth, and wealth led to using indigenous ingredients for cuisine rather than simply food.

“Today, the vibrant food scene is based mostly on the raw materials readily available on the mountains, wilderness, and the coast. Game, including moose, reindeer, mountain hare, and rock ptarmigan, and fish, most famously smoked salmon, are key ingredients for high cuisine. 

“Conserved foods figures a lot, essential given the long winters. Fish and meat are pickled, salted, smoked, or fermented.

Things to try: Kjøttkaker, minced meat mashed with onions and rusk, simmered in gravy; pinnekjøtt, salted, air-dried sheep that is rehydrated and steamed over birch; raspeballer, a dense ball of mashed potato and flour simmered with fatty meat cuts in stock; bergensk fiskesuppe, a delicate, subtle fish soup.

“Norway’s fine dining has also developed rapidly, and the country is now the host of 11 Michelin rated restaurants. No small feat for a country of just 5 million.

“But the ultimate experience for a foodie has to be getting out into the wild nature of the country and foraging for mushrooms and berries. With more than 1,000 varieties of mushrooms and berries that are small and packed with flavor, Norway is well worth a forage,” the Chef’s Pencil noted.

Source: Chef’s Pencil / Norway Today