The Ministry of Food has launched a nationwide campaign aimed at preserving and reinterpretating Danish culinary culture through the collection of family recipes. This initiative encourages citizens to submit old, inherited recipes that have been part of their family cooking traditions for generations.
Food Minister Jacob Jensen (Venstre) expressed hope in a statement that people will share their recipes so that this culinary treasure is not lost. He emphasizes the importance of recipes passed down from great-grandparents and grandparents as a vital component of the cultural heritage that we should pass on to future generations.
The Minister shares a personal anecdote about his mother’s rhubarb porridge, which he still uses, highlighting the need to preserve such valuable traditions. He sees this initiative as an opportunity to inspire more people to cook from scratch, thereby addressing the growing “takeaway culture” that has become prevalent.
The new initiative is also expected to promote sustainability and reduce food waste, as the old recipes often made use of local and seasonal ingredients. The Minister points out that our grandparents had a sensible attitude towards food waste, which modern society can learn much from.
Before the summer holiday, the Minister held discussions with food historians and gastronomes on how best to pass down culinary history to the next generation. Following the collection of the recipes, an expert group will sort through the submitted contributions and highlight the best ones on the Ministry of Food’s website. The selected recipes will also be incorporated into new educational materials for primary schools, which will be introduced next year.
From Thursday, August 22, to October 14, individuals can submit their family recipes to the ministry via email at opskrifter@fvm.dk. This initiative marks the ministry’s efforts to preserve and reinterpret Danish gastronomic heritage so that it can become part of our shared future.