Lena Flaten runs Flammans skafferi in Storlien. She has always been curious about food from other cultures and enjoys inviting various guest chefs to her own kitchen. When she was given the opportunity to attend UNESCO’s DNA festival in Dénia, Spain, she did not hesitate.

– I gained an incredible amount from the trip. Several chefs from different continents worked together on the preparations for a showcooking event on stage. In the kitchen, people from completely different food cultures met who probably would never have met anywhere else. It gave me a completely new network and I am still in contact with many of them.

Lena had brought ingredients and products that she feels represent Jämtland gastronomy. She served, among other things, boiled coffee with dried meat. She also baked tunnbröd on site, which was served with a crème of messmör and fjällkvanne as well as smoked moose heart, wild-picked mushrooms, and lingonberries from Storlien. Guests also tasted various artisan cheeses from the region, together with cloudberries, among other things.

– I saw the trip as an opportunity to show the world how we in Jämtland work with sustainability, local ingredients, and care for the animals and nature – while it was also a fantastic opportunity for me personally to expand my network.

After the trip, Lena has been visited by several chefs she met at the festival, and by others who have heard about her and Jämtland gastronomy. They have discussed similarities and differences in various food cultures and created exciting menus together with the best from both worlds.