Our Common Nordic Roots

The "Our Common Nordic Roots" Project

For years, the Slow Food network has fostered connections, synergies, and collaborations, rekindling public interest in simple, local, and wholesome ingredients, and nurturing a vibrant farmers’ market culture.

The “Our Common Nordic Roots” project encouraged Latvian and Nordic Slow Food members to deepen their understanding of each other’s cultures and agricultural challenges, while brainstorming ways to honor traditional values and promote biodiversity. Reviving the “Apple Yellow” swede was a significant first step, creating opportunities for small farmers to thrive. The Nordic Council of Ministers generously supported and funded this initiative.

Sweet Swede Root: A Success Story

Like many heritage vegetables, the swede’s decline stemmed from shifting dietary habits, commercial agriculture, and seed shortages. New produce flooded the market, gradually displacing the swede. Furthermore, changes in seed production over the past 30 years hastened the disappearance of the “Apple Yellow” swede (also known as the “fatty swede”). Its seeds were safely stored in the Latvian Gene Bank of Cultivated Plants, kept in a state of suspended animation—frozen yet viable. For added security, an “Apple Yellow” sample was deposited in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, nestled beyond the Arctic Circle, where glaciers maintain a stable, frigid environment.

The swede is a nutritional powerhouse, packed with essential fibers and sulfur compounds called glucosinolates, common in cruciferous vegetables. These compounds bolster our bodies’ defenses against parasites and lend the swede its characteristic bittersweet tang. Its relatively high sugar content adds a touch of sweetness, creating a unique, complex flavor profile.

In the summer of 2021, seeds from the Institute of Horticulture, through Astrīda Rozīte, chairwoman of Slow Food Straupe, found their way into the hands of the Cabulīši or Fizālīši—the endearing nicknames for sisters Līga Cabule and Aija Fizālīte. They are now working on growing the swede and promoting its use in local cuisine. This initiative is a testament to the power of collaboration and the importance of preserving culinary traditions.

The sisters manage a small piece of land in Priekuļi with plenty of space for diversity—parsley, celery, parsnips, horseradish, lots of different lettuces and herbs. The “Apple Yellow” swede joined them. In the spring of 2022, work began on obtaining the first seeds. The next year the first swedes were sourced from the greenhouse and ended up at Straupe Market, in the hands of chef and landlord Eriks Dreibants of the Pavāru Māja restaurant in Ligatne and Slow Food chef Valters Zirdziņš of B7 restaurant.

Read the booklet about the Sweet Swede Story!

Exchange Initiatives at Grønt Market in Denmark and Straupe Earth Market in Latvia

On the wings of the success of revitalizing the swede and with the impetus coming from the cross-border Slow Food Nordic Countries network, exchange initiatives were organized at Grønt Market in Denmark and Straupe Earth Market in Latvia.

Jannie Vestergaard is the chair of Slow Food in the Nordic countries and vice-chair of Slow Food Denmark. An expert in food systems and food policy centred on building localized innovative ecosystems, Jannie brings more than 25 years of experience. She played an essential role in developing the project Our common Nordic roots- a key for increasing biodiversity and small farms as sustainable business.

Jannie was able to rely on the active commitment and cooperation of Rūta Beirote who has been working at Straupe Earth Market since its founding 18 years ago.

Together with farmers, seed savers, scientists, biodiversity promoters and Slow Food activists in Denmark and Latvia, they evaluated, looked at, and searched for vegetable and root varieties that are characteristic for the Nordic climate, and are part of traditional food recipes.

Rūta Beirote says: “This is a key, how such roots and plants could become successful products for small farms. What large farmers do not want to grow, preserve and maintain due to low yields can become an opportunity for small farmers, because only small farmers care about preserving biodiversity in the field of cultivated varieties”.

Several seminars and master classes were held both in Latvia and Denmark, thus not only strengthening Nordic gastronomic traditions, but also creating friendship and networking. Great enthusiasm was aroused by the first visit from Straupe to Denmark in August 2024 and the reciprocated visit from Groent Market to Straupe in October; not to mention the participation, in the meanwhile, in Terra Madre 2024 in Turin (Italy), where both markets’ teams attended a forum dedicated to Earth Markets.

If in Latvia the traditions of farmers’ markets are old and currently the market culture is in its zenith, in Denmark farmers’ markets are still in their initial positions. The consumer has forgotten how to shop at the market. On the occasion of the field visit two representatives from Grønt Market could visit Straupe Earth Market and some other farmers’ markets in he nearby. Caro Mages (Grønt Market project manager) observed: “It was fantastic to experience the diversity and variety of markets in Riga and its surrounding areas. It was inspiring to see the different ways markets are set up and utilized by organizers, standholders, and visitors”.

The visitors took part in tastings and cooking masterclasses and had exchange meetings with the producers sharing their experience in Denmark.

The Potential of Local Varieties for Small Businesses

Thanks to Our Common Nordic Roots the project participants identified more than 15 ancient varieties of vegetables that are in danger of disappearing from gardens and started working on the availability of seeds with the help of seed savers and scientists who have access to gene banks.

Beirote concludes: “The swede story teaches us that you can find your place in the market competition with a rare, unique product, crop or variety. And if it is a local, valuable variety characteristic of a particular region, which is undeservedly disappearing and being forgotten, then there is a chance to kill two birds with one stone: Preserve the diversity of nature and traditions and develop successful, value-based small businesses in the countryside.”

Project participants:

– Slow Food Straupe, Latvia

– Slow Food Straupe Earth Market, Latvia

– Slow Food in the Nordic Countries 

– Slow Food Denmark Network 

– Regenerative Food Sytems Skane – Slow Food Community, Sweden

– Grønt Market, Denmark

Paola Nano