Malmöfestivalen: Visitors brave the rain for blue food
After a hot and sunny festival week, the heavens opened up over Gustav Adolfs torg just in time for Blå Mat's first event on 19 August 2022. As luck would have it, the construction of the stage led the water to the very spot where the electronics were placed, which meant that all activities had to be postponed. But after half an hour of work by the stage manager and her technicians, Fredrik Gröndahl was able to enter the stage and the visitors - dressed in rainwear and umbrellas - were rewarded for their perseverance.
"Algae - the food of the future"
With an over two meter long sugar kelp in his hand, Fredrik Gröndahl talked about what makes algae the food of the future. And there is a lot of evidence pointing in that direction. 'We are continuing to grow on the planet and everyone needs to eat. Algae need no extra nutrition, no irrigation, they grow best during the winter when our fields on land are dormant and only need space in the sea. Moreover, they are nutritious and versatile, Fredrik Gröndahl showed both a toothbrush and a brick based on algae.
After Fredrik Gröndahl's presentation, festival visitors were invited to come up on stage, visit the Blue Food exhibition and make their own seaweed salt from dried sugar seaweed and flake salt. As the umami in the seaweed enhances the saltiness, the need to salt the food is reduced and, although the popular jars were small, they can last a long time. The patiently waiting salt makers are worth it.
"Can you eat catfish and starfish?"
Kristina Snuttan Sundell also mentioned that we need to use the sea more to produce food. Both to feed more people but not least because it is more climate-friendly. And Snuttan Sundell's program point turned the focus to fish and shellfish when she talked about the opportunities that exist in Swedish waters - sea urchins, oysters and mussels that can be used more than today, wild-caught fish that we can use more parts of and then as food instead of feed and great opportunities to grow fish and other seafood in a sustainable way.
As mentioned earlier, the visitors were enthusiastic and curious. An exciting and honest question to Snuttan Sundell was how vegans should relate to mussels, oysters and other similar molluscs. They are obviously animals but at the same time lack a central nervous system and brain, so they cannot feel pain. So depending on your motivation, the occasional mussel and oyster - rich in vitamin B12, which is rare in a vegan diet - can be a good addition.
"Seafood with Karin Lei"
During the very last event of the Malmö Festival, Fredrik Gröndahl and Snuttan Sundell were joined by Karin Lei, a food creator from Malmö. With the researchers as assistants, Karin Lei combined freshly harvested algae and mussels with a sole stock - all from the Swedish West Coast - to create a dish inspired by Taiwanese cuisine. And it turned out that the visitors were not only patient and curious but also enjoyed eating seafood, as every single portion was consumed. A tasteful conclusion to Blå Mat's first participation in the Malmö Festival.