Gunnar Karl Gíslason is the founding chef behind Dill, which was the first restaurant in Iceland to receive a Michelin star. He is also the author of North: The New Northern Cuisine of Iceland. In this episode, we trace Iceland’s food traditions through the individuals that are helping to keep them alive
- 2:15 Rundown of Gunnar’s career and opening a res
- 7:30 Defining New Nordic food and the Icelandic kitchen
- 16:00 Finding inspiration in old traditions
- 33:00 The evolution of the Icelandic kitchen
We also reference this episode with Amass on creating a zero-waste kitchen. As well as Saltverk’s startup story. Show your love for the podcast. Support the show for $5 a month here: https://nordicfoodtechpodcast.substack.com/
Read the full show transcript here
Analisa Winther, Nordic FoodTech Podcast Host 1:53
So you’re calling in from Iceland. When did you first think about becoming a chef?
Gunnar Karl Gíslason 2:08
It’s probably when I was around 16. I was actually working as a dishwasher at the point. I had been in a school where we would learn the basic of the trade. I went there not because I wanted to become a restaurant person, I went there because I was piss poor at school in general. But somehow I very quickly figured out that it was the kind of environment and something that I really love doing. Before that, I was going to be a farmer. Working with my hands and body was something that I really loved doing. So, coming into a kitchen it felt, in a way, a little bit similar. When I began washing dishes at this restaurant, I just learned that if I was very quick they would allow me to help a little bit in the kitchen. So, I became quicker and quicker at washing dishes just so I could help the chefs. And then in a little while, I went to kind of the best restaurant in the North and applied for a job as a student.
Analisa Winther, Nordic FoodTech Podcast Host 3:18
Which one was that at the time?