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Michael Björklund: ‘Being a chef is crazy work’

Åland is a special place. Chef Michael Björklund tells The Local how he incorporates its uniqueness into his cooking – and what more Nordic chefs need to do to put their food on the global map.

Published: 7 November 2016 15:00 CET
Updated: 11 December 2016 15:00 CET

Michael Björklund: 'Being a chef is crazy work'

Photo: Smakbyn

While the Åland Islands are an autonomous part of Finland, the 29,000 residents of the Baltic Sea archipelago speak Swedish. Throughout its history the islands have been handed over between Finland, Sweden – and even Russia – time and time again.

But while identity may be a complicated issue in Åland, food is not.

Even as a child growing up in the Åland Islands, Michael Björklund always knew exactly where his food came from.

“When you live on a small island you live right there with the animals, the fish, and everything. You know exactly how you’re going to raise an animal, kill it, and how you’re going to prepare it and then eat it.”

And that connection to nature and the environment is a pretty good foundation if you want to become a chef.

“You learn the basics and every step along the way,” Björklund explains. “And my parents also had a food background, so I’ve been working in the kitchen my whole life.”

He catered his first dinner, for 65 people, when he was just 11 years old. And today Björklund is one of the most famous chefs in the Nordics.

“I learned the art of smoking food in Finland, and I learned the Swedish way of cooking in Gothenburg, where I worked with several star chefs,” Björklund recalls. “And then I worked for a while with fine-dining, but I didn’t like it. I like good food with real ingredients for nice people who come into the restaurant just to have fun. And that’s what we do best in the Nordics.”

'It's not like a regular restaurant'

In 2002, Björklund moved with his family back to Åland – “it’s the best place you can be as a kid” – and four years ago he opened Smakbyn, ‘Taste Village’.

“We started thinking about how to do something special on Åland. It’s a very small island, and we know all the producers – they’re our friends,” Björklund says.

That close connection from producer to plate is the foundation of Smakbyn.

“It’s not like a regular restaurant; it’s more like a small village,” Björklund explains. “You can come learn where the meat and fish comes from and how it’s prepared. You can speak with the chefs and then sit down and eat very nice things from right here on Åland.”

That means plenty of fish, lamb, pork, and vegetables. The key, he says, is to keep it simple.

“Our menu is very basic, but we use the best ingredients,” Björklund says. “Our perch fish is the best we can get, and we fry it with butter, perhaps with the great asparagus we have here on Åland. And we have our fresh home-grown nypotatis, and butter from the local dairy here on Åland, made just like in the olden days. You can taste the difference.”

It’s the classic Nordic way of thinking and cooking – using local products whenever possible, following the seasons and enhancing sustainability. But of course that means the winter menu can be a bit of a challenge.

“In the winter we don’t have much to work with. We have carrots and turnips but not fresh herbs or things like that,” Björklund says. “But we use what we can get. The Baltic herring is wonderful in January, for instance.”

'I don't like tossing food'

And Björklund’s respect for natural resources and sustaining the environment extends beyond fruits and veggies on his restaurant’s plates. He’s rethinking what types of fish can be eaten and enjoyed anywhere.

“There are a lot of Baltic fish that we don’t really eat here, like bream and sculpin,” Björklund explains. “The fishermen just throw them away. But I don’t like tossing food.”

Rather than wasting the undesired daily catch, Björklund and his fisherman friends are turning to other cultures to find those who do appreciate it.

“We’ve realized that customers from Poland, Romania, and Latvia tend to like that kind of fish. So maybe it’s possible to still make good food from it, sell it, and export it as something nice,” Björklund muses. “It’s a project I’m working on now; it’s not so big yet, but we’re trying.”

But even as the chef embarks on his own new culinary endeavors, he worries about the future of the Nordic kitchen.

'What we do, we do very well'

“Nordic food is special in its simplicity, and Nordic chefs are incredibly skilled,” he says. “They can do anything. But many culinary schools are closing down. They’re not getting enough applicants. It’s a bit of a problem.”

Part of the issue is that young aspiring chefs are thrown into stressful restaurant environments before they’re ready, he says.

“Some start culinary school when they’re very young, and it’s a three-year commitment. That’s a long time for a young person,” he says. “And then they see behind the scenes at a restaurant, and people are screaming and running around, and they say, ‘Oh, shit, this is crazy.’ They get scared.”

And Björklund admits that to succeed in the business you do have to be a little bit… different.

“It’s crazy work,” he states.

“But it’s rewarding. Especially here on Åland. When you come here, you can really taste Åland. We might be small, and we can’t do everything – but what we do, we do very well.”

Click here to discover more Nordic stories

This article was produced by The Local Client Studio and sponsored by the Nordic Council of Ministers.

All photos: Smakbyn

How to grow your own fruits and vegetables in Sweden

Know your growing zone

Sweden is split into eight different growing zones, known as växtzoner in Swedish, with one being the mildest zone in the far south of the country and eight being the harshest, in the far north.

The easiest way to figure out which zone you live in is to search your address on a digital growing zone chart like this one from the Swedish Garden Association.

There are two “bonus” zones too, which you’re unlikely to see on plant labels: zone zero, which refers to extra mild conditions in zone one, like a sheltered south-facing garden or the climate inside an unheated greenhouse, and the fjällzon or zone nine, which is found in mountain regions.

Lots of fruit trees can handle snow, for example, but not all of them will survive the winters in harsher, colder zones.

“Apple trees or fruit trees will survive snow,” British gardener and cider maker John Taylor, known for presenting Swedish gardening show Trädgårdstider (Garden Times), told The Local.

“You can grow all kinds of apples, pears, plums, cherries, we can grow edible quince in southern Sweden, so there’s a bunch of fruit trees which will survive, but it depends what rootstock they’re on – that’s called grundstam in Swedish,” he explained.

“There’s one rootstock called B9 that survives down to minus 40, because it’s from Russia, then there’s another called M106, and that probably doesn’t want to live in the depths of Norrland.”

Buy plants local to you

An easy way to make sure the plant you’re planning on buying is going to survive in your zone is by sourcing it from a local plant nursery or garden centre, as they won’t sell plants that can’t handle the local climate.

“There’s a nursery in the north of Sweden and Finland called Blomkvists, they sell lots of fruit varieties which will survive up there,” Taylor said. “You can grow pretty much anything you want up there, just as we can [in Skåne, southern Sweden], but it will be different varieties that taste different and will survive the frost.”

You won’t be able to grow Mediterranean fruits like lemons or oranges in Sweden unless you bring them inside during the winter, although you should be able to grow peaches or nectarines in most of the country.

“The further up in the country you go, the further north you are or the further away from the coast, the harsher the climate becomes, so you might need to have them on a south-facing wall or in a greenhouse,” Taylor said.

Think outside the box

Although the growing season in Sweden may be shorter than it is further south, there are still a number of crops from warmer climates that do surprisingly well.

“People don’t really grow cucumbers outside here, I don’t think they realise that you can actually grow them outside,” Taylor said. “Tomatoes, too. You don’t need a greenhouse, you just stick them in the ground, they’re basically a weed – you’ll get so many you won’t know what to do with them.”

Sweetcorn, for example, performs well in a Swedish climate, Taylor said, although Swedes more often grow it as a feed crop for pigs.

You can also test things by trying to build a microclimate so you can grow things that are one or even two growing zones away from yours. Usually this is done by providing shelter from the wind and the weather using fences, hedges or by planting near buildings, as well as providing protection during the winter.

And if you’re pushed for space, look into companion planting, where you can grow multiple plants which complement each other in the same space.

One example of this is the “three sisters”: corn, climbing beans (or peas), and squash. The corn provides a support for the beans or peas, which anchor the corn in high winds while fixing nitrogen in the soil, while the squash’s large leaves provide shade for the soil, preventing it from drying out.

Don’t be put off just because you don’t have any outside space

Thinking outside the box applies to balconies too.

“If you’re in a built-up area, you will get reflected light from other buildings, so even if you’re on an east-facing balcony, you should be able to grow a lot of stuff. North is a bit more tricky, but east and west are probably better than south as you’re not getting hammered by the sun all day,” Taylor said.

You should be able to grow things like tomatoes, cucumbers and flowers, but it’s important to get hold of good soil and replenish it each year, so your plants have enough nutrients.

“Anybody with a balcony can grow pretty much the same that you can in a garden, you just have to get the soil up there and you always have to fertilise, the soil becomes nutrient deficient after one season.”

“But if you’re prepared to get the soil up on your balcony you can grow anything, even fruit trees. They will be smaller and stunted, and won’t give as much fruit – I’ve done it myself – so don’t see it as an obstacle, see it as a possibility.”

Kale and tomatoes growing on a balcony. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

Take inspiration from Swedish growers

Thinking outside the box doesn’t mean that you should completely ignore what all your Swedish neighbours are doing. If you’re not sure what to plant in your garden or what fruit and veg you should try to grow, take a look at what other people who live near you are growing.

You might also come across some crops you’ve never tried before which work well in a Swedish climate, like Alpine strawberries (smultron), honeyberries (blåbärstry), wild garlic (ramslök) or sea buckthorn (havtorn).

This doesn’t just apply to varieties, but also where you plant them in your garden. Some crops need full sun, some work best in shade, and others, like asparagus, can grow tall and cast a shadow over your garden.

“You want a south-facing location for all fruit, and berries – check out what your neighbours are doing,” Taylor said.

If you don’t want tall plants to cast a shadow over other crops, see if you can plant them at the northernmost edge of your garden, while making sure that sun and soil conditions are still optimal. Blueberries, for example, need acidic soil to thrive, meaning you will probably need to amend your soil if planting in the ground, or even plant them in containers.

Think about what you want to do with your harvest

This may seem obvious, but it’s important to plant what you like to eat, too. If you hate the aniseedy, licorice-y taste of fennel, why bother growing it?

You should also choose the variety of crop based on what you’re going to use it for. Do you want to make pickles with your cucumbers, or are you going to eat them on salads? Do you want cherry tomatoes for snacking on, or big beef tomatoes for making sauces?

“Think ‘what am I going to do with my harvest’,” Taylor said. “Am I going to juice it? Am I going to preserve it? Am I going to make cider with it, for example?”

Apples, for example, can range from sweet eating apples to tart cooking apples, so make sure you do your research before you commit to buying an apple tree. Most varieties exist in English-speaking countries, so you should be able to search the name of the variety online and find some information in a language you understand, if you don’t speak Swedish.

“Patience is a virtue,” he added. “A lot of fruit trees are going to take two or three years, or even more, to give a harvest. So you have to have patience.”

Learn to deal with the Swedish weather

Many areas of Sweden along the coast or in the south of the country can get windy, which you’ll have to learn to deal with.

“How to deal with the wind? You can’t,” Taylor said. “We cannot affect this, we are powerless.”

“What you have to do is plant them in areas where there’s less wind, usually behind large buildings.”

Some plants simply won’t survive the wind, so either you plant them close to buildings, protect them, or accept that you’re restricted in what you can grow.

Make sure to provide supports for crops which will grow tall, like sunflowers, peas, beans and sweetcorn, and tie these down well or bury them deep in the ground, so summer storms can’t blow them away.

Listen to the full interview with John Taylor in The Local’s Sweden in Focus Extra podcast for Membership+ subscribers. Out on Wednesday, May 8th.

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