Nordic: A Photographic Essay of Landscapes, Food and People

by Magnus Nilsson

A personally curated selection of Magnus Nilsson’s photographs from The Nordic Cookbook , also including previously unpublished images taken during his research. Given his first camera at the age of six, celebrated Swedish chef Magnus Nilsson has been taking photographs for over twenty-five years. As part of his research for The Nordic Cookbook, Magnus travelled extensively throughout the Nordic countries, not only collecting recipes but also photographing the landscape, food and people. A Photographic Essay of Landscapes, Food and People accompanies a travelling exhibition of his work.

Genres: Photography, Food, Nonfiction, Nature

128 pages, Hardcover

Published May 9, 2016

Reviews

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed the book, but even more than that, I had fun. Don’t get me wrong, we’re not talking here about a comic book, but the author’s dry pungent humor, almost like the Icelandic putrid shark, is refreshing as a glass of ice cold aquavit.
For the culinary curious, those who enjoy minimalistic photos and, most of all, open minded ppl. Yeah!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully presented book of photographs and stories behind various food traditions in the Nordic countries. The photographs are not just of the food, but the people and landscape that have helped shape the traditions, covering Iceland, Faroe Islands, Finland and Norway in particular.

[Jenn Valentine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stunning photography essay and food documentary. I feel satisfied to merely read about these traditional foods however, as none of them sound quite to my taste. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Nordic culture.

[Aileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's like Nilsson's instagram detailing the finer points of Nordic culture. For me, it took me back on my recent trip around Norway and Sweden and I enjoyed it all.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have an affinity for unique photography, travel, food, traditions, and people, this book is mandatory. Loved it.

[Becki Toth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and charming! It was a gift, bought for me based on my love of all things Nordic--it did not disappoint.

[Burak Isyar · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book about Nordic culture and food traditions. I enjoyed it quite a lot..

[Pearse Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gift from my sister when she was in Europe, this was a purchase from the Booktherapy store in Prague. I am so glad I can own this and that I have the physical copy to peruse. Nilsson has crafted a short, tender, fascinating look into Nordic landscapes, the food that is scraped from the barren-looking fjords and tidal pools, and the people who magically build something out of it all. The camerawork here is great, but not really too much, and the stories are sweet and open, clearly written from the perspective of a guide rather than a journalist. It's an amazing, colorful read that showed me so many things I had never seen or thought about. Nice job Phaidon and American Swedish Institute.

[Ew Lake · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved finding the card -tucked in amongst the pages - that Dave wrote when he gifted this to me, more than reading the book. It's okay and all. It's just that the order of the photos and the essays had no rhyme or reason to them. They jumped around from the Faroe Islands, to Norway, to Sweden. I would have preferred to stick on one location at a time. Ah well, at least I've learned how to skoal with style!

[Leif · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous and brief imagistic survey of Nilsson's fascination with Nordic food cultures. Short essays range from dairy production to puffin and whale regulations, with many things in between. And the photographs are absolutely gorgeous. A wonderful companion to Nilsson's two cookbooks on Nordic food that stands alone as a document of interest.