Getting a reservation at some of the top restaurants in the world is almost impossible. Most restaurants require you to book months in advance and practically cost an arm and a leg to spend the evening eating and drinking. Now, looking at it from a practical point-of-view, it seems almost outrageous to spend half of a weekly paycheck on a dinner, but that's not the reason people love to visit gourmet restaurants. No, it's about the experience, and one country is showing how easy and accessible it is to enjoy a gourmet meal while taking part in a once-in-a-lifetime dinner.
Videos by Wide Open Country
As part of a new global initiative, the entire country of Sweden has transformed into the largest gourmet restaurant in the world. The Edible Country features a nine-course menu that guests can prepare and cook themselves in the wilderness. That's right, you find, forage and fish for your own dinner at this restaurant.
Photo by August Deller
The recipes were developed by Swedish Michelin-starred chefs Titti Qvarnström, Niklas Ekstedt, Jacob Holmström, and Anton Bjuhr and feature edible ingredients you can find all over Sweden. The restaurant consists of seven handmade wooden tables which have been placed all over the country complete with ready-to-use kitchen kits and cooking tools. Don't fret if you don't know how to forage, you have the choice to hire a guide when booking your table.
"Sweden is 96 percent uninhabited and yet easily accessible for everyone. Our nature is filled with edible ingredients and we want to invite the world to enjoy them, and at the same time wind down in nature like us Swedes do. By using our star chefs' menu, this new and innovative DIY culinary experience makes it possible for visitors to explore and transform nature into gourmet food themselves," says Jennie Skogsborn Missuna, Chief Experience Officer at Visit Sweden.
Photo by Jonas Eltes & Victor Falk
Some menu items include Forest broth, poached perch, with broiled herb butter and Freshly smoked char, chanterelles, juniper berries, with wood sorrel. Sounds like something you could find in a Michelin star restaurant if you ask me.
It's the kind of dining experience everyone should be able to take part in at least once in their life. With 100 million acres of land, Sweden is known for their edible landscape. The entire country follows The Right of Public Access, which dictates that anyone is allowed to pitch tents, forage, and fish on all public land. Pretty neat, huh?
The seven tables are located in Skåne, West Sweden, Lapland, Jämtland, Småland, Stockholm archipelago, and Värmland. You can book your tables on visitsweden.com/edible-country.
