Inspiration day highlights blue food for school kitchens
Wok-fried blue mussels with Indian flavours and dulse seaweed were on the menu when staff from several school kitchens along Sweden’s west coast visited Tjärnö Marine Laboratory for an inspiration day in mid-May.
“It's great to work with the people who inspire children to develop new eating habits,” says seaweed ambassador Karolina Martinson, who led the cooking session.
The wok pan sizzles and the scent of coconut milk drifts across the lawn outside Tjärnö Marine Laboratory. Red dulse seaweed simmers in the stew, the blue mussels are soon to be added – lunch is almost ready to be served.
Standing at one table is Irfan Naprelac, head chef at Gothenburg City Council’s primary schools department, baking Indian naan bread with seaweed mixed in the dough.
“This is something we want to share with our colleagues and other head chefs. We want to find ways of incorporating more ingredients, such as mussels and seaweed, into our everyday cooking,” he says.
Together with around 30 other participants who work in school and preschool kitchens, he is visiting Tjärnö to attend a day dedicated to food from the sea, with a particular focus on mussels and seaweed.
More seaweed and mussels in school kitchens
“We’ve come away with a very positive impression. We’ll definitely try to encourage more of our staff to take part in days like this,” says Irfan Naprelac.
The inspiration day was organised through a collaboration between the School Meals Academy, a knowledge-sharing initiative for school kitchen staff in Västra Götaland, the research institute RISE, and Havsbondens kök (The Sea Farmer’s Kitchen), a project at the University of Gothenburg.
The aim of the project is to increase the use of seaweed, mussels, and oysters in cooking – ingredients that can contribute to more sustainable food production, strengthen food security, and benefit the marine environment.
Bridging research and cooking
“Today we’re eating seaweed and mussels. Both help to keep our seas in better condition as they counteract eutrophication by absorbing nutrients from the water. And then we turn them into food,” says Karolina Martinsson.
What´s it like to host an inspiration day like this at Tjärnö Marine Laboratory?
“It feels valuable to be in a place where research on these issues is taking place, and to build a bridge between research and the meals we eat. Perhaps it can also spark ideas about how collaboration can continue and grow stronger,” says Karolina Martinsson.
The day also included an excursion to the nearby island of Saltö, led by marine biologist Maria Bodin from Havsbondens kök, where participants pulled on waders and headed into the water.
“It’s fascinating to see how much marine life we have around us,” says Noj Lysell, a chef with the Meals Unit in Sotenäs Municipality.
Inspiration for daily work
The participants collected seaweed, snails, and mussels in the shallow water before gathering around Maria Bodin, who talked them through their findings and explained more about the different species.
“A fantastic day. Very educational and such a beautiful environment,” says Noj Lysell.
The wok-fried mussels in the generously filled wok pan quickly disappeared once the participants finally sat down to their slightly late lunch. Everyone seemed to enjoy the meal, not least Noj and her colleagues, who can easily imagine serving something similar in school kitchens in Sotenäs.
“Absolutely – it was delicious! I think we could definitely do something like this,” she says.
Text: Mikael Andersson
Havsbondens kök aims to inspire more people to discover sustainable food from the sea. Through recipes, films, courses and events, the project highlights ingredients such as mussels, oysters and seaweed – foods that are both tasty and can be produced with minimal environmental impact.
The goal is to increase knowledge about the sea’s potential as a source of food and to demonstrate how our food choices can contribute to a more sustainable society.
The project is run by the University of Gothenburg with funding from Formas and will continue from 2025 to 2028.
