Do you want to get served your meal on a small island with palm trees and exotic flowers, on a traditional hotel, an urban restuarant or an island into the North Sea? In Rogaland, you can try all this and more.
A master of short distancesWhen Charles Tjessem shall find ingredients for his champion dishes, he travels as short a distance as possible. Charles Tjessem’s ideology regarding cuisine is simple: food that has travelled only a short distance is the freshest and best. The theory is that we are similar to a stone thrown into water; the first ring rippling outwards is local. That is where we prefer to source fresh produce. If we can’t obtain what we’re looking for locally, then we have to search elsewhere around the country. This means that the second ring rippling in the water represents Norway. The third ring represents Europe and the fourth ring is the world. At times, when for example one requires produce such as bananas, it is necessary to purchase from a wholesale merchant since bananas are not indigenous to Norway. Excellent craftsmen According to Tjessem, there are several good reasons for choosing local producers first: Primarily, we have an affinity to the particular place local produce comes from, and not least, that knowledge of the various products is fairly comprehensive. Sourcing local also contributes to personal pride and secures work places within the region, says Tjessem, who cites examples such as baby potatoes from Klepp, new cider from Buhagen, and smoked salmon from Hjelmeland – smoked in the traditional way - all three of which are his favourite local products.