Wendy Harper/MDN Teena Anderson, left, and Patrice Johnson, right, demonstrate Nordic recipes for an audience during the Nordic Kitchen session at Norsk Hostfest on Thursday, Sept. 25.

The aromas of cardamom, rye and smoked fish filled the air as chefs stepped onto the Nordic Kitchen stage at Norsk Hostfest Thursday, Sept. 25, to blend culinary demonstration with cultural storytelling.

The Nordic Kitchen, held daily in Helsinki Hall, offers festival-goers the chance to watch chefs prepare traditional Scandinavian dishes while sharing the history and traditions behind the recipes. Demonstrations run every 90 minutes, beginning at 9:30 a.m.

This year’s featured presenters include Patrice Johnson, known for her research and writing on Nordic-American foodways, Stig Hansen, a chef with deep roots in Scandinavian cuisine, and Teena Anderson, a longtime festival demonstrator. Together, they serve up dishes ranging from savory fish to sweet baked goods, while weaving in tales of family heritage and regional history.

On Thursday at 5 p.m., Johnson and Anderson teamed up to prepare a Norwegian beef and vegetable stew. The session drew a mix of curious onlookers and hungry festival-goers, who joined in the preparation as part of the hands-on presentation. Festival organizers said the Nordic Kitchen emphasizes participation as well as education, showing how heritage recipes can be carried forward by the next generation.

Other demonstrations throughout the week showcase breads, desserts and other heritage dishes familiar to Scandinavian households. Earlier in the day, visitors crowded into the hall for a session featuring rye orange cardamom slab cookie slices, a recipe blending traditional Nordic flavors with a modern twist.

The Nordic Kitchen has become a cornerstone of Norsk Hostfest programming, highlighting how food sustains cultural identity across generations. As Johnson told the audience, recipes are more than instructions. They are stories, passed down at tables from Norway to North Dakota.