This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).
Wild, rugged, pristine and elemental, Greenland is achingly beautiful. Spanning 800,000sq miles and surrounded by ocean, this vast ice-patchworked island is home to just 57,000 inhabitants, living in sparse settlements scattered around its fjord-feathered coast. There’s nowhere like it on Earth, and that goes for the food, too. Game like reindeer, snow hare and musk ox roam its mountains and tundra, while iceberg-crowned waters yield halibut and redfish, whale and seal.
“It’s the world’s wildest kitchen up here,” enthuses local chef Inunnguaq Hegelund, who’s been a driving force behind Greenland’s emerging culinary scene. And the food in Greenland, he says, always has a story to tell. “Hunters have been into the mountains to bring back musk ox. Fishermen have been out in boats in cold weather. Some have slept out in nature.”
Hegelund belongs to the New Arctic Kitchen, a movement that brings together top chefs across our planet’s northernmost reaches, from boreal Canada to Finnish Lapland, who all share a passion for preserving Indigenous food culture and embracing traditional ingredients. And whether you’re a New Arctic chef or adventurous culinary traveller, getting to this remote part of the world just got easier. Historically, most international flights to Greenland landed at a former US military base in Kangerlussuaq, where there were onwards connections to the capital of Nuuk. But with a new international airport opening in Nuuk this November, this once remote Arctic territory is now easier to reach than ever — and local food entrepreneurs hope it will boost the country’s emerging gastro-tourism offering.
Modern Greenlandic cuisine has taken off in recent years, aided by a growing tide of restaurants in Nuuk and northern tourist hub Ilulissat that have begun serving dishes crafted from local ingredients and inspired by traditional foods. But it hasn’t always been this way. “Even when I was training [20 years ago], we were serving fish from Spain, meat from Argentina and oysters from France,” recalls Hegeland. And this is something he’s on a mission to change. “I want to get it out into the world and showcase the wonderful foods we have up here.”
Outside Nuuk’s brewery, a small food festival Hegeland has organised is underway. Entrepreneurs and hotel chefs are selling portions of reindeer sausage and minke whale jerky — a staple of Indigenous Greenlanders, who hunt whales according to an Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling quota granted by the International Whaling Commission. Salmon sashimi and gangly snow crab legs add to the feast offered from a handful of stalls.
Miki Siegstad is the co-founder of food collective Igapall. He hosts food events and workshops around the country, and for the past two years has crafted his signature Tundra to Table fine-dining menu.
Photograph by Stephen DesRoches
Snowcrab with harebell flower gel is one of the dishes served on Miki’s menu.
Photograph by Miki Siegstad
There’s a whole new world of intriguing textures and flavours to explore. Unsure where to start, I munch on crispy, wasabi-marinated capelin — a small fish found off Greenland’s coast. Next, I tuck into delicious slices of home-smoked reindeer before unwittingly ordering some barbecue-charred seal, which eating for the first time, tastes mineral-rich and gamey.
Nuuk is the world’s northernmost capital, and with fewer than 20,000 people it’s one of the smallest. Ringed by raw nature, from mountains to sea, it’s a modern town with a historic waterfront lined with museums and galleries. High-rise concrete apartment blocks sit alongside colourful wooden houses, home to clothing shops, coffee roasters, Thai restaurants, fast-food joints and now, an increasing number of venues serving Greenlandic dishes.
At restaurant Sarfalik on the top floor of Hotel Hans Egede, I dine on succulent musk ox tartare topped with yellow beets and angelica, a Nordic herb with celery-like taste, followed by a confit of eider duck wellington and cabbage.
Nearby, inside the Katuaq cultural centre, a light-filled space inspired by snow, ice and aurora, I met with Ivalu Hansen. This trainee chef, passionate about local ingredients, has recently taken part in the Arctic Young Chef competition, serving creations such as pan-fried sting ray and seal braised in red wine. At the cultural centre venue, Cafe Tuaq, I try what she dubs ‘Greenlandic tapas’ — small bites of local specialties including soy-marinated scallops, cured musk ox and lamb with tangy crowberries, raw and moist, the meats rich in gamey flavours.
“Greenland’s raw materials are fresh from nature,” she says. “It’s the best quality. It’s not farmed or fed with chemicals.” Hunting is an important part of Indigenous culture and identity still today, she tells me. “It’s very therapeutic for me to be out in nature. It’s beautiful.”
The name of the restaurant — Sarfalik — is Greenlandic for polynya (open water surrounded by sea ice).
Photograph by Rebecca Gustafsson/Visit Greenland
This protein-rich diet, from land and sea, had sustained Greenlanders like Ivalu Hansen for centuries — long before a Danish modernisation initiative swept through the island in the 1950s, after which much of the island’s food was imported. “I think it’s really important we keep the traditions alive,” Hansen remarks.
Against this backdrop of tradition, there’s also innovation. In the harsh Arctic climate, only select plants grow, but in the milder south of the world’s largest island, farmers raise sheep and grow vegetables like potatoes and cabbages, while strawberries and tomatoes have even been cultivated in greenhouses. Above the Arctic circle in Sisimiut, innovative entrepreneurs are also growing salads and micro-greens inside shipping containers.
Miki Siegstad is another talented chef who’s influencing the local food scene. “Greenlandic cuisine is still very young and evolving a lot,” he tells me when I meet him later. “But now we see more and more restaurants using Greenlandic products in fine dining or cafes.” As a co-founder of food collective Igapall, he hosts food events and workshops around the country, and for the past two years has crafted his signature Tundra to Table fine-dining menu for tourists on expedition cruise ships. Ingredients for the delicate shellfish dishes and slow-cooked musk ox are all sourced from hunters and fishermen in small communities.
“In the Arctic, it’s so cold everything grows very slowly, and it makes it taste much richer,” Miki tells me. His cooking is also a conversation starter, helping to reshape the narrative about Greenlandic food. Sitting down with guests after the meal to answer their questions is all part of the experience. “We talk a little bit about our food culture and, in general, about Greenlandic culture,” he says. “A lot of times, they’ll have questions about hunting seals and whales. We’ll explain to them about the strict quotas, our huge respect for the animals and how we use every part of it.”
Back at Sarfalik, it’s time for dessert. And I’m offered a scoop of perhaps the most unconventional ice cream I’ve ever tasted, crafted from ptarmigan (Arctic grouse) gizzard and herbs. The restaurant’s sous chef, Aggu Broberg, tells me simply: “I like to experiment a bit.” The cool concoction is surprisingly pleasant, with a subtle, liquorice-like flavour. And it’s just one of the imaginative food creations he’s conjured up by mixing modern Nordic cooking with traditional Greenlandic flavours. He shows me around the busy kitchen and reveals a pantry brimming with tubs of homemade ingredients, everything from fish garum to fermented crowberries.
“I want to put Greenlandic food culture on the map, so people will come to eat the food,” he says before quickly preparing the menu’s grilled minke whale carpaccio — perhaps the epitome of a modern riff on a traditional dish.
Similar to beef in texture, but earthier in flavour owing to herbs on the charcoal grill, the dish is paired with smoked nuts and a dollop of another unusual, fishy but sweet ice cream, made with capelin and apple. “Here in Greenland, we eat the capelin with some fresh apples and seal fat or whale fat,” he explains. “So, it’s a fun little combination.”
With Nuuk’s new airport opening soon and two more being constructed inQaqortoq and Ilulissat slated to debut in 2026, more visitors are expected and there are big hopes that gastro tourism will flourish. “It’s really exciting,” says Innunguaq Hegelund. He tells me he’s planning to travel to towns and villages around Greenland and run workshops to help prepare them. “It’s a big opportunity and it’s going to open a lot of new doors for the food industry.”
(7 of the best places to eat in Greenland.)
Four food experiences to try in Greenland
1. Meeting locals over kaffemik
Kaffemik — which means ‘with coffee’ — is a traditional gathering of family and friends to celebrate milestones like birthdays or graduations. Typically, this includes a buffet of Greenlandic specialities such as dried fish, suaasat (seal) soup and roast meats, plus cakes and coffee. For travellers, visiting a family home and meeting locals is a wonderfully authentic experience. Tupilak Travel in Nuuk or Sagalands in Qaqortoq can arrange kaffeemik visits. From DKK 325 (£36) for groups of four-eight people.
Kaffemik — which means ‘with coffee’ — is a traditional Greenlandic gathering of family and friends to celebrate milestones like birthdays or graduations.
Photograph by Magnus B Trolle/Visit Greenland
2. Fish and dish at Qooqqut Nuan
Catch you own dinner while sailing to the abandoned settlement of Qooqqut, 31 miles from Nuuk. Qooqqut Nuan restaurant is a summertime-only pop-up where chefs prepare your freshly caught cod or redfish on the spot and show you how to fillet it. Several dishes with Thai and European flavours are served, alongside rice, potatoes and locally grown vegetables. Menu from DKK 315 (£35). Tour (including meal) from DKK 1,449 (£162) per person including transfers by Nuuk Water Taxi.
3. Visit an experimental farm
A short boat ride from the city of Qaqortoq, this extraordinary experimental farm might be one of biggest surprises of your trip. Upernaviarsuk Research Station grows a raft of vegetables, including cabbages, carrots, broccoli and cauliflowers — all outdoors — as well as strawberries, tomatoes and herbs in its greenhouse. South Greenland has centuries-old agricultural roots, and by harnessing the milder climate, new varieties of crops are being tested here while helping to train the next generation of farmers. Tours from DKK 650 (£73) per person. Homestays at local sheep farms can also be arranged; see Visit South Greenland for details.
4. Taste authentic snacks on a local hike
Combine your culinary explorations with an outdoors adventure by joining a hike into the wilderness around Nuuk, sampling traditional foods en route. Local adventure outfit Two Ravens leads walks into the surrounding backcountry where its expert guides tell the stories behind Greenlandic foods and get guests involved in preparing a meal and campfire. Tours from DKK 1,695 (£189) per person.
How to do itFrom the UK, numerous airlines fly to Copenhagen where Air Greenland now flies direct to Nuuk, and onwards within Greenland to Ilulissat, Sisimiut and Narsarsuaq. From June 2025, SAS will also operate direct Copenhagen-Nuuk flights.
From North America, Air Greenland has weekly flights from Nuuk to Iqaluit, in Nunavut, Canada, where there are onwards connections to Ottawa and Montreal, and from summer 2025 United Airlines will fly between Nuuk and New York.
Stay at Aurora Glass Igloo, by Inuk Travel from DKK 2,800 (£312) a night B&B; or Hotel Soma from DKK 800 (£90) B&B.
More info:
Visit Nuuk
Visit Greenland
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Publish date : 2024-12-02 00:07:00
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