This past weekend saw the first annual MAD Foodcamp staged in the Danish capital of Copenhagen. A nerdy Woodstockish foodie festival and conference that showcased some of the most in vogue gastronomy profiles in the world.
MAD Foodcamp is the brain child of René Redzepi - the Über Chef behind the famed "best restaurant in the world" Noma - in an effort to increase focus on plants, vegetables and herbs in food and cooking.
On the Refshaleøen island, a 10 minute boat ride from downtown Copenhagen, a hippie like tent city covering 50.000 sqm had been built for the occasion, creating a vibe mixing everything from medieval fairs to rock festivals and circuses.
MAD Foodcamp was divided into two main parts. First the public area, where farmers from across Denmark and southern Sweden took part in what might be best described as a huge farmer's market. Showcasing local berries, fruit, kale, apples, cheeses, beers and many other products from the region - visitors could sample and buy products they might not normally be able to find in the supermarkets. They were also able to take part in seminars, competitions and outdoor cooking sessions.
The second part of the camp was closed to the public, and only open to invited Chefs and farmers (plus the occasional freeloading food writer) from across the globe. This was the Symposium called "Planting Thoughts". In a large circus tent, and under the direction of René Redzepi himself - the two symposium days saw lectures from world class Chefs, farmers, scientists and political figures on the subject of plants, flowers, herbs and vegetables.
Among the Chefs,
we had Daniel Patterson of
in SF talking about the history of beets (handing out beet gummy bears), and how he uses them in his multi starred kitchen (beets, not gummy bears). We heard Magnus Nilsson of the extreme-local-cooking
in Northern Sweden run us through everything from how he works in his potager to the preservation techniques that help him cope with the fact that his surroundings provide him with absolutely no fresh vegetables for 8 months a year. New York Chef David Chang of
fame took us on a trip through their restaurant's efforts to decode the secrets of yeast and bacteria in fermentation processes. Brazilian Alex Atala of
brought with him Amazon-ants in gelatin for the audience to taste (lemony, crunchy, gingery), and talked about how the perception of food is based on cultural interpretations - "In Brazil, we think lemongrass taste like ants". And legendary French Chef
showed us his iconic gargouillou plating technique, the visual style he created in the 80's and that has influenced almost every contemporary high-end Chef in the world.
Among farmers and scientists, we heard an inspirational speech from Thomas Harttung of the Green Carbon Initiative about the possibility for urban farming using ancient techniques, master forager Miles Irving talked about how his interest in herbs and plants helped him create a foraging business supplying the best restaurants in Britain and neurobiologist Stefano Mancuso flipped our perception of plants upside down by showing us how they can feel, act, communicate and even move and play. As the list of inspiring speakers just went on and on, the vibe in the circus tent gradually grew from happy to rock n roll euphoric causing Jay Rayner of food-tv-show fame following the Twitter stream at #madfoodcamp to tweet "I'm sure #MADFoodCamp is a great thing, and it's probably just jealousy, but some of the tweets coming out of CPH are sounding cultist". And to an extent he was right. Several participants in the symposium told me that they had experienced more than one hallelujah moment during the weekend.
René Redzepi himself both opened and closed the symposium with a quote that tore down ecstatic cheers from the audience "-Anything is possible, and even if it isn't, we still have to try."
See the whole list of speakers here.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.