>> Funding for this series has been provided in part by the following.

♪♪♪ >> Havila Voyages -- sustainable coastal cruises along Norway's beautiful coastline.

>> ♪ Take me home ♪ Take me home where I... >> VGAN Chocolate -- Norwegian flavor.

Available in Walmart stores.

>> Seafood from Norway.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ >> Join me on a journey where we will meet people who live, work, and enjoy life right here in the Far North.

I'm joined by star chef Frida Ronge, who is culinary leader at some of Stockholm's finest restaurants.

She has come all the way up here to look for new creative impulses.

My good friend Stig Bareksten is also coming.

He's the founder of a award-winning Nordic gin distillery, and he's on the hunt for new and exciting flavors.

My name is Arne Hjeltnes, and I'm taking you to meet the fantastic people of the North.

We are way above the polar circle and further out into the Barents Sea than the world's northernmost city, Hammerfest.

But people live here and thrive here.

Why?

That's what we are going to find out.

Welcome to "People of the North."

I'm Arne Hjeltnes.

♪♪♪ This episode from the rugged Finnmark starts with a fishing trip in wonderful weather with a cheerful and able fish guide, Bilal Saab.

He is a star singer in Norway after winning both "The Masked Singer" and the "Ultimate Entertainer."

Bilal, now we have reached one of the good fishing grounds, one of the special spots you have.

What do you expect for us to find here?

>> I hope we can catch some halibut here.

With halibut, you actually need to put in an effort, and that is what I'm loving about this.

So when you actually catch something, it feels really good.

>> [ Chuckles ] It's amazing.

Sunshine, nice calm waters, a lot of fish down there.

>> Hopefully.

>> Yeah, let's -- let's try.

♪♪♪ >> Yeah, nice way to fish is waiting for the halibut in these magnificent surroundings.

♪♪♪ Bilal, we have -- we have something.

Bilal, we have something.

>> That's correct.

And it's a halibut.

>> Oh, look at this!

Holy mackerel!

>> I've got it.

>> That's a halibut.

>> [ Speaking indistinctly ] >> Queen of fish.

>> Yep.

>> And it's also called -- >> The queen of the seas.

>> And it's also supposed to be, like, a holy fish in the old days.

>> Yep.

It's a strong one, this one, actually.

♪♪♪ >> [ Laughs ] >> Yeah.

>> How big is this, Bilal?

>> It's about -- What?

[ Laughs ] It's, uh, yeah, 10 to 15 kilos, something like that.

Nice fish.

>> Conservation is important to you.

>> Yes, conservation is probably one of my -- what can you say?

-- hottest topics.

I think it was in 2020, I had, before June -- I had 350 halibut in my boat.

And I killed four or something.

And all of them were for the restaurant.

>> Yeah.

It's a tough life to be a fisherman in Finnmark.

>> Yeah.

Is it always like this?

>> More or less, what I heard.

>> We found it, 15 minutes.

>> Yeah, it's faster than going to the grocery store and buying one.

[ Chuckles ] And I think this type presents this area quite favorably for someone who's looking for a new start in life.

♪♪♪ Something on his rope.

Mr. Stig has a halibut on his rope.

The Stig.

>> [ Grunts ] Got it.

>> The measure -- it has to be bigger than 80 centimeters.

>> There's them.

>> That's the rules.

>> Yeah, it has to be over 80 centimeter, but we have one fish that's almost 20 kilos, so we can let this one go.

>> Bye-bye.

>> The Stig.

That's one happy halibut there.

>> [ Chuckles ] >> One happy halibut and one happy fisherman.

>> Yeah.

Well, cheers.

>> Skol.

>> This is old Norwegian tradition.

When you get your first -- Is this your first halibut?

>> No, it's not.

>> No, it's not.

Nevertheless... >> Whatever.

>> ...it's a good tradition for your second halibut.

>> Yeah.

[ Chuckles ] >> Is it your second halibut?

>> Uh, no.

[ Chuckles ] >> No?

Is it your fourth halibut?

[ Both laugh ] Your fifth?

Well done, Mr. Bilal.

>> Thank you.

>> [ Laughs ] >> It's a team effort.

>> I know, I know.

>> [ Laughs ] ♪♪♪ >> From one fisherman to another.

This family sticks to traditional fishing techniques.

♪♪♪ Orjon, you're working with your father here today, getting the lines ready.

What kind of fisheries are you doing here at Sorvaer?

>> We are fishing cod now.

>> But it seems like you're using, I would say, edible shrimps.

>> Yes, this is -- this is food for -- even for us.

>> But how come you are actually using very expensive bait?

>> You have to use this kind of bait when the cod is laying their eggs now, in this time, in March, up here.

They don't want the fat bait like mackerel and herring.

So you have to have this -- this kind of bait.

>> Mmm.

I would actually buy this.

>> You can eat it.

It's no problem.

>> And you also have your son involved.

There are three generations working here out of Sorvaer.

What's life like for a fisherman in this fairly rough area of Sorvaer.

And I know that you were out yesterday -- fairly rough weather -- on your own.

It's not risk-free.

>> No, of course.

When you are out to sea, even if you're not a fisherman, you have to be -- beware.

>> And little Sorvaer has actually, and has always been, an international place, because people come here because of the fisheries.

And how is it today?

>> Yes, it's been like this for 40 years.

People are coming here.

Somebody stays, get kids, they go to kindergarten, school.

And my -- my wife is from Sweden.

>> Oh.

>> And his wife is from Ukraine.

>> Yeah, and your son is still a bachelor?

>> Uh, he is together with a girl from Gambia.

>> Okay.

So it's Sweden, Ukraine, and Gambia.

>> Yeah.

>> So it's not like you're isolated in this place year-round.

You are living an international life.

♪♪♪ After a leisurely 12-hour trip, Frida is finally joining us.

♪♪♪ My companions and I can continue to embark in this episode's mission -- to find out why so many people are so happy on this remote island.

>> [ Speaking indistinctly ] >> Welcome.

>> Thank you so much.

♪♪♪ It's amazing to be here.

Five minutes ago, it was, like, a very big snowstorm, and now the sun is shining.

>> That's how it is here in Soroya.

♪♪♪ >> Oh, wow, they are so big.

Oh, my God.

[ Chuckles ] >> This is a she fish, and you can see the roe in there.

>> Oh, yeah, there is the roe.

>> And they also have this lumpsucker, so they attach themselves to different surfaces in the ocean, and they just lay there.

They're quite lazy.

>> Oh, okay.

I'm so excited to actually cook the roe for my friends tonight.

And I guess you have special contacts for that here at Soroya.

>> Yeah.

>> There is an abundance of fish roe here at one of the many fish facilities at Soroya.

♪♪♪ For more inspiration, visit our website, peopleofthenorth.net.

It's amazing.

Look at all this fish.

♪♪♪ We're inside the fish-processing plant of Nergard in Breivikbotn.

And one of the important money-earning opportunities for young people in this community is to cut off the very delicate and valuable cod tongues.

And I have challenged my friend Stig to try and do this with one of the local experts.

Oh, here.

They're over here.

>> Ann Iren, can you show me how to cut this tongue?

>> Yeah.

So, you put your thumb and your fingers here, in the eyes of the fish.

>> Yeah.

>> And then you put it on the stick, and you try to hit this around this area.

>> Yeah.

>> You pull it out.

And then you try to get as much as you can of the tongue and the lip of the... >> This looks easy.

I want to take a big one this time.

[ Chuckles ] Okay?

[ Indistinct conversations in distance ] So, that's easy.

So, how do you get paid when you do this?

Is this per tongue, or... >> We get 40 Norwegian kroners per kilo.

>> And how many kilos do you do per hour?

>> Uh, I'm not sure about the kilos, but I make maybe 600 kroners an hour, more or less.

>> That's quite good pay.

>> Yeah.

Some people who are very fast can make over 1,000 kroners an hour.

>> That's fantastic.

It's hard labor, though.

>> Yeah, you get very tired in this arm, because you always lift the... >> I've done one, and I'm freezing.

>> [ Laughs ] ♪♪♪ >> I'm a professional now.

♪♪♪ >> While the young ones pull in up to $100 an hour, we are on the way to the local eatery, which is luckily just a cod's-throw away.

>> Now it's my turn, and I'm going to do the most important part on this journey.

I will make a dry martini with inspiration from this region.

I found this sweet meadow syrup at the hotel, that I'm going to use.

It's going to be quite far from a classic dry martini, but it's going to be super nice.

And since we have been out in the snow and windy weather the whole day, I will definitely make a very strong, big dry martini.

So it will last the whole night.

♪♪♪ And then it's just to stir this cold.

♪♪♪ And I'm going to garnish this with an orange zest.

That gives it sweetness, since the syrup is quite bitter, and of course, the gin.

♪♪♪ So, how easy can you do it?

Now I'm going to go and serve Arne this one.

♪♪♪ >> This is a dry martini with sweet meadow, with Stig's local take on a dry martini, what it should taste like in Soroya.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> You can smell the almond flavor.

>> Very good taste.

>> Ooh.

>> Mmm.

>> Cheers.

>> Cheers.

>> And thanks for the fantastic burger and the fish cake, guys.

♪♪♪ Meanwhile, Leroy fishery is reeling in vast amounts of fish on a daily basis.

I'm meeting Frank, who has numerous reasons on why Soroya is the place to be.

Frank, this is the cornerstone of the society here at Soroya.

What's happening behind these fantastic walls?

>> Behind these walls, we are producing fish of high quality.

And we have 38 workers working all year, and in the season, we are 64, 65 people.

>> And people come here and settle because of the fish.

>> Yes.

We have now Lithuanian families coming with all their family, buying house, and we see also that they are buying boats.

So they have their own small factory.

>> Frank, what is the attraction of living here at Sorvaer?

>> It's so close to everything.

We have my workplace behind me, we have the shop, we have training center, we have massage, we have primary school.

I'm living 50 meters that way.

>> [ Chuckles ] >> My ex and my oldest son is living in the red house over there.

And my father is living in the red house up there.

>> It's nice to have everything close.

And you know good advice?

Keep your ex close.

[ Both laugh ] ♪♪♪ Stig and I join the locals for a historical trip among Soroya's many coastal caves.

♪♪♪ Soroya is not only wild, beautiful, and rough.

They also have a very special story about survival during wartime with caves like this.

♪♪♪ >> Now we are in a quite special place.

This used to be -- people were hiding here in caves in the Second World War.

>> Yeah, yeah, they are -- In the caves over here was 35 people.

Small children, old people hide here for about three months.

There was -- One of the people -- one of them say that they were more scared of the sea than the Germans, because it's -- the cave is very close to the sea level.

>> Yeah.

>> So, if a western storm came, it probably would fill the whole cave with the... >> Water.

>> With the sea.

But lucky enough, it was a very good winter.

It was nice weather that winter, so they survived.

They had barrels with salted meat.

They had also a small fishing boat they can go out to fish.

Fresh fish.

>> And how were they saved.

>> British Navy came with four destroyers and took them, and they were transported further with a convoy of merchant ships back to Scotland, and stayed there until the summer of '45.

>> You have three very special medals here, because during the war, it was quite dramatic here at Soroya.

Local people fighting German troops.

And what are these medals for?

>> These medals are medals that my mother and father received from the king.

>> From the king.

>> Yes.

They are medals of honor for participating in the war.

>> And the Germans -- they were burning down Finnmark to keep the Russians away.

And people were forced to move south.

But here at Soroya, they didn't want to do that.

>> No, they resisted.

Those who were not taken by the Germans were -- hid in caves and so on.

>> The very special thing at Soroya is that there was a woman guerilla.

>> Yeah, there was a female guerilla.

I think they were 11, 12 female who also had -- were enlisted in the navy.

>> They were actually quite good in resisting and fighting towards a much bigger army.

>> Yeah, this was approximately the weather they had during the fight.

>> It must have been extremely brave people.

>> They have -- They were.

>> You know, being here and meeting the tough people that live here, I didn't want to be up against a woman from Soroya with a gun.

>> [ Chuckles ] >> For more inspiration, visit our website, peopleofthenorth.net.

This is going to get real cold, but the locals have invited me.

They're jumping up and down.

[ Sniffles ] You can't say no.

[ Laughter ] ♪♪♪ >> Aah!

>> Whoo-hoo-hoo!

Whoo!

♪♪♪ I think it's going to get better here in August.

>> [ Laughs ] >> Whoo-hoo!

So, Kim, you do this often?

>> No.

It reminds me on summer.

[ Laughter ] >> It doesn't remind me about summer.

>> I'm freezing cold, and I've just been watching.

[ Laughter ] ♪♪♪ >> After a warm night's sleep, Stig and I gets the pleasure of riding along with the Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue.

Look at this vessel, Stig.

We have an appointment with these guys.

>> The angels of the sea?

>> Angels of the sea, providing safety for all those who make a living by the rugged Norwegian coast.

>> Yeah.

♪♪♪ >> Hei, hei.

>> Hallo.

♪♪♪ >> We're now onboard on one of the Norwegian Sea Rescue Society's vessels outside Soroya.

And, Captain Jahn, what are your tasks here at Soroya?

>> We are here to save the lives of the fishermen if they are in trouble, and rescue vessels.

We are also here for the local society if the weather are bad.

And we are the first responders.

>> And how long are you on board the vessel together?

>> We are four weeks on board, and then we are four weeks off.

>> And when you are on board, you are actually on duty 24/7.

>> Yeah, 24/7.

>> Why do you find this a meaningful job?

What's in it for you, Jahn?

Why do you like this job?

>> If you rescue a life, then the pride you feel, that's my, uh... >> Your reward?

>> Yeah, that's my reward.

>> And this organization is finances by the Norwegian people, by donation and memberships.

And it has an incredible value to small places like Soroya.

♪♪♪ Frida has work to do and is heading to the local convenience store.

She needs supplies to accompany Bilal's large halibut.

♪♪♪ >> So, you have actually been fishing this today with Arne and Stig.

>> Yeah, we did.

>> And you got this beautiful halibut.

>> That's correct.

Halibut it is.

>> How much does it weigh?

>> Uh, it's about 120 centimeters, so it should be around 15 kilos.

>> Halibut is absolutely one of my favorite fish to cook and eat.

It's perfect for sashimi or sushi, to eat it raw, but also to cook it.

So I will do two dishes with this beautiful fish.

>> Really looking forward to taste that.

>> Are you born here, or did you move here, or...?

>> I'm not born here.

I'm born in the neighboring city.

But I've lived here all my life.

>> Okay.

>> So, uh, I've been in and out of this house, the hotel, since I was a little kid.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> Since my mother and father has run this place, yeah, forever, almost.

>> So, both your parents are from here, or...?

>> No, my father is actually from Lebanon and Beirut.

>> I also heard that it's kind of many different nationalities here at Soroya.

>> Yeah, there are quite a few, like -- I don't know -- 24, 25, 26, something like that.

My father has done these Lebanese evenings here at the restaurant with the mezze and the whole grilled fish.

You think this should do?

>> Yeah, I definitely think this should be enough for us tonight.

[ Chuckles ] Looks amazing.

>> Just enough.

>> Super happy.

So, this is the first dish, the sashimi made of the halibut, some fresh cucumber, ponzu flavored with yuzu, some fresh lime and cilantro.

It's gonna be perfect as a starter.

Hello, guys.

So, this is the first sashimi made of the halibut from Soroya, with some yuzu ponzu and some yuzu sesame seeds.

But there's coming one more starter, and maybe you can help me to bring them out.

>> I can.

>> Now I'm gonna cook one of my absolutely favorite waffles.

So, this is a pure, like, Swedish/Norwegian waffle.

Sour cream, some finely chopped red onion.

This is the lumpfish roe, fresh from Soroya, and it's amazing.

Here maybe you have the best waffle in the world with this fresh lumpfish roe from Soroya.

So, the second dish I'm gonna cook is the fresh halibut, cooked in butter, garlic, some onion.

And I'm gonna do a butter sauce flavored with one of my favorite citrus fruit -- it's yuzu.

And end that with some capers and fresh horseradish.

[ Sniffing ] Mmm!

It smells amazing.

Oh, my God.

[ Sniffs ] [ Conversing in native language ] >> Can't miss with waffles and fish like this.

[ Laughter ] >> Amazing.

>> Thank you so much.

>> Yeah, it's fantastic.

And I'm a caviar guy, so this is perfect for me.

The only thing I miss now is the gin, actually.

[ Laughter ] >> This would 100% work with gin, without a doubt.

>> We have a gin guy here, so I think, after the cameras are off, it's gonna work.

>> It's gonna work, yeah.

[ Laughter ] Thanks to you that we have this magic halibut, Bilal.

>> Yeah, it's, uh, what we say, it's a team effort.

>> But you know, fishing is not just luck.

Everyone's talking about having luck as a fisherman, but it's also skills and knowledge.

>> That I would agree with you on.

Like, saying anything else would be -- would be sawing off the branch that I sit on.

[ Laughter ] >> Our trip to Soroya has come to an end.

We have finished with this fantastic meal, your inspiration of Soroya.

And we have to sum up our mission.

We -- We went into Soroya trying to find the reason why people should come and settle here.

And, Stig, why do you want to settle in Soroya?

>> They have everything I love.

I love everything from the sea.

The nature.

But they are lacking one thing and that's a distillery.

So I should go up here and a make a gin.

>> What have you found at Soroya, Frida, that would want you to settle here?

>> I mean, the quality of fish and seafood here, it's just amazing, so I'm getting so inspired to cook more here, and I think there is more possibilities for restaurants in this island because it's not so many at the moment.

>> A distillery, a restaurant, and I would say that it's the people and the hospitality.

I mean, so friendly people.

It's like when you come to Soroya, you could take all your problems, put them in a little bag, and throw it away.

[ Laughter ] ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ >> For more inspiration, visit our website, peopleofthenorth.net.

>> Funding for this series has been provided in part by the following.

♪♪♪ >> Havila Voyages -- sustainable coastal cruises along Norway's beautiful coastline.

>> ♪ Take me home ♪ Take me home where I... >> VGAN Chocolate -- Norwegian flavor.

Available in Walmart stores.

>> Seafood from Norway.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪