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

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

>> ♪ Oh, take me home ♪ Take me home where I belong >> 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 an 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.

♪♪♪ Welcome to Kjollefjord on the edge of Europe's northernmost coastline.

The North Pole is just over there.

We will meet in this episode people who make their living on what they can catch in the Barents Sea.

You can come here by the daily coastal voyage or by airplane.

Welcome to the "People of the North."

♪♪♪ Snow and wind can be unpredictable in the Arctic, so heavy machinery and manpower is a must.

Now, we're in the plow truck that heads the convoy over the mountain.

Can be tough up here from time to time.

>> Sometimes.

>> Yeah.

♪♪♪ It's a wild area of the far north we have planned to visit.

Getting here is not easy, but it's possible.

Transportation is a lifeline for this small community.

Despite little shelter and no trees, there are people here who call this home.

Those are the people we are curious to meet.

♪♪♪ Welcome to Kjollefjord.

This is one of the typical but still unique fishing villages that are like a row of pearls on the Finnmark coast towards the Barents Sea.

You are going to have a little challenge from us today.

>> Okay.

>> We're going to send you out with Fisherman of the Year, Daniel Lauritzen.

Out there, the only thing between Kjollefjord and the North Pole is nothing, a big, open sea.

>> It's actually a dream coming true because to see the cod in the Barents Hav, it's something I really been wishing for for many years because it's also one of my favorite fish to eat.

And I also saw actually when we came down here that the name of the boat is Tinder.

>> You are going on Tinder.

>> Yeah.

Finally on this trip.

[ Laughter ] >> Then it's just for us to say good luck, Frida.

[ Speaks Norwegian ] As it's called in Norwegian.

Take care, you.

She's quite tough, the Swedish chef.

Would you go in this kind of weather?

>> No.

>> Me neither.

>> Hi.

>> Hi.

>> You are Daniel?

>> That's correct.

>> So you are the fisherman that's going to take me out to Barents Hav.

>> We will go out to try to catch some cod.

>> Yes.

>> We have windy condition, nice sky, and quite cold, so we go inside, change clothes, and then we start.

>> Okay, perfect.

I'm so excited.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ >> Well, well, we sent our Swedish chef out there in the Barents Sea.

It's quite rough out there.

>> I think so.

I would never have done that.

>> Now, since we are not going out into the sea... >> Yeah.

>> ...what do you want to see here in Kjollefjord?

>> I want to meet some of the locals, have a chat.

>> Yeah?

>> They have a very nice coastal museum over there and a local storyteller, and I think he's over there.

So I'll go and meet him, and then you can wander and see if you find something interesting.

>> Yeah, I think there's some interesting people in Kjollefjord, that's for sure.

>> Given what it looks like and where it is, has to be a lot of interesting people.

[ Both laugh ] ♪♪♪ Kjell, we are here now in the coastal museum in Kjollefjord, and you have to tell me, what's the story about these fantastic little fishing villages of Finnmark?

>> We all settle here because of the fish -- the fish and the sea, in the historical way.

But, of course, things have changed during the centuries, but we are here.

And now we are in an old building.

Would have been a fish factory built in '46 because everything was burned down in '44, the Second World War.

And so here was conventional.

You know, they was salting fish and drying fish.

Now it's a museum.

>> Even though we are in the Arctic, this has actually been international communities for a very long time.

>> Yeah, for sure.

The pomor trade.

Pomor is a man who lives by the sea.

But Pomor, they come from -- from Russia.

And it was a trade.

They brought us flour, different building materials, a luxury -- a trade often without money.

We find out how much fish for the flour.

And they was salting the fish in barrels and took it to Russia.

So they could stay with the same boat here for two months or six weeks or whatever.

When the boat was full, they had sold everything, they were sailing back.

So the southernmost trading place was in Lofoten and all the way up here.

>> And the national link was not from the north of Norway to the south but from the north of Norway to Russia.

>> Yeah, it was very important, especially for the small places.

Tromso and the bigger places, they came ships.

They had delivery from other places.

>> But your link here in Finnmark was more towards Russia than towards the south.

>> Yeah.

And the pomor trade was, yeah, stopped in the Russian Revolution.

After that, it stopped.

>> But you still have a good relation with the Russians.

>> For sure, yeah.

>> And the trade is very international.

Where does the fish from Kjollefjord, where does it end up?

>> The salt fish, it goes to Spain and Portugal.

Spain and Portugal.

The best quality goes to Italia.

>> But the fresh fish is also now a very important export product from Kjollefjord.

>> Yeah.

Some of the cod goes by truck to Paris or Hamburg or to New York.

Every day, every week, it goes, fish, from Gamvik and some other place.

Two day after, it's in New York.

>> How is this fisheries in a more environmental setting?

The way you harvest from the ocean.

>> You can't harvest too much.

The fish, in abundancy, we have cooperation with Russia.

Every year, scientists on both sides, later they meet in Moscow, and find out, "How much shall we take?"

>> There's a limitation.

A fisherman cannot go out and take as much as he wants.

>> No.

No, no.

And because we are clever and intelligent, they listen to the scientists.

That's why there's still a lot of cod here.

>> In that way, the actual amount of cod has been quite high the last years.

>> Yeah, very high.

So if we can continue with that, it's fantastic for them.

The world needs food.

>> And you don't want the Bering Sea to be empty of cod, because then Kjollefjord would be empty very quickly, too.

>> Yeah.

Then we'd have to move to America.

United States.

[ Both laugh ] ♪♪♪ >> The community is dependant on the sought-after Arctic cod.

For Daniel, this is his daily work, but for Frida, it will be a rough hunt for fish to cook.

But if you want something to eat, you have to get out there.

♪♪♪ >> Aah!

[ Laughing ] Yelped a little.

Oh!

>> Look at this.

Nice.

>> Oh, my God!

[ Laughing ] >> [ Speaking indistinctly ] >> It's just amazing to stand here in the middle of Barents Hav next to Daniel, who is one of the best fishermen in the world.

So, this is the arctic cod fished on a long line.

It's what we call skrei in the Nordic, and this is the absolutely best quality of cod you ever can get in the world.

It is kind of rough weather today, Daniel.

I can understand why our man Stig wanted to go to the pub or experience something else in the town.

>> Yeah, it's quite windy today.

This tin liner is quite fragile.

>> Okay.

>> So you're... >> So it's also actually tough weather for you guys?

>> Today it's tough weather.

>> Yeah.

You see it.

Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!

That's the biggest one today!

♪♪♪ >> Daniel knows these waters like the back of his hand and where to set his lines.

Even on a tough day like this, it pays to head out to the fishing grounds.

The Arctic cod has definitely taken the bait, a very welcoming catch for Frida and her fellow fishermen.

The quality of this fresh fish from the cold, clear waters of Norway is unique.

>> Look at this wave!

Whoo!

♪♪♪ >> What a catch!

Frida has brought luck to Daniel and his boat Tinder.

This will bring food on the table, cod to the world, and income to Kjollefjord.

♪♪♪ >> Can you tell me a little bit what will happen with this fish from now?

>> This is the reason why Kjollefjord exists.

And this is why we live here.

First thing we will do is to check the temperature of the fish and check the bleeding to make sure that the quality is excellent.

Then we will decide if we're packing this as whole, so we can tag it and ship it to clients in Europe as a whole fish.

If the fish is bigger than this, 10, 15 kilos, we can split it and salt it and ship it to our clients in Portugal.

>> So this fish can end up on a dinner table in Europe somewhere.

>> Yeah.

>> Fantastic.

>> It's a very popular and healthy food.

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

♪♪♪ >> Okay, Daniel.

I've been looking forward to see how you are as a professional fisherman, preparing the whole fish to the different parts.

>> I will do my best.

I'm only the fisherman.

I'm not a professional factory worker.

>> But I still think that you have some skills... [ Both laugh ] ...to do this.

♪♪♪ Very nice.

And not super easy but more easy than to cut up the fish in the other way, maybe.

>> It's easier than fillet.

>> Can you see that?

How beautiful this is?

And just cooking water with salt.

>> Yeah.

>> Let's put the pot on the stove and let's cook it.

>> Let's do it.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ >> Okay, so, I did a super quick sashimi dish of your fantastic cod.

It's just imported soy sauce, thinly sliced scallion, some radish, and umeboshi sesame seeds on the top.

>> This looks very good.

>> I hope you like it.

>> Fish feels very soft.

It's like something happened with the oil or something.

This is very good.

>> Well, thank you.

>> 10 of 10 points.

>> 10 of 10.

[ Laughs ] Thank you.

♪♪♪ >> Stig is curious to find out what part religion plays in the lives of people here.

>> This is, for me, like a fisherman's church.

Can you please tell me a little bit about the decoration here?

>> Yeah.

Everything you see here is a great witness about how close we are to the sea, how close we are to the nature and the fish.

>> How's the relationship to the church in the fishermen community like this?

>> Oh, it's very strong.

A fisherman told me that the church is very central because it's the last thing they see when they go out to fish.

And then also it's the first they can see it.

It's a kind of mark when they are coming in.

He told me that I always have the faith with them and the hope that God will protect.

It is very difficult.

>> I think that's important, because they risk their life every day they go to work.

>> Every day, yeah.

We get a reminder of that very often.

For instance, there was a fisher boat that went down two weeks ago and where two people died on the sea.

>> How does that affect the community like this?

>> Everyone is in shock, but they have experienced the same, almost every family during the years, and so they are very gathering around the people who experienced the loss.

>> You're not from here.

>> I was raised and born in Madagascar.

I like so much to be here because of the nature, all experiences you can have, going outside, and respect of the people here who are very open, very natural, very relaxed.

They can be very serious, but they also have a lot of humor and that suits me well.

>> We have experienced that a lot in the last days.

>> Yes.

>> Helge, thank you for opening the church for us today.

>> Oh, the church is always open.

>> Thank you.

>> Thank you.

♪♪♪ >> It's time for Stig and I to join the others for some food and maybe we'll get something in a glass as well.

Very shortly now, Stig, we are going to have a cod extravaganza here in Kjollefjord.

But before that, I think we need an aperitif, and we have our own bartender, so I think that's a good way to start to this meal.

>> Yes, and today, I want to make my favorite drink, and the drink I make always, and that's a dry martini.

And I was so lucky to find an extraction of roseroot.

>> Oh!

>> It's one of the best botanicals for health, but also the flavor's, like, very floral.

It's ice-cold gin, roseroot extraction, and a zest of lemon, and the thing is, gin -- that's the answer to champagne in the spirit world, so it works perfectly with everything.

>> And I think you are going to add a little bit of seafood from the waters here.

And it's the king crab.

>> 100%.

And we found this amazing glass, as well.

>> Yes!

They are from Karasjok.

And they are actually made, like, a -- What is it, Stig?

>> It's a king crab leg.

>> It's a king crab leg glass.

I'm very excited to see how this turns out.

>> You should be.

>> [ Chuckles ] >> So, what we have here is the roseroot extraction.

When you do extraction of roseroot, it's not in the rose family, either, but you get aromas from roses.

So just a small drop of this will give enough flavor.

>> And this you were handed locally.

>> Yeah.

And then we need some gin.

Add ice, and it's very important that it's extremely cold.

♪♪♪ Since it's freezing cold, I just give it a little stir to get a bit of dilution, a little bit of water into it.

♪♪♪ And for this one, we need some citrus, so I use lemon because I know it works extremely well with the seafood we are having afterwards.

So then I just add this.

Super local, and it works extremely well with the king crab.

[ Glasses clink ] ♪♪♪ >> And very concentrated floral flavors.

>> Mmm.

>> This can get you out in the boat again, go out into the deep waters.

Energy.

>> That's what it is.

Energy.

♪♪♪ >> I think our fishing crew definitely needs one of these after a long day out in the ocean.

>> I agree 100%.

So here you have a dry martini, or gin with a local extraction of roseroot, but also prepared a snack for you.

It's from the ocean just outside.

>> King crab and this dry martini -- Frida, what's your take on it?

Have some of it.

>> Rinse your mouth with the gin first and have some of the crab and then gin again.

And then you will feel the alcohol together with the sweetness of the fish works perfectly well.

>> We have been looking forward to this.

>> And this is one of our most exclusive produce we have in this country, so... >> Mmm!

>> Really good.

>> Mmm.

>> You've had a lot of king crab because it's right out here.

>> But never with this at the side.

[ Laughter ] On the side.

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

♪♪♪ Here's Maria, the wife of your fisherman friend.

Maria, we have seen today pretty tough weather, and you live here in Kjollefjord, and your husband goes out there -- weather is rough.

How is that for you staying behind here in the nice kitchen and knowing that Daniel is out there?

>> There is a reason why I have such big windows in my kitchen.

And a binocular on the bench.

We just have to keep our eyes open all the time.

It's just how it is.

At least we have modern facilities and I have him on my phone all the time.

I can just go in and check where is he now, what is he doing?

>> You have Find My iPhone on him out there?

>> No.

[ Laughs ] Got a camera on him.

[ Laughter ] >> But still, this has been going on for generations.

Getting this fantastic resource, it's still something that is a sacrifice to the costal community.

>> Of course.

They basically risk their lives not every day, but often.

So we just have to take good care of them when they come home and deliver it and, yeah.

>> And still, this is what really makes a living for everyone here.

>> Yeah, it is.

If it hadn't been for the fish, we wouldn't be here.

>> Yeah, and Daniel is, of course, the number-one fishery man in Norway, so he's safe.

>> Yeah, he is.

[ Laughter ] ♪♪♪ >> There are more treasures in the waters.

Stig is a keen diver and joins the local for some fun harvesting.

♪♪♪ Stig is on an expedition around here somewhere, searching for a delicacy that lives in these waters, and it's not a fish.

♪♪♪ This was quite a catch, Stig.

>> Yeah, fantastic.

>> Have you been diving before?

>> It's a long time since the last dive.

It was a little bit stressful in the beginning, but it was good.

>> They have quite the value for you as a fisherman.

>> They have been running away from Russia, so they are here to give us some extra income during the season.

>> And all the professional fishermen, they get a quota every year, and how many crabs they can fish a year?

>> The limit this year is 2,000 kilos, so with a price 400, 500 per kilo.

>> That's about $40, $45 U.S. >> It's some nice extra income.

>> I believe we have enough.

>> Yeah, more than enough.

>> [ Laughs ] Mine was very small, but I didn't go into the water, so... [ Laughter ] >> Normally we don't cook this so much at our house.

I call to Leif and have him to make the dinner for us.

[ Laughs ] ♪♪♪ >> There's a really proud fisherman who is eager to find an equally great chef who can handle the catch of the day.

The chef might just be found in the village of Mehamn.

♪♪♪ >> One of the best chefs in Finnmark is behind this door.

Maybe he can make something out of this fantastic king crab.

[ Knock on door ] >> Hello, Stig!

Good to see you!

>> I catched this king crab earlier today.

Maybe you can help us make something out of it.

>> Fantastic.

Of course I can.

I steam it for 10 minutes, then it's ready.

>> Let's find a seat.

>> Yeah.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ >> Yes, boys, are you ready?!

>> [ Laughs ] Of course.

>> You see the portions here at our place are as big as the chef.

>> [ Laughs ] >> And we start on the light, soft side.

[ Cracking ] Cut like this.

>> Oh, oh, oh.

>> There you go, Arne.

>> I've been so much looking forward to this.

It's always a treat, Kolle, to come to you here at Nordic Safari in Mehamn.

You have the freshest seafood and you have rich portions.

I love it.

Mmm.

This is a fantastic delicacy.

>> And it's just a couple of hours since we catched this king crab.

So this is like fast food.

>> [ Laughs ] >> It takes only 10 minutes to make it, but it was a little bit harder to get it.

>> Luckily, that was your job.

>> [ Laughs ] >> I'm really the fortunate here, but if you go to a restaurant further south, you get a little piece of king crab hidden in a salad.

And here, you can really feast on the king crab.

>> And normally it has a ridiculous price as well, but here, for the same price, you can eat as much as you want.

>> It's not exactly in the middle of Europe.

It's actually on the brink of Europe, but going here just to get to this fantastic meal is actually worth the trip.

This is the way to go, but this here -- a reason to go.

That's a whole evening on a restaurant.

>> Yeah.

>> And it's only you and me here.

>> I just started.

>> [ Laughs ] I'll drink to that.

[ Both laugh ] ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Oh, you are hoarding the king crab.

>> Yeah.

>> [ Laughs ] >> When I have an opportunity like this, I wanted to make it a massive dish and just eat everything in one go.

[ Both laugh ] Because this will never happen again, I think.

>> This will happen again if we go up here.

You have to come to Finnmark, you have to come to Kolle, but, most important, you have to go into the ocean again.

>> My pleasure.

>> [ Laughs ] >> Skol.

♪♪♪ >> The fishing villages on the brink of the Barents Sea are vital and important for a nation like Norway.

The Arctic cod is a valuable source of income and great food.

This sustainable fishery has been going on for generations and will continue so if we leave it to the great people of Kjollefjord, Mehamn, and their neighbors in the far north.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ >> 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.

>> ♪ Oh, take me home ♪ Take me home where I belong >> VGAN Chocolate.

Norwegian flavor.

Available in Walmart stores.

>> Seafood from Norway.

♪♪♪