What Makes Norwegian Seafood So Good? It Starts With the Origin

When you buy seafood, the first things you probably look at are the price, the cut, and whether it looks fresh. But there is another detail worth noticing: where it came from.

For Norwegian seafood, origin is part of the story. Norway’s cold, clear waters, long seafood tradition, and expertise in handling seafood all contribute to what defines its products.

“Origin matters,” says Åshild Nakken, Director of Norwegian Seafood Council. “Just like coffee and fine wine or tea is reflected where it comes from, the places. Also, this goes to seafood.”

It is a simple idea, but an important one. Seafood is not an anonymous commodity. Where a fish grows, how it is raised or caught, and how quickly it is handled can affect the quality of what eventually lands on your plate.

It starts with the water

Norway has an obvious geographical advantage when it comes to seafood. Its coastline stretches through cold waters near the Arctic, creating conditions that Nakken says are particularly suited to producing seafood.

“Norway was very blessed by nature,” she says. “We have lots of cold, clear waters along our coast.” But Nakken says geography is only part of the story. There is also the knowledge and experience of people who have worked with seafood for generations. “We have people who know seafood,” she says. “We have been doing this since there were people living in Norway. So we have very good competence in what we’re doing, very skilled.”

Nakken also points to the way Norwegian seafood is handled, with an emphasis on sustainability and the future.

That combination—place and expertise—is what the Norwegian Seafood Council wants consumers to associate with its products.

And there is more than salmon to consider. Norwegian seafood highlighted at WOFEX includes salmon, trout and Atlantic cod, while Nakken says Norway has a wide range of seafood products.

Freshness is something you can taste

Perhaps the most surprising part of Norwegian seafood’s journey to the Philippines is how quickly fresh salmon can make the trip.

Fresh Norwegian salmon is transported by air. According to Nakken, it can reach the Philippines in two to three days, traveling through destinations in Europe or the Middle East.

“That’s by airplane,” she says. “So it can come here after two to three days, which is still a very fresh product.”

Other Norwegian seafood follows a different route. “Most of the other products is sent frozen by containers on sea,” she says. “So that means also that we capture the quality when it’s at the best before we freeze it in Norway.”

So, is premium seafood worth paying for?

Norwegian seafood is positioned as a premium product, so the obvious question is: what are you paying for? Nakken points to quality, nutrition and versatility, particularly with Norwegian salmon, which she says is rich in omega-3, vitamin D, iron and selenium. “It’s not only delicious and tasty, but you’re getting very good value for money,” she says. For her, the value of Norwegian salmon lies in what the consumer gets from the product: something delicious, nutritious and versatile.

How to know if it really is Norwegian

Look for the Seafood from Norway logo on the packaging. Nakken says companies licensed to use the brand have signed an agreement with the Norwegian Seafood Council guaranteeing that the seafood comes directly from the source

If the origin isn’t marked on the packaging or labeled, Nakken suggests asking the retailer where the fish comes from. “I should always suggest that you ask in the retail where is the fish from,” she says

And yes, you can cook it Filipino

Premium seafood does not require a complicated recipe or special culinary treatment. Nakken points out that Norwegian salmon is versatile enough to work with Filipino cooking; at the event, it was being prepared as Bicol Express. “The great thing about a fish like Norwegian salmon is that it’s very versatile,” she says. “You can enjoy it in any kind of ways, also Filipino cooking.” That versatility makes Norwegian salmon a seafood that works for both special occasions and everyday Filipino meals.