One of the most commonly used wild herbs in Scandinavia is ramsons or wild garlic. It is mild yet boasts great depth and so should always be used with heedfulness. You can find it in clearings with its mild scent of garlic and if you pick them carefully you will take up the little bulb as well. Both the leaves and the bulbs taste excellent in cooking.

Use a small knife to release the bulb from its roots and to snip away each leaf so the tough stem can be removed. Wild garlic goes great in pasta dishes and with fish and poultry, and it can be used as a substitute for basil in a pesto.

What it comes down to in reality is experimenting and getting creative in the kitchen – finding your own way to express yourself through food. The same is true no matter whether it’s nettles, chickweed or wild garlic you’re cooking with. In Scandinavia we have a long-standing tradition of using these herbs and plants in our cooking. And sure they fell out of fashion for a while, but thanks to the New Nordic culinary movement, they are once more pervasive on plates across Scandinavia.