Oskar Krauss
IGCAT Regional Chef Ambassador from
Trondheim-Trøndelag, European Region of Gastronomy awarded 2022
“My inspiration comes from my upbringing and the fact that I live in the middle of the Oceans’ Mouth as we call it here in Norway. The access to fresh produce is unprecedented and I love using ingredients of the highest quality. This brings me joy and drives me forward.”
Oskar Krauss is the finalist who represented Trondheim-Trøndelag, European Region of Gastronomy awarded 2022 at the European Young Chef Award 2023.
Oskar is 18 years old and comes from Hitra, a small island off the cost of Trøndelag region (Norway) with just over 5.000 inhabitants. After finishing two years of study at Guri Kunna VGS college, he has just started his internship at Hotel Frøya, on the neighbouring island of Frøya.
“I decided to become a chef because when I work with food, I get this kind of high that drives me to create something fantastic,” claims Oskar. “My dream is to open several restaurants, both here in Norway but also internationally, where food of the highest gastronomical level is served.”
Oskar always tries to find ways of using most parts of the ingredients he treats, and cooking with local, non-treated produce gives him extra motivation: “I am super lucky to be living in Frøya and to be doing my internship at Hotel Frøya. The collaboration between my school, the hotel and the producers on this small island is incredible, and having access to all this biological, zero km food is a real privilege,” he adds.
“Representing Trondheim-Trøndelag at the European Young Chef Award 2023 was an incredible opportunity and an amazing experience that gave me the inspiration to continue to explore the deep ocean within food,” concludes Oskar.
At the European Young Chef Award 2023, Oskar presented the dish Bacalao à la Oskar, his innovative version of Bacalao, a traditional Norwegian coastal dish inspired by the Portuguese fishermen who went to Norway many decades ago. Served at celebrations, on Sundays or as a normal week-day meal, especially along the coast, Bacalao is traditionally prepared with a tomato-based sauce and salted, dried cod (Klippfisk). The Klippfisk is a specific type of cod caught in the early spring, then salted and let to dry on the rocks leading down towards the ocean. For his traditional dish, Oskar has used his mother’s recipe.