Norwegian food writer to include Omani cuisine in his book, Where Flavour was Born, about spicy foods

Andreas Viestad is an internationally renowned Norwegian food writer and television presenter with four best selling and award-winning books in his native Norway.

He made a reputation of himself as the innovator of Scandinavian cuisine through a series of books and TV shows in Norway and elsewhere.

Viestad's television series New Scandinavian Cooking has been a great success on the US market, the second season of the series is

currently airing on PBS nationwide, and the third season is in production.

The series had a wide international distribution on BBC Food in Europe the Middle East and Africa, RTL in Germany, RaiSat in Italy, Travel Channel in China and several other important markets. He is the writer of Kitchen of Light. Viestad came to Oman in November to do research for his forthcoming book, Where Flavour was Born and to research for his new television series Far Out Cooking, to be aired nationally on public television in the USA, and on several other channels internationally.

In an interview with the Observer, Viestad expressed his delight to visit Oman and experience its richness in flavours and tastes. "I have been travelling extensively to research my book, to India, Zanzibar, Thailand, Indonesia and I felt Oman would be an important part of this research since it was a major player in the trade of spices in the region," he said. "I wanted to investigate the cooking of Oman and meet the people and experience the place."

"The idea behind my book is that the cooking throughout countries of the Indian Ocean is so varied and unique in the way spices and herbs are used to create local dishes. Biryani for example, is different from one country to another, according to their traditional recipes although it is one dish. This in itself tells you how culture influences people's tastes and styles."

"I chose to visit Oman for several reasons, first it is facing the Indian Ocean which makes it the melting pot for Arab, Asian and also East African cultures which ultimately plays a factor in local food and cooking. Secondly, the country is developing rapidly but has managed to preserve its own culture and unique identity better than a lot of other places in the Gulf region. It's wonderful to visit a country that mixes originality and modernity in a nice blend.

"I was lucky to be invited to some Omani homes and had the chance to try a few Omani dishes that I have never tasted anything like it. One dish was beef with pepper and cinnamon, which I will definitely make at home myself. I have also been to some Omani traditional restaurants, where I had the opportunity to taste a number of local cuisines. However there is a lack of them, Oman needs more local food places to present these wonderful traditional dishes to visitors. I have seen some places where they serve international foods along with Omani delicacies, yet Omanis need more of that.

I believe many visitors become disappointed to not be able to try local dishes due to shortage of these places. "I have been to several Gulf and Asian countries and noticed a significant variance in making a particular dish, such as Biryani for example. The spices and ingredients used may differ from place to place although it's the same dish anyway. My goal is to investigate these differences and see what part these spices play in this variety."

During his visit, Viestad has been to a number of cities in Muscat and was impressed by the architecture, culture and style of Omani life. "I noticed that Omanis have been very good in guarding their culture, their national costumes and architecture and this makes the visit to this country worthwhile and unforgettable experience. I just hope that more emphasis on traditional food culture will be in place.

More food, cuisine and recipe books should be written by Omanis to introduce this wonderful face of Oman to the outside world. In my book Where Flavour was Born, I will try to shed light on Omani food and try and find connections to Scandinavian cuisine through the use of spices and other elements of cookery."

"I hope the next time I come to Oman and stay in a Hotel, I will find more restaurants serving Omani food alongside other international cuisine. It's very vital for restaurants here in hotels, resorts or where tourists stay to experience Omani food as an inseparable aspect of their visit. Many people around the world love Indian food but it's a little bit hot. Yet the Arab way of cooking is milder which makes it very interesting due to the spices used and the flavour of the food. These methods of cooking need to be further presented to the world and experienced by food lovers wherever they may be."

Viestad’s upcoming book Where Flavour was Born will mainly focus on foods made with different spices and will try and trace the route of spice trade across the Indian Ocean, Oman and East Africa through dishes from each country along this route. “It will be an interesting project that shows not only the foods of these countries but the connections between cultures through history.

“We are working on creating a new series of my food show that features food of this region like my show New Scandinavian Cooking. We are currently looking for sponsors who can help in this regard not only in Oman but other countries of the region. On a typical episode of my show, I would go out in a boat and catch a fish or go hunting then prepare it in the same environment. It will be my dream to do such a show in a place like Oman, which will show beside food, the beauty of this place and help promote tourism in this country.”