Noma Projects: Noma's New Initiative For Fermented Pantry Products

Words by Jade Chen

July 08, 2021

The Noma team behind Noma Projects (Photo: Ditte Isager)

The Smoked Mushroom Garum (Photo: Ditte Isager)

Cover The Noma team behind Noma Projects (Photo: Ditte Isager)

Copenhagen’s Noma restaurant shares treasured processes and culinary expertise through its new line of sauces, so food lovers can add a little of Noma’s magic to their meals

Chef René Redzepi of Noma in Copenhagen has launched a new initiative called Noma Projects, through which the world-famous restaurant will share its carefully mastered craft with home cooks and food lovers around the world. Run by a team of Noma veterans, the aim of the project is to impart knowledge and use food to inspire positive change. Noma Projects will encompass a range of elements, from pantry products to community outreach.

The first stage of the initiative is Project 001, the release of a line of garums. Traditionally, a garum is a condiment made from fermented fish, with origins dating back to ancient Rome. Determined to honour this culinary tradition, Noma has been working on a recipe that reinterprets the sauce for almost two decades––and only now is the final version ready to come to market.

Above The Smoked Mushroom Garum (Photo: Ditte Isager)

Project 001 will initially feature two different garums: Smoked Mushroom Garum and Sweet Rice and Egg Garum. The Smoked Mushroom Garum is made with organic mushrooms, salt and rice koji, and has an earthy, rich flavour. The Sweet Rice and Egg Garum is made using fresh egg whites, salt and toasted rice koji, and is fermented for five weeks at 60ºC, which brings out a uniquely luxurious flavour. The processes used in the creation of the garums reflect Redzepi’s long-standing love of fermented food, which has always had a presence in Noma’s dishes.

Additionally, the sauces provide customers with an environmentally-friendly way to add depth and flavour to dishes––the Smoked Mushroom Garum is vegan, while the Sweet Rice and Egg Garum is vegetarian. And just a dash promises to enhance any dish. But if you’re not sure exactly how to incorporate them, stay tuned as Noma will be releasing an accompanying recipe collection to inspire the use of its garums.

To pre-order the garums, which are currently fermenting and will be ready to ship later this year, or to learn more, visit nomaprojects.com