New teaching material invites students to explore food traditions of the past with an eye to the future

Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Jacob Jensen (pictured) has introduced new teaching resources for food education in Danish primary schools. The material is part of the minister’s initiative The Past in the Food of the Future, which has gathered hundreds of recipes, memories, and culinary traditions from across Denmark to preserve and reinterpret the country’s food culture.

The goal is to give schoolchildren a deeper understanding of the ingredients, cooking methods, and stories that have shaped Danish cuisine—while at the same time encouraging a more seasonal and locally rooted approach to food.

In a press release, Jacob Jensen (V), Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, stated:

• Food is not just something we eat—it is also about who we are, where we come from, and how we are connected. The more than 1,000 recipes Danes have shared with me represent a living piece of cultural heritage, and I am proud that we are now passing this on to the next generation. Unfortunately, we know that children today are less often involved in cooking at home. That is a trend we need to reverse. This new material is designed to provide both knowledge and appetite—and in my view, that combination is essential if we want to prepare our children and young people to understand and carry forward Danish food culture, with respect for the past and an eye to the future.

The teaching material is aimed at 5th–6th grade food education classes and is freely available to all schools at madkundskab.gyldendal.dk.

Read the full press release HERE

Foto: Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries