>> Funding for this series has been provided in part by the following.

♪♪♪ >> Havila Voyages -- sustainable coastal cruises along Norway's beautiful coastline.

>> ♪ Oh, take me home ♪ Take me home where I belong >> VGAN Chocolate.

Norwegian flavor.

Available in Walmart stores.

>> Seafood from Norway.

♪♪♪ >> The famous Faroe author William Heinesen once said about this unique country, "Far out in the mercury-colored ocean lies a lonely lead-colored land.

It's like a grain of sand on the floor of a ballroom.

But if you magnify this grain, you will see that there is a whole world there of fjords and mountains and houses with little people in, even a small town with streets and docks and gardens and a marketplace.

Even though this is far out in the North Atlantic, on these 18 beautiful islands, there are people to meet, there are things to do, and there's food to savor."

Welcome to "People of the North" and the Faroe Islands.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Join me on a journey where we will meet people who live and work and enjoy life right here in the Far North.

♪♪♪ I'm joined by star chef Frida Ronge, who is culinary leader at some of Stockholm's finest restaurants.

She has come all the way up here to look for new creative impulses.

My good friend, Stig Bareksten, is also coming.

He's the founder of an award-winning Nordic gin distillery, and he's on the hunt for new and exciting flavors.

My name is Arne Hjeltnes, and I'm taking you to meet the fantastic People of the North.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Let's hope for an adventure at the Faroe Islands.

♪♪♪ In the capital Tórshavn, the Faroe cuisine has become a very good reason to come here to the islands.

Frida has a date with one of the young chefs, Roi Mikkjalsson, at Aarstova restaurant.

>> Everyone knows that Faroe Islands has one of the most beautiful nature in the whole Nordics.

But people are also traveling here for gastronomy during these times, right?

>> Yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

The gastronomy scene is blooming better than ever.

Aarstova only serve lamb, shellfish, and fish.

>> Yeah.

>> And just depending on the time of year depends on what vegetables we serve with.

>> Yeah.

>> Most of the area it is not possible to get their hands on, like, fresh vegetables that's grown in the Faroes.

>> Like in North Norway or in North Sweden.

It's the same.

But, Roi, this doesn't look like lamb.

>> No.

This is fulmar.

>> It's a small bird.

It looks like charcuteries.

>> Yeah.

It's made, like, the same way you prepare ham.

>> Wild bird, half raw, salted.

That's it.

>> Yeah.

It is, yeah.

>> Okay, interesting.

[ Chuckles ] Mmm.

You know what it tastes like?

It tastes like sardines.

>> Yeah.

It does, yeah.

It has the same texture, as well.

I never thought about it like that, no.

>> Kind of different but interesting.

>> Yeah.

♪♪♪ >> Now you brought the lamb from the oven, and this lamb looks fantastic.

And the aromas from it, it's just amazing.

And I'm curious, how did you cook it?

>> It's just been browned off at 225 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Then we just put, beer, water, and salt and pepper.

>> Local beer?

>> One dark and one light beer.

Then in the oven at 80 degrees overnight.

>> That's actually not too hard for people to do at home.

>> No, exactly.

No.

>> This is your signature dish.

>> Yes.

Here.

>> So is this a serving for how many?

>> For two people.

>> For two people?

So if you order this, you will get full if it's for two people.

>> Yeah.

You will, yeah.

And we sauce it.

>> It looks amazing.

And I'm just so eager to try your signature dish.

>> Now it's been braised for 12 hours.

It's so tender that you don't -- you really don't have to cut it.

You just pull it off the bone.

>> Mm!

Oh, nice.

>> The sauce.

>> Okay, I'm going in for it now.

>> Yeah.

♪♪♪ >> Mmm!

It's so tasty.

>> Yeah.

>> Oh, my God.

>> You taste the beer?

>> Yeah, but you can really feel that this has been a happy lamb.

>> Yeah.

Yeah, it has.

>> A lamb that has been walking up and down the mountains and having this beautiful view of Faroe Islands every day.

>> Yeah.

>> When I was walking down here, I saw some other super-cute restaurants just like two steps from here on every corner.

How did it come that there's so many different restaurants in the same little area here?

>> They're different concepts.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> An evening at the wonderful restaurants of Tórshavn is really a treat.

They have incredible sources of produce and an impressive lineup of top chefs.

The food at Katrina Christiansen or at Húsagardur at the new luxury hotel Brandan is really worth a trip in itself.

♪♪♪ For more inspiration, visit our website, peopleofthenorth.net.

Stig has also in interest in unique flavors.

But his preference is of the stronger kind.

♪♪♪ >> [ Speaks foreign language ] A distillery here in Faroe Islands -- What's the plan?

>> We try to incorporate the Faroe East botanicals.

And seaweed is one of them.

It's sustainable, and it's actually tasty.

So this is a test we're working with now.

It's ocean truffle.

It's quite rare and quite expensive, and it tastes a bit like real truffle.

So this is truffle, I call it.

>> Good choice.

Daniel, today I'm gonna do a spectacular event.

I'm gonna do a dry martini in a very unique place.

Do you have a suitable vodka for that?

>> We definitely do.

We're actually launching very soon a new product which will be the world's first subsea vodka.

Why we call it a subsea vodka is because we actually found a source of fresh water below the sea here on the Faroe Islands in connection with digging one of those subsea tunnels that we have up here.

So we immediately thought that we were gonna make a special product out of this, a vodka.

And I think that will probably suit very well to what your plans are today.

>> Fantastic.

>> Batch 007.

>> Ah!

>> Cool!

>> [ Laughs ] Love it!

♪♪♪ >> Even though it's a small nation, they seem to lack nothing.

The art scene on the island is very exciting.

I'm lucky enough to have a very special appointment in the small town of Klaksvík.

I'm in Klaksvík and in the studio of the famous Faroe artist Edward Fuglo.

You do paintings, installations, concepts.

Where do you find your inspiration?

>> I find it here right in the Faroe Islands, in Klaksvík.

I use this small country where I am from as my subject.

And I'm portraying all aspects, I think, good and bad, high and low, like an artist that will portray nature also will do -- light, darkness.

But I just do the mental state of Faroes.

>> And you have a very interesting painting that was given from the Faroes to the Queen of Denmark on her anniversary.

And it is not a typical portrait of a royal person.

>> No.

She is, like, set in a new kind of landscape with North Atlantic animals and plants.

So there are 18 animals, each from one Faroese Island.

There are 18 islands.

The queen is very iconic.

Like, we have her on coins or stamps.

There's a ram, which is the Faroese symbol internationally.

>> Yeah.

>> And people have asked if, what does it mean with this ram?

Is he bowing, or is he trying to push the queen away?

It depends on the eyes that see it.

I will not tell.

And then there is the oystercatcher.

It's the national bird of the Faroe Islands.

And it's the symbol of Independence Party.

There is a party that wants the Faroe Islands to be independent.

So they often use these birds in their local -- >> Oyster finder.

>> Yeah, the oystercatcher it's called.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ >> The name Faroe Islands is derived from the Norse word for "sheep," a name given by the first Viking settlers who came here around 900 B.C.

Stig and I have ventured to the very place where the nation was founded -- Kirkjubour.

♪♪♪ A little picnic, Stig.

And this place, Kirkjubour, it looks like an historic place, Stig.

>> It's actually the most historical place here on the Faroe Islands.

As you can see, this is an old church from year 1100.

And then you have this cathedral that was not finished 100%.

But they had a roof on it, and it kind of stopped, and they don't know why.

And this wooden house is actually one of the oldest one in Northern Europe.

>> Wow!

It looks almost like a royal place.

>> This farm was owned by the king.

So the farmer was kind of just lending and paying tax to the king to have this farm and operate it.

>> And it's still a farm?

>> It is.

Actually, it's the same family that have had this farm for 17 generations.

>> Wow!

You're going back to Viking age.

>> Probably some Norwegians.

Actually, even that house is from the period when the Norwegians arrived.

>> So much history on the Faroe Islands.

♪♪♪ Everyone is friendly and very welcoming here.

From the time of few restaurants on the island, they have instigated the concept of home restaurants, heimablídni.

We are booked at the home of fisherman Marni Simonsen.

>> Hey!

>> Hi, hi!

>> Hi.

Welcome.

>> Thank you so much.

>> Hi, Marni.

Good to see you.

>> Welcome to the land of maybe.

>> We are so excited.

You're actually having a restaurant here, or what's the concept?

>> It's not a restaurant, but in the Faroe Islands, we have this concept of home dining.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> And that means that anyone can have a restaurant.

Because they made a law -- if somebody lives in the house, you can have a restaurant.

If you enter there, the restaurant, you should know that it's not an approved facility.

>> Okay.

>> Are you a chef?

>> No, I'm a fisherman.

So if you come to my house, you have to be open and curious.

>> Yeah.

>> Yes, come on in.

>> I'm interested.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Interesting.

Hi, hi.

You have some help in the kitchen, also, I understand.

>> Yes.

He is a good help.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Bon appétit.

>> Bon appétit.

>> Ooh, ooh, ooh.

So this is Faroe scallops?

>> Yeah.

Really tasty.

Mmm.

>> You are right.

They are more intense.

>> Yes.

>> And, of course, shellfish takes taste from the water.

>> Yep.

>> Now the salmon.

This salmon I have smoked myself.

At the moment, 50% of the Faroese economy depends on the salmon.

So we have to try some.

Lax loin.

>> It's really a nice smoked flavor on the top, and then it's soft and nice inside.

>> Yes.

Texture.

Different texture.

>> Yeah.

>> Very good.

Very tasty.

>> And it goes, of course, well with champagne.

>> Yeah.

>> Two...ein.

[ Glass shatters ] [ Laughter ] ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ [ Sizzling ] ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ What do you think, sir?

What do you think?

♪♪♪ An unforgettable abundance of impressive delicacies from the sea or the lush hills is what you can expect from a night at Marni's home.

The sea is also an inspiration for the very musical people of the Faroe Islands.

I head out of town for a summer music cruise.

How can people enjoy life on a remote island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean without culture and without music and singing?

In the most famous book by the great author of Faroe Islands, William Heinesen, is called "The Lost Musicians."

It's all about how music has been so important for people here on these islands.

I'm here on Sorvágur with two musicians that are not lost at all.

Lena Anderssen is an international artist from the Faroe Islands.

And she's here with her husband, Niclas, and they're going to play a song for me on this boat in this beautiful fjord.

[ Guitar playing ] ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ >> [ Singing in foreign language ] ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ >> ♪ Do-do-do, do-do, do-do ♪ Do-do-do-do-do ♪ Do-do-do ♪ Do-do-do, do-do-do-do ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ >> Oh, thank you so much.

Here in this beautiful fjord but still on a pretty remote island.

And what does music and song mean to the people here?

>> We say that the Faroese, we are a singing nation.

And I think that's true.

I grew up, everybody sings here.

You start -- Every morning, you sing in school.

And choirs and stuff like that is very, very usual.

And it's not because we are exceptional and musical.

It's just a thing that's in the air.

We just do it.

And maybe you have to look back in history or in time, because 50 years ago, there was no television here, radio was two, three hours a day.

And also, if you look, like this boat here, when they went out fishing ages ago, they sang on their way back, songs of praise for the catch that they had.

So, yeah, it's been everywhere.

>> Your mother is from Faroe Islands.

>> My mother is Faroese.

>> Yeah.

>> And my dad, he's Norwegian.

When he was 3, he moved to Canada.

My grandfather was a Freedom Fighter in World War II.

And so, after the war, he moved to Canada with his family.

So... >> So for you, it must have been quite a step to come from Canada to this island, even though you had the heritage from here.

>> It was.

It was a culture shock.

So when I came here, I remember, like, one of the biggest differences was that, in North America, people are very quick to give you a compliment and say, "Wow, I love your shirt.

Yeah, it's really beautiful."

And when you come here is that, people might not be as extroverted as, let's say, North Americans.

But when you do get to know them, you've got a friend for life, so... >> It's really a great experience, having this music that you played for me now in this magnificent fjord and also learning that people from Faroe Islands are also different.

They are not the same.

But there's not so many of them.

♪♪♪ For more inspiration, visit our website, peopleofthenorth.net.

♪♪♪ When the ocean is your absolute most important source of living, it is vital to preserve it and harvest sustainably.

This is important to Frida, and she has found a soulmate in Olavur Gregersen from Ocean Rainforest.

[ Sea birds calling ] >> Olavur, we are standing next to your Ocean Rainforest factory here on Faroe Islands.

And you are the producer of farm seaweed here.

>> Yeah, we are cultivating, as you say, or farming seaweed in the oceans around the Faroe Islands.

We have 150,000 meters of seeded grow lines in the water, either for nutraceutical products, cosmetic products, and also for packaging material, where seaweed can be used as a very sustainable alternative to plastic.

In Asia, they have a tradition to use seaweed in their kitchen that goes back for several centuries.

And we know that seaweed is extremely sustainable because when we grow seaweed, we use light, and it actually grows, also, by taking up carbon, or CO2, from the ocean.

And by doing that, we are actually doing a positive impact on mitigating climate change.

This is actually the part of the seaweed that was left on the grow line in October last year.

And since then and actually since February this year -- because that's when the growth starts because that's when the light really comes in the Faroes -- then it has grown like this since February until, basically, yesterday, first of June, when it was harvested.

And that's quite remarkable, I think, that it can grow that fast and only by photosynthesis, light, and the natural nutrients that's in the ocean.

>> Frida is very influenced by the Japanese cuisine, and after being so inspired by Olavur and his seaweed, she wants to invite some of the young chefs of Tórshavn for a little Japanese outdoor cooking.

>> When you are cutting fish for temaki, the sushi that we are going to make, it's not super important how you are cutting because it's going to be inside the cones.

So you always start with the sushi rice, some salad.

And this is mayonnaise that I've flavored up with some soy sauce and sesame oil.

Then I take some asparagus, some fresh salmon, some ginger.

And then it's important to put this side of the nori over the ingredients.

And make it kind of tight when you're rolling it together, like this, so it becomes a cone.

>> This is a perfect party dish if all your guests gather around.

>> Yeah, it is!

>> And they make their own cone.

>> Exactly!

So it's really social and nice and fun and beautiful.

>> Look at this beautiful cone.

Can I give this to Stig?

>> Of course!

>> He would be very impressed.

I think it's time for us to have some guests.

I think they should try.

>> Yeah!

>> It's Jonas, Hjalmar, and Roi, young chefs from the Faroe Islands.

How good are you at making your own temaki?

>> Yeah, let's have a try.

>> Yeah?

>> Let's have a try.

>> Oh, thank you.

>> You're gonna pay back with a dry martini, don't worry.

>> If you want to start, you can stand here, and then you start with the rice, and then you just add your fillings.

>> You're lucky to be a chef in Faroe Islands.

>> I'm grateful, yeah.

We have nice produce.

And, yeah, we appreciate it.

>> It's not too bad for being the first time.

>> And as they say in the Faroe Islands... [ Speaks foreign language ] [ All speak foreign language ] ♪♪♪ I got a big one.

Mmm!

♪♪♪ Our last of many adventures on the magic green islands take off in a very suitable action manner.

The dramatic landscape here has not just inspired artists but also filmmakers.

We are on a mission to find out what happened long-lost hero of ours.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ We are on the North side of the Faroe Islands, and we are on Kalsoy.

It has become a very, very interesting place, because it was actually here in the last James Bond movie, "No Time to Die," that we saw the last of Agent 007.

The whole island blew up, and we assume that he disappeared.

And in his memory, this tombstone has been erected by the local people of the Faroe Islands.

So much do they love James Bond or their island.

I think we should salute the memory of James Bond with his favorite drink.

>> Yes.

And today, I'm gonna do a vodka martini.

I think it's the first time ever, because I only do gin.

But we have today a kind of special vodka.

This is Subsea Vodka, batch 007.

>> Must be right on a place like this.

>> Wow.

>> And then you're actually gonna shake it.

>> This time, I'm gonna shake it.

[ Ice rattling ] ♪♪♪ Pour it.

>> Ooh, such a sound.

[ Chuckles ] Wow.

>> Well, it's sad that James disappeared, and it's sad for us to leave the Faroe Islands and the breathtaking scenery or, as James would have put it, a view to kill.

We are leaving the Faroe Islands for this time, but we'll be back with more "People of the North."

[ All speak foreign language ] >> Mmm.

>> Ooh!

Thank you, James.

[ Sniffs ] Good guy -- James.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ For more inspiration, visit our website, peopleofthenorth.net.

>> Funding for this series has been provided in part by the following.

♪♪♪ >> Havila Voyages -- sustainable coastal cruises along Norway's beautiful coastline.

>> ♪ Oh, take me home ♪ Take me home where I belong >> VGAN Chocolate.

Norwegian flavor.

Available in Walmart stores.

>> Seafood from Norway.

♪♪♪