Quesbo Little Chefs · Around the world · Destination 13
A resourceful kitchen.
A little taste of Greenland.
A warming lamb and barley soup, golden cod and potato cakes, and a sweet round raisin loaf. Three discoveries to cook, share and remember in your tasty passport.
Say Aluu! — hello — and join the next stop in Quesbo’s Cooking Adventures Around the World. Find a grown-up cooking companion and discover how simple ingredients can become a generous soup, crisp-edged fish cakes and a loaf made for sharing.
Our lamb soup is a home adaptation inspired by suaasat. The cod cakes are a practical Quesbo recipe inspired by Greenlandic ingredients, while our sweet loaf follows the chapter’s Kalaallit kaagiat recipe. Choose one kitchen adventure today or spread the three over several cooking sessions.
Choose your first taste
A little taste of Greenland
Greenlandic food traditions are shaped by Arctic land and sea, seasonal ingredients and the people who gather around the table. Fish and locally sourced meat have important places in that food story, alongside everyday meals and baking.
Traditional suaasat is a simple meat soup whose ingredients vary. This chapter uses lamb shoulder and pearl barley as an accessible home version. Our cod and potato cakes are clearly labelled as an inspired adaptation, rather than a named traditional Greenlandic dish. The raisin loaf introduces Kalaallit kaagiat, a sweet yeast bread often described as Greenlandic cake.
Quesbo’s imaginary passport adventure
Nivi showed Quesbo a landscape where ingredients could never be taken for granted. A simple soup used what was available, fish became sturdy cakes and raisins made a celebration loaf bright. Nothing useful was wasted. Quesbo folded leftover herbs into lunch instead of letting them wilt, and the passport stamped RESOURCEFULNESS.
First taste 01 / 03
Lamb & Barley Suaasat
A home-kitchen adaptation of Greenlandic soup
A gently simmered bowl of lamb, barley and potatoes makes a comforting beginning to our Greenland adventure. Suaasat is a traditional Greenlandic soup with different ingredients according to place and availability. This version uses lamb shoulder and pearl barley for a practical home-kitchen adaptation.
Ingredients
For the soup
- 500 g diced lamb shoulder
- 100 g pearl barley, rinsed
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 medium potatoes, diced
- 1 small carrot, diced (optional)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1.3 litres water or reduced-salt stock
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- Black pepper
Cook together
Little hands can- Rinse the barley and measure the water or stock.
- Count six bowls and set the table.
- Compare the barley before and after cooking once an adult has cooled a spoonful.
- Handle and cut the raw lamb; chop the vegetables.
- Brown the meat, skim the hot soup and manage the hob.
- Check tenderness, remove the bay leaf and ladle the hot soup.
Large heavy saucepan with a lid, Small sieve, Knife and chopping board, Wooden spoon and ladle
Let’s cook
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Prepare your ingredients
An adult cuts any large pieces of lamb into roughly 2–3 cm chunks and chops the vegetables. Rinse the barley in a sieve. Keep raw meat and its utensils away from ready-to-eat food, and wash hands and surfaces after handling it.
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Brown the lamb
An adult heats the oil in the saucepan over medium-high heat. Brown the lamb in batches for about 6–8 minutes in total, allowing extra time if needed to colour it without crowding the pan. Return all the lamb to the saucepan.
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Start the soup
Add the onion, rinsed barley, bay leaf and 1.3 litres of water or stock. An adult brings the pan to the boil and skims off any foam with a spoon.
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Let it simmer gently
Reduce the heat, partly cover the saucepan and simmer gently for about 60 minutes. Stir occasionally and add a little hot water if the barley absorbs too much liquid. The lamb should be becoming tender before the potatoes go in; if it is still tough, continue simmering and check again.
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Add the vegetables
Add the diced potatoes and optional carrot. Simmer for a further 25–30 minutes, until the lamb is tender, the barley is pleasantly soft and a knife slides easily into the vegetables. Check the liquid level as it cooks.
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Finish and serve
An adult removes and discards the bay leaf. Add black pepper and a splash of water if the soup has become too thick, then bring it back to a gentle simmer. Ladle into six bowls and let children’s portions cool to a comfortable eating temperature.
Main meal 02 / 03
Arctic-Style Cod & Potato Cakes
A practical family recipe inspired by Greenlandic ingredients
Golden on the outside and soft and flaky inside, these oven-baked cakes bring together cod, potato and dill. They are a family recipe inspired by ingredients used in Greenland, rather than a named traditional Greenlandic dish. A cool cucumber-yogurt sauce makes a fresh finishing touch.
Ingredients
For the fish cakes
- 400 g skinless cod fillet
- 500 g floury potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 egg
- 50 g breadcrumbs, plus 30 g for coating
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- 1 tbsp chopped dill
- 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
For the yogurt sauce
- 150 g natural yogurt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp chopped cucumber
Cook together
Little hands can- Measure the breadcrumbs, dill and lemon zest.
- Mash the cooked potatoes once an adult has checked they are safe to handle.
- Flake cooled fish with an adult checking for bones, before the egg is added.
- Stir the yogurt sauce in a separate bowl.
- Handle raw fish, check for bones and manage both saucepans.
- Add the raw egg, mix and shape the patties.
- Use the oven, turn the cakes and check they are cooked right through.
Two saucepans, Potato masher, Mixing bowl, Baking tray and baking paper, Knife and chopping board, Optional clean food thermometer
Let’s cook
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Cook the potatoes and fish
An adult checks the cod carefully for bones. Put the potatoes in a pan of water, bring to the boil and cook for about 15 minutes, until tender. Meanwhile, gently poach the cod in a second pan of water for about 6–8 minutes, until opaque and easy to flake; thicker pieces may need longer.
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Drain and cool briefly
Drain the potatoes thoroughly and mash them. Lift out and drain the fish, then spread both out in shallow dishes to lose their heat for about 10 minutes, until comfortable to handle. Continue promptly with the recipe, keeping the time out of the fridge short.
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Mix the cakes
Flake the cod and check once more for bones. An adult combines it with the mashed potato, egg, 50 g breadcrumbs, spring onions, dill, lemon zest and milk. Fold together gently so some fish flakes remain. Do not taste the mixture before baking.
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Shape and chill
An adult shapes the mixture into 10 small patties, about 2 cm thick, and lightly coats them with the remaining 30 g breadcrumbs. Place on a tray, cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes to firm up. Wash hands and utensils after handling the egg mixture.
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Bake until hot through
Heat the oven to 210°C / 190°C fan. Line a baking tray with baking paper, arrange the cakes in one layer and brush them with the 1 tbsp oil. Bake for 20–25 minutes, turning carefully halfway through, until golden and steaming hot in the centre with the egg cooked through. A clean thermometer in the centre should read 75°C for 30 seconds. Cook longer if needed.
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Make the cool sauce
Stir together the yogurt, lemon juice and cucumber. Keep the sauce refrigerated until serving. Serve alongside the freshly baked cakes, letting children’s portions cool slightly before eating.
Sweet finish 03 / 03
Kalaallit Kaagiat Raisin Bread
A Greenlandic sweet celebration loaf
This soft, sweet yeast loaf is studded with raisins and gently scented with cardamom. Its name is often translated as Greenlandic cake, although the dough rises with yeast like bread. Make time for two rises, then share thick slices once the loaf has cooled.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 250 ml boiling water
- 100 g butter
- 100 g caster sugar
- 100 g raisins
- 7 g instant yeast
- 50 ml lukewarm water
- 500 g strong white bread flour
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp salt
For the finish
- 1 tbsp milk, for brushing
- 1 tbsp icing sugar, for dusting
Cook together
Little hands can- Weigh the flour, sugar and raisins.
- Knead and shape the dough after an adult checks that the mixture has cooled.
- Watch the dough grow and compare it before and after each rise.
- Dust the cooled loaf with icing sugar.
- Pour the boiling water and check that the mixture is cool enough for yeast and small hands.
- Manage the oven and check the large loaf is baked through.
- Move the hot loaf to the rack and slice it after cooling.
Large heatproof mixing bowl, Wooden spoon, Baking tray and baking paper, Clean cloth, Wire cooling rack
Let’s cook
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Soak and cool
Put the butter, caster sugar and raisins in a large heatproof bowl. An adult carefully pours over the 250 ml boiling water and stirs until the butter melts. Leave the mixture to cool until clearly lukewarm, not hot. Keep all the liquid in the bowl; it becomes part of the dough.
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Make the dough
Mix the instant yeast with the separate 50 ml lukewarm water. Add this to the cooled raisin mixture along with the flour, cardamom and salt. Stir until a soft dough forms. Check that the butter mixture is no longer hot before the yeast goes in.
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Knead and let it rise
Knead for 8–10 minutes, until the dough feels smoother and more elastic. Cover with a clean cloth and leave in a warm, draught-free place for about 1 hour, until doubled in size. This rich dough may need longer in a cool kitchen. Do not taste raw dough.
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Shape the loaf
Gently press the risen dough down, shape it into one large round loaf and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Cover loosely and leave for about 30 minutes, until noticeably puffy. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan.
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Brush and bake
Brush the top with the 1 tbsp milk. An adult bakes the loaf, checking it after 30–35 minutes. It should be deeply golden and baked through, with a base that sounds hollow when carefully tapped. This large, rich loaf may need 40–45 minutes or longer. If the top colours before the centre is ready, cover loosely with foil and continue baking, checking at 5-minute intervals. Do not take it out only because the guide time has elapsed.
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Cool and share
An adult moves the loaf to a wire rack. Let it cool fully before slicing so the crumb can set, allowing around 1 hour or longer if needed. Dust with the 1 tbsp icing sugar, cut into about 12 slices and look for the raisins hidden inside.
Your tasty passport · Destination 13
You’ve tasted Greenland.
What can you make the most of?
Open your cooking notebook and make a new passport page. Write GREENLAND at the top, draw a dish you tried and add the date and your cooking companion’s name.
- Give it a taste score. Rate each dish you tried from 1 to 5. Everyone can have a different favourite.
- Choose your next step. Would you cook it again? Write “Yes”, “Maybe” or “Not yet”.
- Remember three discoveries. Suaasat is a Greenlandic meat soup with versions that vary; fish is important in many Greenlandic meals; Kalaallit kaagiat is a sweet yeast bread with raisins.
- Earn your RESOURCEFULNESS stamp. With a grown-up, think of one useful way to make the most of an ingredient. Could washed spare herbs flavour another meal, or could a properly stored slice of raisin bread become tomorrow’s toast? Follow the storage notes and let your grown-up decide what is safe to keep.
Food detective: which recipe uses slow cooking, which can make use of carefully stored cooked ingredients, and which needs yeast to create air? Answers: the lamb soup, the cod and potato cakes, and the raisin bread.
A word for your journey: Aluu! means “Hello!” and Qujanaq means “Thank you”.
Your next destination clue: the compass turns southwest across the Atlantic to a country of regional diners, family casseroles and apple pie.
Food and discovery notes for grown-ups
Adapted from Quesbo’s Greenland chapter, pages 97–104, with clearer preparation, supervision and storage guidance. The lamb suaasat and cod cakes are explicitly presented as home adaptations. Regional and household versions vary. Recipes have not been kitchen-tested. Food images are AI-generated serving illustrations.
- Visit Greenland — Nuuk
- Visit Greenland — Language
- Visit Greenland — Greenland brochure (language phrases)
- Visit Greenland — Kalaalimernit: a food lover’s guide
- Visit Greenland — Greenlandic gastronomy: a taste of Greenland
- Visit Greenland — Kaffemik
- Food Standards Agency — Cooking your food
- Food Standards Agency — How to chill, freeze and defrost food safely
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