It starts with something as mundane as a bowl of noodles. But when Ida Bauhn presents the 2026 Dish of the Year, it is clear that we are moving far beyond shortcuts and powder sachets. Here, contemporary eating habits meet a craft that wants more – and reaches more people.
PHOTO ROBIN GRAHN

I personally like the concept of being able to cook something delicious from what you have at home, and this dish is perfect.

Since the initiative was launched in 2019, it has been a natural part of the mission for each winner of the Chef of the Year to put their mark on a new dish for Swedish homes. Ida Bauhn's contribution is a Swedish interpretation of ramen: warm, generous and built on a deeply flavorful broth that uses the whole chicken.

– Almost all the home cooks I meet usually ask me for tips on how to make the broth at home so that it tastes like in a restaurant, says Ida Bauhn, when she was invited to a tasting of the Dish of the Year at a restaurant.
Nour – where she previously worked. It’s a dish where the technique is classic but the expression is contemporary. The slow-cooked broth supports the noodles, while pickled turnips add acidity and crunch. The secret is to use
the whole chicken.

“This way, the flavor comes directly into the cooking process, and no parts are wasted,” explains Ida Bauhn. But perhaps the most important thing is not what is in the dish, but what it wants to say. Ida Bauhn consciously moves between the familiar and the ambitious. She takes her starting point from something as popular as instant noodles. Today, Swedish noodles are available in stores, which makes the dish more sustainable.

Other ingredients depend on the season – and what you have in the fridge.

– I personally like the concept of being able to cook something delicious from what you have at home, and then this dish is perfect, she says. The hearty ramen is served with Melleruds Mästarbrygd – a light and fresh beer with citrus, floral notes and a marked bitterness. It is a well-thought-out meeting where the beer cuts through the richness of the broth and cleanses the palate for the next bite. We have settled down at the table. Our ramen dishes are laid out and at my table sits the brewmaster Rickard Nyman, who has developed a suitable brew based on Ida's visions. She has told us, he has interpreted and it has then been tasted. The result: a Melleruds Mästarbrygd in the Chef of the Year's version. We are treated to a fresh, light lager with floral and citrusy notes, balanced maltiness and an elegant bitterness that frames the taste. It is available both as a strong beer and in a non-alcoholic version, but is sold via the order assortment. The combination between dish and beer is a hit!

DISH OF THE YEAR – RECIPE
You can find the recipe on the website for Chef of the Year. Dish of the Year has been presented since 2019 – you can find all the dishes here both in recipe form and in the form of an inspiration film.
www.aretskock.se/arets-ratt

IDA BAUHN CHEF OF THE YEAR 2025

• Born in 1992 and raised in Sätila in Västra Götaland.
• In 2023, she was appointed the first female team captain of the Swedish National Culinary Team and led the team to silver in the 2024 Culinary Olympics.
• As a debutant in the Swedish Professional Cooking Championships, she impressed the jury with her precision and her sure sense of taste and balance, and with 774 out of 800 points she took home the title of Chef of the Year 2025 and is now
  reigning champion of Swedish professional cooking.