About - Bottarga Borealis

The Project

The story of Bottarga Boreale goes back to the winter of 2007, when Jonas Juselius first heard of bottarga.

Jonas comes from Finland, but lives in Tromsø. He has a Ph.D. in theoretical chemistry, and a passion for cooking.

An avid culinarian, Jonas acquired some skrei roe and started experimenting. The following years he continued to produce and improve small amounts of bottarga, for family and friends to enjoy.

In 2009 Jonas shared his ideas with Joakim Wikström, a Swede with a long background in the food and hospitality sector.

They both saw the potential of bottarga made from skrei, and Joakim enrolled at Tromsø University, aiming to develop the idea into a viable business venture. In the following years, the duo slowly scaled up the production.

In 2014 the time had come to start a company. With some aid from Innovasjon Norge, Hrogn AS was born. The company got its name from the Norse word for roe – and is equally unpronounceable in every language!

Some years later, the duo was joined by Lia Berti, an Italian with a strong food interest. Before joining the company, Lia finished her Master’s degree in Business Creation and Entrepreneurship, using Hrogn AS as her case study.

In 2017 the company produced the first batch of skrei bottarga on a commercial scale, for an international market. As of 2020 Hrogn AS is exporting Bottarga Boreale to 14 countries, and has over 20 Michelin restaurants on its customer list.

ARCTIC NORWAY

TROMSØ

Located 350 km north of the Polar Circle, Tromsø is the Arctic Capital of the world.

Situated on an island in the middle of a fjord, protected by steep mountains on all sides, Tromsø is a bustling university city of 80 000 inhabitants. Although located in the arctic at 69° N, Tromsø has a fairly mild climate. Thanks to the Gulf Stream, the sea never freezes and the harbors are free from ice in the winter. In winter, temperatures stay around -4°C and seldom dip below -10°C.

The city center is located on the island of Tromsøya, connected by bridges to the island of Kvaløya in the west, and to the mainland in the east. Once the domain of fishermen and explorers, Tromsø now has the world’s northernmost university, and is ranked one of the best travel destinations for seeing the Northern Lights.

From the 23rd of November to the 18th of January, Tromsø experiences the polar night. During this period, the sun never rises above the horizon, and the region is cloaked in a deep blue light that reflects softly off the winter snow.For a few hours around midday, the sky is often ablaze in a dance of pink and orange until the darkness of night returns and all become blue again while the Aurora Borealis streaks the sky.

The 21st of May to the 23rd of July is the time of the midnight sun. During this summer period, the sun never sets, and the landscape is bathed in a brilliant golden glow.

Bottarga Boreale is produced on the island of Kvaløya, in the village of Kvaløvågen, 40 km north of the city center.