Photographer and author Leela Cyd’s latest cookbook, Tasting Hygge, focuses on small-bite recipes that reflect the Danish culture of creating an inviting atmosphere around food. Her commentary also offers meditations on cultivating a table that leaves a lasting feeling of happiness and belonging.
“I heard the word hygge a few years ago and felt like it justified my whole life quest of caring for people that I love,” she explained of the Danish word, which has no exact translation. “We have a lot to learn about slowing down and taking care of ourselves and others.”
Cyd traveled through Denmark to research the cookbook and learned that Danes also lack an exact definition of the word. However, in her personal interactions, she realized that it is a fluid concept of “cozy” that changes seasonally and varies with personal and family traditions.