Christina Rasmussen

Christina Rasmussen's culinary philosophy is deeply rooted in fostering a sustainable and conscious approach to dining, challenging deeply ingrained food systems and traditional habits. As co-founder of Fura, her core ethos is "collaborative survival," drawing inspiration from Anna Tsing's "The Mushroom at the End of the World," which emphasizes interdependence and resilience in disturbed environments. Rasmussen believes businesses bear a significant responsibility to make better, sustainable choices accessible to consumers, moving beyond individual blame to systemic change. Her overarching vision is to re-educate guests through impactful experiences, introducing "future foods" that align with the planet's current climate challenges. She aims to create new ways of eating and drinking that make ecological sense, while also protecting the future for generations to come. Her ingredient sourcing is meticulously guided by low carbon emissions and ecological balance. She actively seeks out ingredients that are either prevalent, invasive, or in abundance due to ecosystem imbalances, such as certain insect proteins (locusts) or jellyfish (integrated within Fura's broader menu). She champions "ugly" fruits and vegetables that would otherwise be discarded, integrating them into her ferment menu for fruit wines and kombucha. Rasmussen also collaborates with innovative food tech companies, incorporating cultivated meat like Vow's cultured quail and bean-free coffee from Prefer, alongside working with local and regional producers practicing vertical farming or hydroponics to minimize environmental impact and packaging waste. This holistic approach ensures every choice at Fura supports both people and the planet. Chef Christina Rasmussen exhibits a mastery of technical innovation, transforming potentially intimidating ingredients into approachable and compelling dishes. Her style, dubbed "future foods," is characterized by an inventive use of alternative proteins and neglected resources. Technically, Rasmussen incorporates insect proteins into her dishes, often crushing them to manipulate textures and create familiar sensations, like the crunch of dukkha or recreating flavors akin to brown butter. She is adept at achieving the Maillard reaction with plant-based and alternative proteins, a critical technique for developing depth of flavor. Her menu showcases advanced techniques such as fermentation, where she utilizes "ugly" produce to craft in-house fruit wines and kombuchas. Her approach to flavor and plating prioritizes texture and making novel ingredients accessible. She skillfully integrates less familiar components by connecting them to known culinary formats, enabling guests to feel comfortable ordering and experiencing new tastes. A hallmark of her collaborative R&D with co-founder Sasha Wijidessa is a cohesive menu where food and cocktails are intertwined, demonstrating a holistic culinary vision. Signature dishes that exemplify her artistry include "A Quail Walks Into a Bar," featuring Vow’s Forged Parfait on a hazelnut biscuit with dill cream and acidic malt apple gel, highlighting her ability to elevate cultivated meat. The "Bread & Butter(ish)" ingeniously uses Vow's cultured quail fat byproduct as a candle that melts into a dip for black garlic bread, showcasing her commitment to waste reduction and innovative flavor delivery. The "New Age Sando" further demonstrates her forward-thinking approach, combining Prefer's bean-free coffee with apricot kernel ice cream and raspberry crisps, pushing the boundaries of traditional dessert and ingredient pairing. She also creates unique applications for dishes like dukkha, which she uses to add a salty, smoky, and savory crunch to fresh hydroponic greens.

Career

• Chef-Owner at Fura, Singapore
• Co-founder at Mallow, Singapore
• General Manager at Ark Collection, Copenhagen
• Head Forager at Noma, Copenhagen