Tora Olsson creates healthy food with Mother Nature

Tora has studied the Gastronomy Programme at Kristianstad University, followed by a master's degree in Food and Meal Science.

"These kinds of jobs don't really exist, so you have to create them yourself," says Tora with a laugh.

"I have always loved being creative with food preparation and have been interested in food and health, so the courses and programme were a perfect fit. Just like my work in my company, they are both creative and practical, all at the same time."

Her master's thesis was on vegan desserts – or rather attitudes towards them and how the visual presentation of desserts affects the taste experience. The old "adage" that you eat with your eyes, is supported as well as that there is a significant difference between men's and women's attitudes towards vegan food.

"Appearance plays a certain significant role in the taste experience," says Tora, who truly has the gift of turning wonderful food into a pure visual delight.

At home, she has built her own photo studio where she styles cookies, appetizers and desserts of her own creation. The photos are posted to Instagram and Tora considers the photo gallery to be part of her professional portfolio. She gets many of the ingredients and styling designs directly from nature.

"My father is a botanist and I have always loved being out in nature with him. He knows everything about what grows out there! He was the one that started calling me ToraFlora. Flora means 'plants'," explains Tora. "I usually say that I cook good and healthy food with Mother Nature."

For many years, she worked as a cold-buffet staff and cook, initially as a part-time job alongside her upper-secondary studies. Because of her great interest in food and health, she eventually applied to the Gastronomy Programme, which she feels was an excellent education.

"It has a broad scope, letting you learn a little bit about everything and gives you the chance to specialize in what specifically interests you; it is utterly fantastic, as was the work integrated placement (called VFU)."

Tora completed her VFU over two periods. During the first one, she gave a lecture on breakfast and health at a school in Tollarp. While she spent the second period on Gotland, where she developed a health food menu for "Matmuren" that was to be used during Almedalen Week. At that point, she was even offered a job, but turned it down, and instead, moved to Turkey, where she lived for the next two years, before returning home to Åhus.

Now, she is writing programme history. Tora is one of the very first four students in Sweden to have earned a master's degree in Food and Meal Science.

"It is fabulous. When I was at home in Sweden, I met Bitte Müller-Hansen at the food fair in Brösarp. She is the head of programme domain for the Gastronomy Programme, so I knew her from before. She mentioned the master's programme in Food and Meal Science that was about to start and I knew immediately that I wanted to do it," says Tora.

She has thoroughly enjoyed her education at HKR (Kristianstad University Sweden) and praises the lecturers and teachers for their dedication and depth of knowledge. But now, when she is very nearly finished with her degree, she thinks it will be wonderful to be able to go out and work with the whole world as her workplace. Because Tora's focus is on vegan food, she would like to work in a country influenced by Buddhism and Hinduism, where vegetarian and vegan food culture is strong.

"There they are extremely interested, but, they don't have the right knowledge, so it will be great fun. And, although I have truly appreciated my years of study in Kristianstad, I have been studying for many years now, and am really hungering to start working!"