The Murmansk Region government is promoting the Made in Arctic brand and putting together a map of Arctic cuisine tours, the regional administration's Minister for Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Olga Kuznetsova told RIA Novosti. The map will show locations where visitors can partake of traditional and original northern cuisine.

The Made in Arctic tourist venue has been unveiled during the 5^th Murmansk International Business Week. It has already become a recognizable brand and should now be promoted and popularized, the Minister said. Today, about 30 public catering companies all over the region are serving exotic northern cuisine, including dishes made with traditional reindeer meat and salmon, as well as reindeer-moss and cloudberry.

"We are compiling the region's map of Arctic cuisine tours that lists the most popular outlets selected by us," Kuznetsova said. "We are now updating the map that will serve as a basis for Arctic cuisine tours, which include visits to restaurants with their own inimitable style, as well as to food production and processing companies, where they can taste such foods," Kuznetsova noted.

Efforts to popularize local cuisine have encouraged regional businesses to establish small farms. Several farms have opened last year, and a duck and goose breeding farm has appeared in 2016. Many farms are growing green vegetables.

Some businesses are making unusual foods, including Laminaria (kelp) brown algae, Kuznetsova said. This is an interesting project because young people who received our financial support have already reached commercial production levels. They sell their goods at all local beauty parlors and have also secured contracts for making bread enriched with kelp powder, Kuznetsova added.

She also noted that, according to experts, the local population cherishes and preserves local culinary traditions, primarily in small Pomor towns. Today, the main development strategy is to establish new growth points and reinstate old-time cuisine with a modern tinge.