Carsten Kyster

Chef • Author • Culinary Consultant & Food Stylist

Carsten Kyster is a Copenhagen-based chef, author, and culinary consultant whose work bridges Nordic clarity with Southeast Asian depth. His career spans professional kitchens, editorial media, large-scale food development, and international hospitality projects.

Trained in Sydney and London and influenced by the Thai culinary tradition pioneered by David Thompson, Carsten developed a distinctive approach grounded in balance, precision, and deep respect for ingredients. He later spent more than five years living and working in Thailand, collaborating with leading chefs and restaurant groups, including Ginger Farm Kitchen.

In 2008, he published Chop-Chop, a bestselling cookbook that helped redefine the understanding of Thai cuisine in Denmark, selling more than 20,000 copies. Since then, he has authored several cookbooks and written extensively about Asian cuisine, food culture, and travel for Politiken and major Nordic publications. In 2012, he received the Danish Gastronomy Academy Award for The Hunt for the Good Taste.

Alongside his culinary and editorial work, Carsten has built a 25-year career as a food stylist and consultant, collaborating with leading Danish magazines, brands, and advertising agencies. He also worked for more than 12 years with Coop Denmark, developing over 400 recipes and creating nationally distributed New Year’s menus selling up to 100,000 units annually.

Today, Carsten works internationally as a culinary consultant for restaurants, hotels, and food brands. His recent projects include Shades of Green at Soneva Fushi in the Maldives, reflecting his focus on plant-based cuisine, local sourcing, and sustainable food concepts.

His work combines authenticity, cultural depth, and commercial understanding, creating food experiences that are both meaningful and scalable.