Danish cuisine

Frikadeller (meat balls) with rugbrød (rye bread) and pickled gherkins

Danish cuisine (Danish: det danske køkken), originating from the peasant population's own local produce, was enhanced by cooking techniques developed in the late 19th century and the wider availability of goods after the Industrial Revolution. The open sandwiches, known as smørrebrød, which in their basic form are the usual fare for lunch, can be considered a national speciality when prepared and decorated with a variety of fine ingredients. Hot meals are traditionally prepared from ground meats, such as frikadeller (meat balls) and medisterpølse, or from more substantial meat and fish dishes such as flæskesteg (roast pork with crackling) or kogt torsk (poached cod) with mustard sauce and trimmings. Denmark is known for its Carlsberg and Tuborg beers and for its akvavit and bitters, but amongst the Danes themselves imported wine has gained in popularity since the 1960s.[1][2]

Cooking in Denmark has always been inspired by foreign and continental practises and the use of imported tropical spices like cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and black pepper can be traced to the Danish cuisine of the Middle Ages and some even to the Vikings.[3][4]

Danish chefs, inspired by continental practices, have in recent years developed an innovative series of gourmet dishes based on high-quality local produce known as new Danish cuisine. As a result, Copenhagen and the provinces now have a considerable number of highly acclaimed restaurants, of which several have been awarded Michelin stars.

History

A loaf of Danish rye bread (rugbrød)

Danish cooking is rooted in the peasant dishes served across the country before the Industrial Revolution in 1860. It was based on the need to make use of natural products available on or near the family farm. As a result, a variety of brassicas, bread, fish, pork and later potatoes, were eaten everywhere. Families had their own storage of long-lasting dry products, rye for making bread, barley for beer, dried peas for soup and smoked or salted pork.[5] While industrialization brought increases in the consumption of fresh meat and green vegetables, rye bread and potatoes continued to be staples.[6] With the arrival of dairy cooperatives in the second half of the 19th century, milk also gained favor. Wood-fired ovens and meat grinders contributed to a range of new dishes including frikadeller (meat balls), roast pork, poached cod and steaks of ground beef. Desserts of stewed fruits or berries such as rødgrød date from the same period.[5]

Over the centuries, sausage, which was not only economical but could be kept for long periods, was together with rye bread behind the development of smørrebrød. By the end of the 18th century, there were several different kinds of sausage but the preparation of cold meat products developed rapidly in the 1840s when the French butcher Francois Louis Beauvais opened a business in Copenhagen. In the 1880s, Oskar Davidsen opened a restaurant specializing in smørrebrød with a long list of open sandwiches. Leverpostej (liver paste) became available in grocery shops at the end of the 19th century but it was some time before its price was comparable with that of cold cuts. Around the same time, the one-hour lunch break which had allowed people to enjoy a hot midday meal was shortened to 30 minutes, encouraging them to take a few pieces of smørrebrød to work in a lunch box. In the 1920s and 1930s, tomatoes and cucumbers were added as a topping to the cold cuts. In the 1940s, Henry Stryhn popularized leverpostej by making deliveries around Copenhagen on his bicycle.[7]

In the 1960s and 1970s, with the availability of deep frozen goods, the concept of fast food arrived together with an interest in Mediterranean dishes as Danes travelled more widely. By the 1990s, ingredients were being imported from the south while new products were farmed at home, providing a basis for a developing interest in gourmet dishes. Much of the inspiration came from France, as Danish chefs went on television explaining how to prepare dishes such as canard à l'orange or authentic sauce Béarnaise. A younger generation of chefs soon started to travel abroad themselves, learning how to adapt the expertise of French and Spanish chefs to the use of local ingredients as a basis for creating beautifully presented, finely flavoured Nordic dishes. As a result, in recent years Danish chefs have helped to put Denmark on the world gastronomic map, with several Michelin-starred restaurants in Copenhagen and the provinces.[6]

New Danish cuisine

Main article: New Danish cuisine
Dish with traditional local ingredients from Restaurant Noma, "White asparagus with poached egg yolk and sauce of woodruff"

Danish cuisine has also taken advantage of the possibilities inherent in traditional recipes, building on the use of local products and techniques that have not been fully exploited. Products such as rapeseed, oats, cheeses and older varieties of fruits are being rediscovered and prepared in new ways both by restaurants and at home as interest in organic foods continues to grow. The Nordic Council's agricultural and food ministers have supported these developments in the form of a manifesto designed to encourage the use of natural produce from the Nordic countries in the food production industry while promoting the "purity, freshness, simplicity and ethics" associated with the region's cuisine.[8]

In 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014 the Copenhagen restaurant Noma (short for nordisk mad – Nordic food) was named the world's best restaurant by the magazine Restaurant.[9]

In 2012, Danish chef and food activist Claus Meyer had his own show about Nordic cuisine on BBC Lifestyle.[10] His recent book Almanak contains 365 new cuisine recipes, one for each day of the year.[11]

Main meals

Most Danes have three regular meals a day, usually consisting of a cold breakfast with coffee or tea, a cold lunch at work and a hot dinner at home with the family. Some also have a snack in the middle of the afternoon or in the late evening. Meat, especially pork, is by far the most common ingredient of hot meals. It is usually accompanied by potatoes and sometimes by another vegetable such as carrots or lettuce. Most hot meals consist of only one course: starters are fairly rare but desserts such as ice cream or fruit are a little more frequent. Beer and wine are fairly common drinks at mealtimes but so are soft drinks, plain water and, to a lesser extent, milk and coffee.[12] Many families follow the old traditions. Mothers and fathers cook together and teach their children how to cook. Meals form an important part of family life, allowing for socializing and contributing to the sense of the well-being known as hygge.[13]

Breakfast

Danish breakfast rolls

The basic Danish breakfast consists of coffee and rye bread, white bread, or rolls with cheese or jam. Bread at breakfast time most often comes in the form of a white loaf known as franskbrød (French bread), a baguette, or a variety of white or brown rolls (boller, birkes, rundstykker, håndværkere) or croissants.[14] The bread is usually buttered and topped with soft or creamy cheese, sausage, pâté, cured cold meat or jam. On festive gatherings or when time permits, as on Sundays, for example, a variety of bread rolls can be included as well as wienerbrød, as Danish pastry is known in Denmark. Fruit juice, mostly orange or apple, and sometimes a bitter such as Gammel Dansk, may also be served, especially when breakfast is served to guests or on special occasions and celebrations like birthdays and anniversaries.[15] In Danish hotels, soft-boiled eggs and cold meats are usually served for breakfast, too.[16]

On weekdays, various cereals such as corn flakes, muesli or rolled oats are often served for breakfast with just cold milk and sugar. Soured milk products are popular, too, and are served either plain or with cereals or fruit. The typical local soured milk product of ymer is topped with ymerdrys, a mixture of dried grated rye bread and brown sugar. Porridges such as oatmeal and a traditional local porridge called Øllebrød are also popular on work days. Øllebrød, a thin porridge cooked with bits of rye bread, hvidtøl, water, and sugar, and served with milk or sometimes whipped cream, is gaining in popularity as reflected on the breakfast menus of many cafés.[17]

Lunch

Slices to carry to work/school in a lunchbox are prepared in the morning.

In Denmark, lunch is usually a cold meal consisting of a few simply prepared pieces of smørrebrød (open rye-bread sandwiches) with slices of cold meat, sliced sausage or hard boiled egg. Leverpostej, a liver paste prepared from pig's liver and lard, is also frequently used as a spread.[18] Rather than eating at home, most Danes have a quick lunch at work or school either in the cafeteria, if there is one, or more often in the form of a packed lunch or madpakke prepared before they leave home. This typically consists of a few pieces of smørrebrød (see Open sandwiches below).[5]

Dinner

For the average family, dinner is the one meal of the day where everyone can be gathered, due to the pressures of the modern life where both parents are likely to work, and the children are in school or pre-school institutions. Dinner usually consists of just one main course, often a meat dish with potatoes and a vegetable or salad. Starters are seldom served at home. If there is a dessert, it is likely to be ice cream or a fruit dish. Much more elaborate dinners are served on special occasions or when guests have been invited.[19]

Confusingly, the evening meal is sometimes called middag (midday) because hot meals were traditionally served in the middle of the day. Over the past few decades, the meal has developed as a result of the increasing availability of foods from supermarkets as well as the growth of the local food industry. As a result of American influence, there is now considerable interest in barbecues, salad buffets and ready-to-serve dishes. Italian preparations including pizza and pasta have also become common options. Meat is increasingly popular, pork still remaining the most frequently served. Cuts are often prepared in the frying pan and accompanied by brown gravy and potatoes.[19]

Open sandwiches

Main article: Smørrebrød
Danish open sandwich (smørrebrød) on dark rye bread with breaded plaice filets, cucumber, shrimps and black lumpfish roe
Danish lunch from the island of Bornholm. Fishcake, smoked mackerel and prawns with dark rye bread

Smørrebrød (originally smør og brød, meaning "butter and bread") usually consists of a piece of buttered rye bread (rugbrød), a dense, dark brown bread. Pålæg (meaning put-on, actually "that which is laid on [the bread]"), the topping, then among others can refer to commercial or homemade cold cuts, pieces of meat or fish, cheese or spreads. More elaborate, finely decorated varieties have contributed to the international reputation of the Danish open sandwich or smørrebrød. A slice or two of pålæg is placed on the buttered bread and decorated with the right accompaniments to create a tasty and visually appealing food item.[20]

Some traditional examples include:[21]

Cold buffet

Selection of open-faced seafood sandwiches

The Danish koldt bord or cold buffet corresponds to its Swedish counterpart, the smörgåsbord. It is usually served at lunch time. The cold buffet is traditionally a buffet arrangement but the many and varied items may be brought to the dining table and passed around family-style.[24]

Cold herring dish served in a restaurant in Copenhagen

The meal begins with fish, usually pickled herring (marinerede sild), or another herring dish. The herring is normally marinated either in a clear sweet, peppery vinegar sauce (white herring), or in a red seasoned vinegar (red herring).[25] It may also come in a variety of sour cream-based sauces, including a curry sauce which is very popular. The white herring is typically served on buttered, black rye bread, topped with white onion rings and curry salad (a sour-cream based sauce, flavored with curry and chopped pickles), and served with hard boiled eggs and tomato slices. Herring can also be found which is first fried, and then marinated this is called "stegte sild i eddike" (lit.: Fried herring in vinegar). On extra festive occasions a prepared silderet (herring dish) might be served in which the herring pieces are placed in a serving dish along with other ingredients. Examples might be herring, sliced potato, onions and capers topped with a dill sour cream/mayonnaise sauce, or herring, apple pieces, and horseradish topped with a curry sour-cream/mayonnaise sauce.[24] Other fish dishes may include:[26]

The cold table also consists of a wide variety of meat dishes and, despite its name, nearly always includes a few items which are served hot. Some of the more common components are:[26]

There will also be cold cuts such as hams, roast beef, salami, brisket of beef and spiced roulade. Buffets usually include accompaniments such as potato salad, scrambled egg and a variety of salads. Desserts such as fruit salad and fruit pies as well as various cheeses may also be included.[26]

Options for dinner

The everyday evening meal for most Danes consists of a main course and perhaps a dessert. At weekends and on special occasions, a more elaborate meal is served. Good restaurants usually serve a three course dinner. While an ever wider range of foreign foods are available in Denmark, traditional dishes are still popular. A selection of the more common options is given below.[21]

Appetiser

The first course is typically fish, although a wide variety of other appetisers are becoming more common. Common traditional appetisers include:

Soups

Soup is often a meal on its own, or served with bread. It can also be served before the main dish. In addition to soups common outside of Denmark, specialities include:

Main dishes

Breaded filet of plaice with fried potatoes and remoulade

Fish, seafood and meat are prominent parts of any traditional Danish dish.

Denmark has a long tradition of fishing, since it is surrounded by the sea, consisting of many islands and a 7000 kilometer coastline. Fish consumption is a natural part of the Danish food tradition.

The most commonly eaten fish and seafood are:

Fish from Bornholm, Iceland and Greenland also has a special place in the Danish cuisine. The island of Bornholm, a part of Denmark located in the Baltic Sea, to the east of Zealand and south of Sweden, is noted for its smoked fish items. Iceland and Greenland have long shared histories with Denmark, and the fish from these North Atlantic lands is a sign of quality.

As regards meat-eating, the Danes primarily eat pork: salted and smoked pork, hams, pork roasts, pork tenderloin, pork cutlets and chops are all popular. Ground pork meat is used in many traditional recipes requiring ground meat. Danish bacon is generally of good quality (in Denmark; exported Danish bacon is of exceptional quality), and available in both the striped and back varieties. While still the most popular, pork has lost ground to turkey, beef and veal in recent years.

Beef is also very popular in the modern Danish kitchen. Danish cattle are primarily used for dairy and Denmark has a centuries-old tradition of dairy products. Hence, cattle bred for their meat were rare and thus expensive. Dairy cattle rarely make good meat cattle - especially after several years as dairy cows. For that reason beef has usually been ground and cooked as patties or cooked as boiled roast or soup. Today steaks are nevertheless popular. Especially culotte steak is a classic dish to serve for guests.

Chicken is also popular, both served in the old traditional way, but also as a tray of frozen chicken pieces ready to put into the oven, lørdagskylling (lit. Saturday chicken) which is a quick and cheap way to feed a family.[29]

Traditional main course dishes

Meat balls in curry with apples and celery served with rice and cucumber salad

Many traditional dishes have been abandoned in Denmark in the last 4-5 decades, especially dishes requiring long preparations but also organ meat dishes. Fast preparations, pre-cooked meals and foreign inspired cooking from around the world, has increasingly found its way into the kitchens of the common Danish family.[30][31] Traditional Danish main course dishes includes:

Desserts

Cold Danish apple charlotte

Cakes

Cakes are usually not served for dessert in Denmark, but as an occasional sweet treat in between meals or at celebrations and particular festive events. Coffee or tea is usually offered with cakes.

Traditional feasts

Danish culture has a number of annual recurring traditional feasts. Most of them are rooted in both the Norse pagan tradition and the Christian culture, including the most widely celebrated feast of Christmas, known as Jul in Denmark. Christmas and Easter are the most prominent feasts in Danish culture, both in terms of religious and traditional importance but also food wise. A number of smaller feasts such as Fastelavn (Carnival), Pinse (Pentecost) and Mortensaften (St. Martin's Day), are also of some importance regarding food while other traditional celebrations such as Grundlovsdag, May Day and Sankthans (St. John's Eve) are not coupled to the Danish food culture in any special way.

The celebration of New Year's Eve is perhaps on par with both Christmas and Easter in modern times and is also coupled with some strong food traditions. Poached cod served with mustard sauce, boiled potatoes and horseradish is traditionally enjoyed as the main course on this evening, known as nytårstorsk (New Year's Cod), with champagne and kransekage served later in the night.[42][43] Slices of boiled ham served with stewed kale is another traditional dish for this particular evening. In recent decades, the traditional menus has given way to contemporary gourmet servings in many places, even though the champagne and the kransekage remains very popular.[44]

Christmas

Christmas lunch

Risalamande, a vanilla flavored rice pudding for Christmas

A special variation on det kolde bord is the Christmas lunch of julefrokost, in particular celebrated as a family event on Christmas Day or shortly after. During the whole Christmas month of December however, all groups of people (coworkers, members of clubs and organizations) typically also arrange an annual julefrokost on a non-specific Friday or Saturday. The julefrokost "lunch" often include music and dancing, and usually continues into the very early hours of the morning with plentiful drinking. A common drink paired with the meal is akvavit, a herb infused spirit, and juleøl, special Christmas beer brews. All over Denmark trains and buses run all night during the julefrokost season and the police are on a special lookout for drunk drivers to avoid alcohol related accidents.[45]

A favorite at Christmas lunches is Risalamande, a rice pudding served with hot or cold cherry sauce; it consists of mainly cold rice poridge mixed with whipped cream, vanilla and chopped almonds. A popular and traditional game is to put a whole, peeled almond in the bowl of pudding. The lucky person to find it in his or her serving wins a prize, which in popular traditions would be a pig shaped of marzipan.[45]

A very special part of not only the julefrokost but of most festive, celebratory meals is the selskabssang (party song). These songs are very special to Denmark. They are event-specific songs to traditional tunes, but with lyrics specifically written for the occasion.[46]

Christmas dinner at home

Roast pork with crackling

In Denmark, the Christmas dinner is served on the evening of 24 December (Christmas Eve). It takes the form of a main dish (usually pork, goose or duck) and the Risalamande dessert. The traditional recipes from Frk. Jensen's 1901 cook book (see below) still form the basis of Christmas cooking today.[47]

Flæskesteg, a pork roast cut from the breast or neck and with the skin left on, is prepared by cutting the skin through to the meat layer sideways and rubbing it thoroughly with coarse salt flakes and sometimes spices to guarantee crispy tasty cracklings. Slices of roasted flæskesteg is served with brown gravy and accompanied by both boiled potatoes and caramelized potatoes (brunede kartofler) specially prepared in a frying pan with melted sugar and a lump of butter. Sour-sweet spiced red cabbage is always included too and is widely available in jars and cans.[48]

Goose and duck are filled with a stuffing of apple boats and prunes before they are roasted in a hot oven. The bird is served with a brown sauce based on the broth obtained by boiling the heart, neck, liver and gizzard, thickened with a little fat from the bird, flour and sour cream. Gravy browning may be added.[48] Just like the pork, the bird is served with two kinds of potatoes and red cabbage.[48]

Easter

Holy Saturday lunch

Holy Saturday the traditional dish served for lunch is "Skidne æg"(dirty eggs),[49] the name referres to fact that the homes were usually dirty on Holy Saturday, as no work and no cleaning or laundry would be done on the two holidays: Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Skidne æg is medium boiled eggs, served with mustard sauce, cress and ryebread.

Easter Sunday lunch

Families gather for lunch on Easter Sunday. The lunch will typically consist three courses, starting with "det kolde bord" with pickled herring, prawns, hard-boiled eggs, tuna, liverpaté and various cold cuts. Strong Easter Brew beer and snaps is usually served. The second dish is a warm dish, that according to tradition should contain either lamb, eggs or chicken. The third dish is cheeses with grapes, red peppers and crackers.[50]

Eating out

Many old inns serve traditional dishes.

Eating out in restaurants can be a costly affair, with the average price running higher than that of the European average.[51] As a result of the New Nordic Cuisine trend, Danish restaurants are now firmly on the international gourmet map.

In the big cities, and in shopping districts, there are many more reasonably priced eating places, including such chain fast food possibilities as McDonald's and Burger King. The most common quick food restaurant is the "burger bar" or "grill bar", offering hamburgers, hot dogs and a wide variety of other fast food staples. Pizzarias are equally popular and can be found in every town in the country, large or small. Other commonly found fast foods include Turkish and Middle East food specialties such as falafel, shish-kebab and spit-roasted meat (most often shawarma) with salad in pita bread, or wrapped in durum wheat based flatbread.[52]

Restaurants

Denmark has many fine dining restaurants, not only in the larger cities, but also in the countryside. The kro (roughly equivalent to an inn, but held in higher social regard) provides lodging as well as meals and drinks. Especially the royally privileged lodges have a long and interesting history.[53] Danish cuisine continues to evolve and keep up with the times. It has become more health-conscious, and has drawn inspiration not only from the traditional French and Italian kitchens, but also from many other more exotic gastronomical sources. Increasingly, restaurants are turning to trends based on a combination of continental cooking and the growing interest in products from the local environment served in accordance with seasonal availability.[8]

Cafés

Another reasonable place to eat is at a café. These are plentiful, especially in the bigger cities, and usually offer soups, sandwiches, salads, cakes, pastries, and other light foods, in addition to the expected coffee, tea, beer and other beverages. Quite a few cafés serves breakfast and brunch and a few is also evening restaurants.

International café chains has become increasingly dominant in the capital of Copenhagen, currently including two Starbucks and several Caffè Ritazza (UK), at the Copenhagen Airport, Magasin Torv by the Magasin Du Nord department store, and at Copenhagen Central Station. The Danish coffee-bar chain of Baresso Coffee, mainly serves coffee and tea related products like Starbucks, and is present in Copenhagen, Odense, Svendborg, Aarhus, Aalborg, Hellerup, Randers, and the Faroe Islands as well as Copenhagen Airport and MS Crown of Scandinavia.

Hot dog vans

A pølsevogn in the city center of Kolding (Jutland)
Red sausages (røde pølser)

The pølsevogn (lit. sausage wagon) food truck is a common fast food option, the "original" street food outlet in Denmark, serving a variety of pork sausages, including Denmark's renowned red sausages, røde pølser. These hot dog-like sausages of the Vienna type are about 20 cm long, about the diameter of an index finger and stuffed in brightly coloured red skin. Røde pølser are traditionally served on a small, rectangular paper plate with a bread (similar to a hot dog bun, but without a slice in it) on the side, and a squirt of both ketchup, Danish remoulade sauce and mustard. Danish remoulade is somewhat similar to American relish and the mustard served with sausages is hot and unsweetened. The bread and sausage is eaten alternately, dipped into the condiments.[54] Typical and classic sausages served from a pølsevogn also includes, thick and juicy knækpølser (both red and uncoloured), long thick and grilled frankfurtere, hearty grilled medisterpølse, large grilled kryddersvend sausages spiced with curry, and pølse i svøb (sausage in a wrap) which are a sausage wrapped in and grilled with bacon.

When the sausage is served in a traditional hot dog bun, it is called a "hot dog". It is commonly served with Danish remoulade, ketchup, mustard, onion (both raw and toasted, i.e. ristede) and thinly sliced pickles on top. The ristede løg fried onions are similar in taste to French-fried onion rings. The pickled condiment varies from region to region, and includes red cabbage in some places, but cucumber relish is the most widespread. Another variety is the French hot dog (Fransk hotdog) which is a sausage stuffed into a special long baguette-like bread roll. The roll has a hole in one end, and after the requested condiment has been squirted in (ketchup, mustard, different kinds of dressing), a sausage is slipped through. The simplest sausage wagons are portable and very temporary. They are typically a metal wagon with an open window to the street, and a counter where customers can stand and eat their sausages. More advanced wagons includes limited seating, usually both inside and outside. Through the years the number of sausage wagons has dropped as competition from convenience stores, gas stations, kebab and pizza-places has increased.[54]

Other popular foods

Potatoes

Roast pork served with both boiled and caramelized potatoes (brunede kartofler)

Potato recipes are ubiquitous in Danish cooking. The potato was first introduced into Denmark by French immigrant Huguenots in Fredericia in 1720.[55] The potato is considered an essential side dish to every hot meal.[56]

Especially prized are the season's early potatoes, such as those from Samsø.

Some favorites:

Vegetables and salads

Agurkesalat: pickled cucumber salad

Although the potato is the central vegetable in traditional Danish cooking, it is by no means the only vegetable associated with Danish cuisine. Those other vegetables that play an important role often had to be preserved for long periods of time in cold rooms, or were pickled or marinated for storage. Cauliflower, carrots and a variety of cabbages were often a part of the daily meal, especially when in season, in the days prior to widespread refrigeration.

Sauces and condiments

Stegt flæsk med persillesovs (Fried, uncured bacon with parsley sauce)

Sauces and condiments are an important part of the Danish meal:

Cheese

Danablu (Danish Blue cheese)

Denmark is known for good cheeses. It can be part of the breakfast, lunch, salads and it can also be served as a dessert after dinner as a so-called ostebord or ostetallerken (lit: cheese-table or cheese-plate) with grapes, crackers and wine.

While the traditional, commonly eaten cheese (skæreost) in Denmark is mild, there are also stronger cheeses associated with Danish cuisine. Some of these are very pungent. Blue cheese can be quite strong, and Danish cheese manufacturers produce molded cheeses that span the range from the mildest and creamiest to the intense blue-veined cheese internationally associated with Denmark. Another strong cheese is Gamle Ole (lit: Old Ole - Ole is a man's name), a brand of pungent aged cheese that has matured for a longer period of time. It can be bitingly strong. It is often served in combination with sliced onion and aspic (sky) on Danish rugbrød spread with lard. Rum may be dripped on this pungent cheese prior to serving.

Strong cheeses are an acquired taste for Danes too. Elderly Danes who find the smell offensive might joke about Gamle Ole's smelling up a whole house, just by being in a sealed plastic container in the refrigerator. One might also refer to Gamle Ole's pungency when talking about things that are not quite right, i.e. "they stink". Here one might say that something stinks or smells of Gamle Ole.[57]

Denmark lost a long legal battle with Greece,[58] to use the term "feta" for a Danish cheese produced using artificially blanched cow's milk. Since July 2002, feta has been a protected designation of origin (PDO), which limits the term within the European Union to feta made exclusively of sheep's/goat's milk in Greece.[59][60] Because of the decision by the European Union, Danish dairy company Arla Foods (who also manufacture Danbo) changed the name of their Feta product to Apetina.[61]

Some Danish cheeses include:[62]

Seasonings and herbs

Parsley, used fresh and in sauces

Fresh herbs are very popular, and a wide variety are readily available at supermarkets or local produce stands. Many people grow fresh herbs either in the kitchen window, in window boxes or outside, weather permitting. Most commonly used herbs and other seasonings in Danish cooking:

Fruit

Fresh strawberries, a Danish favourite

Similarly to vegetables, fruit had to withstand long storage during the winter to become a part of the traditional cuisine. Fruit is generally eaten in smaller portions, often as an accompaniment to cheese, or as decoration with desserts.

Fruit that is traditionally associated with Danish cuisine:

A combination of strawberries, red currants, black currants, blueberries and mulberries is known as "forest fruits" (skovbær) and is a common component in tarts and marmalades. A popular dessert is made from boiling down one or more berries or rhubarbs into 'rødgrød (red porridge) med fløde (with cream)'. Cream is poured on top, but may be substituted by milk.

Rødgrød med fløde is often jokingly used by Danes as a shibboleth, as it contains the soft "d" several times, which most foreigners find difficult to pronounce.

Baked goods

Rugbrød

Bread is a very important part of the Danish table.[64] It is enjoyed at home, in the workplace or in restaurants and is usually based primarily on rugbrød, which is sour-dough rye bread. It is a dark, heavy bread which is sometimes bought pre-sliced, in varieties from light-colored rye, to very dark, and refined to whole grain. Rugbrød forms the basis of smørrebrød (see above).[65] Many people still bake at home, particularly boller, which are small bread rolls, and often the traditional kringle, which is a pastry filled with Zante currants and remonce paste. The Danish franskbrød (lit: French-bread) are leavened wheat breads, roughly equivalent to white bread. Franskbrød are available in many varieties, ranging from whole wheat to pumpkin, chestnut, or poppy-seed sprinked loaves and loaves containing maize, müsli or honey. Some loaves are made with alternative wheat sorts like emmer or spelt and some contains small amounts of low-gluten grains such rye. Leavened brown loaves are also referred to as franskbrød.[66] People often eat jam with cheese on crusty white bread for breakfast, and also very thin slices of chocolate, called pålægschokolade. Because of the popular rye bread, Danes eat less wheat bread than most other western countries, even though bread is part of most daily meals.

Cakes

Denmark has a large variety of cakes and in 1997, the bakers guild launched the now countrywide celebration of Kagens Dag (Day of the Cake) as an annual recurring event in April–May.[67][68] The region of Sønderjylland has become known for its concept of Sønderjydsk kaffebord, serving copious amounts of coffee and regional cakes on gatherings and festive afternoons.[69][70] Typical Danish cakes include:

Æbleskive pan with æbleskiver, Danish spherical pancakes

Sweets

Denmark is not a noted exporter of candies, but Danes eat more candy per capita than in other countries.[76]

Liquorice and banana candy

There also exists a vast amount of other types of sweets and candy, ranging from gumdrops and dragée to mints and caramel sweets. Bland selv slik (literally, "mix-yourself candy") is common in Danish supermarkets and kiosks, and consists of an amount of plastic boxes, usually between 20 and 50, each containing a different type of candy, which is then put into a paper bag with a small scoop. The paper bag is then weighed, and paid for.

Both Danish and imported candy are found in these box assortments, and the shape, texture and flavor differences are often extremely creative. Candy have been manufactured resembling a vast amount of objects, such as flying saucers, tennis raquets, soccer balls, butterflies, and, even stranger, teeth and toothbrushes.[79]

Drinks

Øl og snaps, (beer and akvavit)

Criticism

The Danish food culture is sometimes criticized by gastronomes and nutritionists. The author and historian Søren Mørch has characterized Danish cuisine as a "garbage kitchen" of insipid, sweet and unspiced "baby food" where the tastes of milk and sweetness are the key elements. He believes that this style arose because the export policy of the Danish food sector was to use the Danes as a "gutter" for the products that were left over when the bacon and butter were sold abroad. Skim milk, meat scraps only suitable for chopping up, and the replacement product margarine are products which Søren Mørch describes as residues.[86]

Regardless of this, substantial criticism has been directed at the nutritional content of Danish food; for example, at the ratio of meat, side dishes, and salad on the plate. Nutrition information campaigns have been trying to get the Danes to become healthier by eating less meat, fat, and sugar, and more raw vegetables. Instead of a healthier diet, however, the results too often have been feelings of guilt and a view of food as something which is just the correct fuel for the body's machinery.[87]

Frøken Jensens Kogebog

Cover to Frk. Jensens Kogebog, 1901

The cookery book published by Kristine Marie Jensen (1858–1923) in 1901 and titled Frk. Jensens Kogebog (Miss Jensen's Cookbook) is considered by many Danes to contain all the authentic recipes for traditional dishes as well as for baking bread, cakes and biscuits. It has been reprinted dozens of times and new editions can be found in most Danish bookshops today. When Danes prepare meals for special occasions, for example at Christmas time, they frequently follow Frøken Jensen's detailed descriptions.[88][89] The book has not been translated into English but many of the traditional Danish recipes on English-language websites are those of Frøken Jensen. The original edition (only in Danish) is available online.[90]

See also

Literature

References

  1. ↑ Rasmus Holmgård (16 July 2009). "We drink more wine and less beer" (in Danish). Holmgårds. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  2. ↑ Ritzaus Bureau (16 October 2002). "Wine consumption drops after 40 years". BT (in Danish). Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  3. ↑ "Food and drink in the middle ages". danmarkshistorien.dk (in Danish). Aarhus University. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  4. ↑ "Herbs, spices and vegetables in the Viking period". The National Museum of Denmark. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 "La cuisine danoise", Ambassade du Danemark Luxembourg. (French) Retrieved 6 December 2011.
  6. 1 2 "Histoire de la gastronomie danoise", Le Danemark, ses produits et sa gastronomie, Sirha , 22-26 janvier 2011, Eurexpo Lyon". (French) Retrieved 6 December 2011.
  7. ↑ Bettina Buhl, "Pålæg – fladt eller højtbelagt – en historisk køkkenvandring", Dansk Landbrugsmuseum. (Danish) Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  8. 1 2 "Denmark Special", Food & design, #9 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
  9. ↑ "Noma", The S.Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
  10. ↑ "New Scandinavian Cooking", BBC Lifestyle. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  11. ↑ Meyer, Claus: Almanak, Copenhagen, Lindhardt og Ringhof , 2010, 694 p. (Danish) Extent 694 s. ISBN 978-87-11-43070-5
  12. ↑ Unni Kjærnes (ed.), "Eating Patterns: A Day in the Lives of Nordic Peoples", National Institute for Consumer Research, Lysaker, Norway, 2001, p. 13 et seq. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
  13. ↑ "Cuisine in Denmark", @llo' Expat Denmark. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
  14. ↑ "Dagligt Brød", Møllebageriet.dk. (Danish) Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  15. ↑ Else-Marie Boyhus and Claus Meyer, "Breakfast", Denmark.dk. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
  16. ↑ "Les repas", VisitDanmark.fr. (French) Retrieved 5 December 2011.
  17. ↑ Dorthe Boss Kyhn (8 January 2013). "Så er øllebrøden tilbage i varmen" (in Danish). DR. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  18. ↑ "Danish lunch", Denmark.dk. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
  19. 1 2 Else-Marie Boyhus and Claus Meyer, "Dinner", Denmark.dk. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
  20. ↑ "Smørrebrød", Den Store Danske. (Danish) Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  21. 1 2 "Danish Food Culture", Copenhagen Portal. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  22. ↑ "Dyrlægens natmad", Den Store Danske. (Danish) Retrieved 7 December 2011
  23. ↑ "Stjerneskud", Den Store Danske. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  24. 1 2 "Koldt bord", Den Store Danske. (Danish) Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  25. ↑ "Herring", VisitDenmark. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  26. 1 2 3 "Udvalgte Traditionelle Danske Retter", København Spiseder. (Danish) Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  27. ↑ "Cods roe 600g seasonal item". Fiskehuset (in Danish). Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  28. ↑ Ulrik Baltzer (5 February 2014). "Roe Scam". Ekstrabladet (in Danish). Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  29. ↑ "Travel Denmark". Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  30. ↑ Inger Abildgaard (30 September 2011). "Save 10 endangered dishes". Samvirke (in Danish). Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  31. 1 2 Hanne Bloch. "Classic of the Week: "Hjerter i Flødesovs"". hjemmet (in Danish). Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  32. ↑ "Homemade Stegte Sild". sildeelsker.dk (in Danish). Lykkeberg. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  33. ↑ "Denmark's Official National Food: Crispy Pork with Parsley Sauce". VisitDenmark - The official tourism site of Denmark. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  34. ↑ "Familien Løcke". guleærter.dk (in Danish). Møllerens. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  35. ↑ ""Gule Ærter" - Split-Pea Soup - A Old National and Everyday Dish". Danish Food Culture. Copenhagen Portal. Retrieved 17 October 2014.. Beware: This is not always a solid source.
  36. 1 2 3 Homemade Hønsekødssuppe and tartelatter with Høns i asparges. (Danish). A private blog.
  37. ↑ "Tarteletter". viskalspise.dk (in Danish). Coop. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  38. ↑ Camilla Plum (7 May 2013). "Recipe for Citronfromage". Søndag (in Danish). Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  39. ↑ "Desserts - Karamelrand". Opskrifter - De Gamle Danske (in Danish). Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  40. ↑ "Abemad med råcreme" (in Danish). Alletiders Kogebog. 26 April 2006. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  41. ↑ Rydzy, Mikkel Sander (24 February 2009). "I dag er det store Pandekagedag" [Today is Pancake day]. Berlingske (in Danish). Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  42. ↑ Hvorfor spiser vi nytårstorsk? [why do we eat nytårstorsk?]
  43. ↑ Traditional recipe for nytårstorsk: Hel nytårstorsk med baconsmør, peberrod, rødbeder, hakkede æg og fiskesennepssauce Skagen Foods (Danish)
  44. ↑ Derfor har vi så skøre nytårstraditioner [this is why we have such crazy New Year traditions]
  45. 1 2 "Christmas in Denmark", Welcome to my Copenhagen. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  46. ↑ "Festsange", EMU. (Danish) Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  47. ↑ "Recipes for Christmas dinners", Denmark.dk. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  48. 1 2 3 "Danish Christmas dinner", Wonderful Denmark. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  49. ↑
  50. ↑
  51. ↑ "Eurostat News Release: Consumer price levels in 2008 (104/2009)" (PDF). Eurostat Press Office. 6 July 2009. Retrieved 4 Sep 2010.
  52. ↑ "Danish-food", Denmark-Getaway.com. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  53. ↑ "Warm-welcome Inns", VisitDenmark. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  54. 1 2 Mylius Thomsen, Allan (2006). Café Fodkold - Eventyret om den danske pølsevogn. Copenhagen: Lindhardt & Ringhof. ISBN 87-90189-15-9.
  55. ↑ "Cuisine of Denmark" Eatoutzone.com. Retrieved 31 December 2011
  56. ↑ "Danish Food and Danish Recipes", Danishnet.com. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  57. ↑ "Danish Cuisine". Sattlers.net. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  58. ↑ The Feta Legend drawing to a close, Press release by the Danish Dairy Board 4 March 2005 Accessed 12 December 2006
  59. ↑ Feta battle won, but terms must be obeyed, Kathimerini newspaper archived article 16 Oct 2002 Accessed 12 December 2006.
  60. ↑ Protected Designation of Origin entry on the European Commission website.
  61. ↑ Apetina skal markedsføres som feta-mærke. (Danish) Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  62. ↑ "Cheeses by country - Denmark". Cheese.com. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  63. ↑ "Røgeost" (in Danish). Arla. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  64. ↑ "About Brødbanken – Bank of Bread". Brødbanken. The National Museum of Denmark. 27 June 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2014. A collection of facts and stories about bread and baking in the Nordic countries.
  65. ↑ "Rugbrød", Den Store Danske. (Danish) Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  66. ↑ "Alle franskbrød", Kohlberg. (Danish) Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  67. ↑ "Kagens Dag" (in Danish). Bager- og Konditormestre i Danmark (BKD). Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  68. ↑ "Kagens Dag - en idé, der gør godt!" (in Danish). Københavns Bagerlaug. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  69. ↑ Inge Adriansen (1998). "Det sønderjyske kaffebord - et samspil mellem nationalpolitik og kosttradition" (in Danish). Grænseforeningen. Archived from the original on August 19, 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2014. A critical review and historical analysis with recipes.
  70. ↑ Fie Kruse (27 June 2012). "21 cakes that was invented in Denmark". Samvirke (in Danish). Coop. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  71. ↑ "Faglig stolthed og traditioner". Historien om Københavns Bagerlaug (in Danish). Københavns Bagerlaug. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  72. ↑ "Småkager". historie-online.dk (in Danish). Dansk Historisk Fællesråd. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  73. ↑ Nikolai Steensgaard (11 June 2012). "Danish småkager sells big time in China". Berlingske Business (in Danish). Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  74. ↑ Rikke Gryberg (25 November 2009). "Vaniljekranse". Politiken (in Danish). Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  75. ↑ Henrik Palle and Joakim Grundahl (31 October 2008). "Kaffeslabberas Guide: Byens lækreste konditorier". Politiken (in Danish). Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  76. ↑ Richardson, Tim H. (2002). Sweets: A History of Candy. Bloomsbury USA. p. 375. ISBN 1-58234-229-6.
  77. ↑ Marcipan er ikke altid fyldt med mandler [Marzipan is not always filled with almonds] Danmarks Radio (Danish)
  78. ↑ Ægte marcipan er en dyr fornøjelse [True marzipan is an expensive pleasure] TÆNK (Danish)
  79. ↑ "Travel Denmark". google.co.uk. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  80. 1 2 "Akvavit", VisitDenmark. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
  81. ↑ "Danish Breweries". Retrieved 9 December 2011.
  82. ↑ "Hyldeblomstsaft", Den Store Danske. (Danish) Retrieved 9 December 2011.
  83. ↑ "Danish doughnuts and glogg", Wonderful Copenhagen. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
  84. ↑ "Danish Mead Making", The Joy of Mead. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
  85. ↑ Stina Hald, "Danish wine still not favored by Danes", CulinaryDenmark. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
  86. ↑ Søren Mørch, "Om dansk mad", Det Danske Gastronomiske Akademi. (Danish) Retrieved 9 December 2011.
  87. ↑ Den intensive ernæringsoplysning efterleves ikke altid, men kan føre til dårlig samvittighed, og flere har spiseforstyrrelser end tidligere. Read cand.phil. Bi Skaarups article Maden i kulturhistorisk perspektiv s. 22 nederst i Jacobsen et al. Carlsen
  88. ↑ "Danish Specialities", Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
  89. ↑ "Recipes for Christmas Dishes", Denmark.dk. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
  90. ↑ "Frøken Jensens kogebog (1921)", Internet Archive. Retrieved 9 December 2011.

Bibliography

External links

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