|
|
|
Traditional Danish food culture |
|
A
dilicious taste of Denmark |
Glimpse
of traditional Danish food culture! |
| "Stegt
flæsk" - Fried slices of juicy pork on the bone
with potatoes and creamy parsley sauce is one of the Danes
favourite everyday dishes and is mostly eaten during the cold
and wet winter periods. |
|
Danish
food culture
Danish
food culture has been cultivated and improved for many generations
and is mainly rooted from the old country kitchen
and the cold weather conditions in Denmark.
The cold and often wet climate in Denmark
demands a lot of food with high nutritional values
that contains many vitamins and minerals
to mobilise a great potion of energy – which is a
vital source, needed for work - school – sports and
other form of daily activities - when living in a dynamic
and modern society like Denmark.
| Danish
food in olden days |
Preserved
Danish food
The
natural content and ingredients in Danish food culture has
been built up for centuries and flavoured to match the taste
of the traditional eating habits of the Danish
people from region to region and up to this century.
To preserve food in olden days - the items of meat foodstuffs
was either salted - smoked
or brine-pickled and could be stored for
a very long time. The modern Danish kitchen uses many old
recipes from the non refrigeration period –
and is still highly preferred and enjoyed at the dinner tables
in Denmark.
| Smoked
herring from the Danish island Bornholm is a national
meal and has been smoked since the late 1800s.
It is also called “gold from the sea”
and is preserved for many weeks. |
|
| Marinated
or pickled herring is a Danish national treat
from the Middle Age and is a must in the Nordic
cuisine. The flavored herring is normally enjoyed
with Akvavit. (Snaps) |
|
| Cheese
making begun in Denmark around year 1000 during
the Viking period by pressing and salting of curdled
milk in order to preserve it. Cheese can last
for years. |
|
| Traditional
and conservative
food culture |
Rye
bread and beer has for thousands
of years been a basic part of the daily food consumption and
later potatoes and heavy gravy
was the main supplement to fish and meat
dishes. The present Danish food culture is still very traditional
and conservative - and is nevertheless based on deep-rooted
recipes in spite of influence from foreign countries and cultures.
|
| Smørrebrød
- open faced sandwich |
|
Danish
"smørrebrød" also called "open
faced sandwich" - Here presented in the everyday version. |
|
Danish
- Smørrebrød
Almost every Danish restaurant in Copenhagen serve the traditional
"open faced sandwich" called "smørrebrød"
with many different potions of food items as cold cuts,
pieces of meat or fish, various paste, salad
dressings and cheese on buttered rye
bread and decorated with all types of toppings that
gives the creation a great visual appeal - and is surely a piece
of genuine art, when presented on a well laid table with cold
Danish beer and snaps. “Smørrebrød”
is normally served together with the famous Danish beer
and snaps.
|
Smørrebrød
- History in brief
During the 1840s – workers – framers
- labourers and others employees had a sort of luncheon packet
with different types of flat “Smørrebrød”
for their lunch. Each slice consists of a piece of buttered
rye bread (rugbrød) – and a thin
piece of homemade cold cuts - pieces of meat or fish - cheese
– spreads and liver paste as toppings. Sometimes the toppings
were placed between to pieces of the rye bread – just
like in a sandwich. |
| Restaurant
Nimb in Tivoli was the first eating place that offered
"smørrebrød" on their menu in
1883. Restaurant Nimb still serves delicious "Smørrebrød"
- also called open faced sandwiches. |
|
| Rye
bread is the most important base on which the famous Danish
open sandwich "smørrebrød" is
created. It takes more then 24 hours to prepare and bake
the bread. |
|
Smørrebrød
on the menu
Later during the 1880s – the Danish “Smørrebrød”
turned in to be a more sophisticated type of luncheon specialty
and the really high topped “Smørrebrød”
was invented with a variety of delicious topping stacked on
top of each other. The very first restaurant offering high topped
“Smørrebrød” on their menu was Restaurant
Nimb at Tivoli in 1883. Restaurant
Nimb still exists and serves tasty and mouth-watering “Smørrebrød”.
|
How
to prepare two popular Danish open faced sandwiches
- Step by step!
- Egg with Scrimps - on rye bread or white bread
- Veterinarians night snack sandwich - with liver paste - on
rye bread |
| "Smørrebrød"
has many types of topping creations |
| The
secret behind Danish “Smørrebrød”
- open faced sandwiches - is the rye bread
and butter that has to be totally covered with the basic
entrées of vegetable - seafood or meat choices
- and then the many types of tasty topping creations
- which is altogether in great harmony with the rest
of all the delicious food items on the sandwich. |
| Tatar
- (Beef Tatare) A classic example of a high topped Danish
"Smørrebrød" - open faced sandwich
- and a genuine piece of art with high-quality raw minced
meat from the fillet of beef on thick rye bread and
butter - lettuce - raw egg yoke - raw onions and capers
- jelly gravy and horseradish - sour beetroot and cucumber.
Some like the dish added with pickles. |
| A
variety of common Danish open faced sandwiches
- Danish
Heritage Cookbook |
| Roastbeef
with “remoulade” and roasted onions
+ sour cucumber. |
|
| Skinke med
italiensk salat |
| Ham
with mixed Italian salad, tomatoes and fresh cucumber. |
|
| Roast
pork with red cabbage - cucumber, prunes and orange. |
|
| Leverpostej
med sky champignon |
| Liver
paste with mushrooms, bacon, gravy jelly - red
pepper . |
|
| Rullepølse
med sky og løg |
| Rolled
stuffed pork - gravy jelly, onions and tomatoes. |
|
| Spegepølse
med sky og løg |
| Spicy
salami with gravy jelly - onions and tomatoes. |
|
| Stegt
fiskefilet med remoulade |
| Fried
filet of sole with "remolade" cucumber
- tomato and lemon. |
|
| Laks
med asparges og dild |
| Smoked
salmon with asparagus - cucumber and lemon. |
|
| Creamy
Harvarti cheese with red pepper - grapes and parsley. |
|
| Minced
meat - Hamburger with fried egg and stuffed tomatoes. |
|
| Marinated
herring with scrimps - carry dressing and caviar. |
|
| Smoked
eel with scrambled eggs - lettuces - parsley and
lemon. |
|
|
Store
kolde bord
The buffet style lunch "Store kolde bord" -
"The grand cold table" - offers a large selection
of toppings for "smørrebrød", ranging from
meet, fish, seafood, salami, liver paste, herrings, salads,
cheeses etc., so guests can make their own type of decorative
"open faced sandwiches" at the table. Many luncheon restaurants
often located below street level in cosy surrounding offers
old Danish homemade specialities. |
| Dishes
from the "Store kolde bord" - The grand cold table - a Danish
buffet style table. Here you can eat as much as you can and
really get stuffed. |
|
The
Danes are the most pork eating people in the world
Each Dane eats almost 60 kg of tasty pork
every year - and nearly 30 kg of beef
- whilst each citizen in Denmark only eats 23 kg
of poultry and fish meat. For the
consumption of fruit and vegetables
– each Dane eats about 90 kg of healthy green
foodstuff per year and the most popular greens are tomato –
cucumber and lettuce as well as apples - pears and banana. The Danes
are also one of the world’s largest exporters of pork with an
annual revenue of 32 billion. |
| "Frikadelle"
is an Old Danish national dish from 1648 and the first recipes
of this delicious dish dates back to 1837. The meatballs are
made of pure pork – and served with potatoes –
pickled beetroot – sour preserved cucumber and thick
brown sauce. |
|
Frikadelle
The Danish "Frikadelle"
(rissole) is a national dish served with potatoes, preserved sour
vegetables and thick brown sauce.
The first recipes of this delicious dish is dated back to
1837, but the name "Frikadelle" (pure pork) is already
recorded in the beginning of the 16th century.
In a cookbook from 1648 a similar "Frikadelle"
dish is mentioned.
The Danes love their "Frikadelle" and eat the meal all year round
as a main traditional dish.
Frikadelle is the Danes favourite dish of
them all.
|
| Traditional
everyday food in Denmark and the Danes favourite dishes |
| As
Denmark is the largest exporter of pork in the world – the traditional
everyday dishes include plenty of delicious pork recipes with
potatoes, vegetables and heavy brown
sauce – often with sour or sweet supplements. The Danes
are great lovers of pork and have been it for generations. Beef
is the second choice - while poultry and
fish are the last preferences - when selecting
daily treats as well as heavy soups - especially
at winter time - which is a substantial part of the Danish cuisine
- together with desserts and pastry.
The Danes have a very sweet tooth too. |
| Here
are some of the Danes favourite dishes! |
“Flæskesteg”
- Roast pork with crispy crackling and red cabbage with
small caramelised potatoes. |
|
"Medisterpølse"
- Spicy pork sausage with potatoes - stow cabbage and
thick brown gravy |
|
"Boller
i karry" - Meatballs of pork boiled in hot water
- served with curry sauce and rice. |
|
|
"Kalvesteg"
- Roast veal of calf with potatoes - carrots - green
beans and thin brown gravy.
|
|
"Forloren
hare" - Mock rabbit - spiced minced meat - with
potatoes and heavy brown sauce. |
|
| Stegt
flæsk med persillesovs |
"Stegt
flæsk" - Fried slices of pork on the bone
with potatoes and creamy parsley sauce. |
|
"Biksemad"
- Hash mix with pork or beef cubes - potatoes - carrots
- onions and fried egg. |
|
| Hamburgerryg
og stuvet hvidkål |
"Hamburgerryg"
- Pork loin with stow cabbage in white sauce - potatoes
and spread parsley. |
|
"Skipperlabskovs"
- Beef stew cooked with potatoes - black pepper corns
and bay leaves. |
|
"Mørbrad"
- Pork tenderloin with potatoes and heavy brown sauce
- prunes and red currant jelly. |
|
"Krebinetter"
- Pork patty with peas - cauliflower - carrots and white
stewed cabbage. |
|
"Hakkebøf"
- Juicy
hamburger steak in heavy brown sauce with fried onions
and sour cucumber. |
|
| Tarteletter
med høns i asparges |
”Tarteletter”
- Patty Shells in many variations - here with creamed
chicken and asparagus. |
|
"Hønsekødssuppe"
- Chicken soup with dumplings - meatballs and cubed
vegetables. |
|
| "Stegt
rødspætte" - Pan fried plaice in butter
with potatoes - parsley and asparagus.
|
|
"Gule
ærter" - Yellow Split-Pea Soup with salt
pork - various vegetables and a pinch of chilli. |
|
Wienerschnitzel
- Pork cutlets and potato chips - pickled herrings -
horseradish and capers. |
|
"Stegte
Ål" - Fried Eel with potatoes and creamy
parsley sauce plus slices of lemon. |
|
Everyday
dishes on restaurant menus
The Danes favourite everyday dishes can
be tasted in several restaurants and eating places in and around
Copenhagen - as these main courses are normally listed on the
menus. |
| Typical
and popular Danish desserts – from the old country kitchen
|
"Øllebrød"
- Rye beery dessert of rye bread - sugar - mild beer
and whipped cream. |
|
"Koldskål"
- Fridge buttermilk with vanilla and lemon flavour.
Served with fruit or biscuits. |
|
“Rabarbergrød”
- Stewed rhubarb dessert can be served with vanilla
cream - whipped cream or milk. |
|
Apple
Charlotte with mashed apples - crumble and whipped
cream. A traditional dessert. |
|
|
Red
Berry Pudding with whipping cream. A national
dessert and mostly for the summertime. |
|
|
| Risengrød
- Ris a`la mande |
Rice
Pudding - whipped cream and cerry sauce is a must
for all Danes at Christmas time. |
|
|
|
| What
Danes drink with their food |
| The
Danes has a huge variety of drinks to select from as beers
- snaps - milk products - wine
– soft drinks and juices -
but most of all they drink a lot of clean fresh water
directly from the tap - which is a bonus, when living
in Denmark. Fresh water from the tap is called “Postevand”. |
"Øl"
- The Danes just love their different types of beers - with
their meal or in good company. |
|
"Snaps"
- Akvavit is distilled from potatoes and herbs - and is enjoyed
chilled with herring. |
|
"Mælkeprodukter"
- Milk products are popular milky drinks for meals at the
household table. |
|
| "Vin"
- Wine - Danes drink all types of red and white wine from all
parts of the world. |
|
| "Sodavand"
- Soft drinks are very trendy and drunk to all meals and the
selection is impressive. |
|
| "Juice"
- Fruits and vegetables juices are a favourite drink at nearly
every meal. |
|
Pølsevogn
- Danish Fast
Food
Fast
food has been known by the Danes for centuries and is a quick and
traditional way to please their appetite. The "Rød
Pølse" - red sausage - made of pure pork and
the "Pølsevogn" - sausage stand
(mobile) is still the Danes favourite outdoor restaurant and a must
to visit - summer and winter. In Danish terms the mobile sausage stands
is called “Café Fodkold” –
which means - Café Cold Feet - where the menu
is beside the red sausages and hot dogs – a variety of other
types of pork sausages and a vide selection of sausage dressing.
135 million red sausages
The first "Pølsevogn" was established
in Copenhagen around 1910 and today more than 135
million red sausages "Røde Pølser"
of delicious pure pork - are consumed every year at the Danish
"Pølsevogn" - mobile sausage stand. Today there are
over 130 sausage stands in Copenhagen.
Airport arrival
As a must - a very important sausage stand is placed in the baggage
reclaim area at the airport’s arrival hall
– so the Danes quickly – after days abroad - can enjoy
their indispensable and delicious porky “Rød
Pølse” - while waiting for their luggage.
More
history |
Sweets
and Coffee
The traditional cup of coffee with Danish
pastry. |
Danish Pastry
Danish Pastry is a world famous speciality and mostly known as "Danish".
The Danes call this type of pastry for "Wienerbrød"
(Vienna Bread), as the first "Wienerbrød" was baked
and presented in Denmark by an Austrian baker around 1840. The Danes
eat about 10 kilo pastry and cakes every year, and
there are many bakeries and cafés spread all over the city
offering this very sweet and very tasty Danish speciality.
|
Coffee
Since year 1700 coffee has been the former national drink in Denmark
and the Danish consumers are one of the worlds largest coffee-drinking
nations. Coffee is a vital part of the Danish culture and the Danes
consume more than 20 million cups of coffee every
day.
|
Regional
Dishes from Denmark |
| Regional
Dish from Bornholm |
| The
Danish food culture offers a variety
of different regional dishes from all
parts of Denmark and this regional food tour through the
country will show a rich diversity of local and provincial
home made dishes and delicacies that is rooted in Danish
food traditions and a part of the Danish
cultural heritage. |
| The
Rocky Ilse of Bornholm |
| Way
far out east in the Baltic Sea lies this little rocky
part of Denmark called Bornholm. Among
the Danes this Isle is also entitled “The
Sunshine Isle”. When you are visiting Bornholm
it is a must to taste the smoked Herring -
which is the “National Dish” of Bornholm and
has been known since the Middle Age. In the little town
called Gudhjem one will find the biggest
location of smokehouses. |
| There
are 25-30 smokehouse located at every small town
around the coastline of Bornholm. |
|
| The
national dish of Bornholm is called “Sun
Over Gudhjem” which
is a hundred year old specialty. |
|
|
The best way to enjoy the smoked herring is directly from
the hot oven and the most popular dish is named “Sun
Over Gudhjem” that is an open sandwich
with rye bread - smoked herring - chives and a raw egg
yolk - the "sun" on top – which is a hundred
year old specialty. The silvery-white herring that is
transformed into a gold fish – when smoked - is
also described as "the gold from the sea"
– when treated in the smokehouse oven. All over
Bornholm one will find smokehouses alongside the coastline
of nearly each town. |
|
|
| To
be updated - Regional Dishes from Denmark will move to a separate
site. |
|
