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Before the country became industrialized (ca. 1860), small family-based agriculture formed the backbone of Danish society. One lived rather self-sufficiently, and made do with the food one could provide by one's self, or by what could be purchased locally, in a very close proximity. This meant reliance on locally available food products. These form the basis of the traditional diet: cereal products, dairy products, pork, apples and plums, carrots and onions, beer, bread.
Agriculture still plays a large role in Denmark's economy, and Danish agricultural products are preferred over imported items.
Due to long winters and a lack of refrigeration, the ability to store food for a long time was important, which explains the lack of fresh vegetables in many traditional recipes, and in seasonally available foods It also explains some of the traditional food preparation processes which favored smoking, marinating and other techniques that prolong the storage life of products.
Denmark is a small land composed of many islands, and many regions. Before industrialization, and advances in transportation it was difficult, time-consuming, and costly to travel great distances, or to ship products
These factors have thus helped mold the traditional eating habits of the Danish people.
During the second half of the 19th century, Denmark entered into a new modern age of affluence after World War II. Farming cooperatives continued to grown and develop, leading to a move towards bigger agricultural business, and away from the small family farm. This has been compounded by migration to the cities, and suburban sprawl around the cities.
The stove, refrigerator, freezer and other modern kitchen appliances changed the way one prepared food. Improvements in marketing, the growth of the supermarket and improvements in transportation and refrigeration provided new possibilities. Women were increasingly working out of the house.
All these influences and conditions, and more common to the modern way of life, have led to new demands on the national cuisine, as well as new possibilities.
Danes love good food. Good food is an important ingredient in the Danish concept of hygge. Hygge can be best translates as a "warm, fuzzy, comfortable feeling of well-being". Good food, good company, wine, comfortable furniture, easy lighting, music, etc. all contribute to the strived for feeling of hygge.
A well-known quip states that the only time one is likely to find a Dane brandishing a knife, is when he has a fork in the other hand.
Danes are fairly conservative. Therefore they appreciate traditional cooking, and are hesitant to embrace new "different" types of food.
In the new Danish cooking style, dishes are lighter, smaller and generally offer more focus on fresh vegetables. This mode of cooking is increasingly international, highly influenced by French, American cuisine and Asian cuisine, especially Thailand.
France has been historically a strong influence, as a leading land of culture. The French language and culture has had a strong influence in the royal house, and in the upper classes. This has also had an influence on Danish cuisine.
Germany's proximity has also provided a long-term influence. The area now making up northern Germany was at times throughout history under Danish rule, and there are still many Danish people living in this part of Germany, as well as Germans living in southern Denmark.
Although the average Danish person did not travel widely, in more recent years this has begun to change. Danes are travelling more now, and to farther, more distant and exotic destinations. The food cultures of the most popular travel destinations, sun-drenched southern European countries such as France, Spain and Italy, have become well known. As Danes have become increasingly confident in their abilities to move outside the safety net of resort villages and charter travel packages, so has their exposure to the cuisine of new lands. This widened appreciation for new eating experiences has followed Danes home after their wanderlusts have been quenched.
Another influence that brings greater focus on exotic cooking has been the growing availability of exotic food products in the supermarket, and aggressive marketing efforts to make these more acceptable in the average home. These products have become more available primarily because of the growing immigrant population (Turkish, Pakistani, Chinese, Thai, African) in Denmark.
In a nutshell, Denmark and the Danish people are becoming more internationalized.
American culture has also influenced the Danish cuisine. American television and movies are widespread. And the Internet has also brought the world closer.
Eating out in restaurants is rather expensive, and therefore saved for special occasions. When one does go out to a restaurant it is usually a lengthy, relaxed affair, consisting of many courses and drinks. Danish people will come typically to a restaurant at 6.00 PM, and stay until 11.00 PM or later.
In the big cities, and in shopping districts, there are many more reasonable eating places, including such chain fast food possibilities as McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Seven-Eleven. The most common quick food restaurant is the "burger bar" which typicaly features hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza and a wide variety of other fast food staples. These can be found in every town in the country, large or small. In the larger cities, Turkish people often own these restaurants. Among the other fast food items can be found Turkish food specialties such as falafel, shish-kabob and spit-roasted meat with salad in pita bread.
Another common quick food alternative, the "original" fast food outlet in Denmark, is the pølsevogn, the sausage wagon. where one can cheaply eat a variety of different sausages, including Denmark's very famous red sausages. These hot dog-like sausages are long (ca. 12 inch long), thin (about the diameter of an index finger) and bright red. They are traditionally served on a small, rectangular paper plate along with a side order of bread (similar to a hot dog bun, but without a slice in it), and a serving of ketchup and mustard. The sausage is hand held, dipped into both the ketchup and the mustard and eaten. The bread is eaten alternately, also dipped into the ketchup and mustard. When the sausage is served in a traditional hot dog bun, it is called a "hot dog". It is commonly served with kethcup, mustard, onion (either raw or toasted, i.e. ristet) and thin sliced pickles on top. Ristet onions are similar in taste to french-fried onion rings. Another variety is the French hot dog (Fransk hot dog) which is a sausage stuffed into a special long roll. The roll has a hole in the end, in which the hot dog is slipped into, after the requested accompaniment has been squirted in (ketchup, mustard).
The simplest sausage wagons are portable and very temporary, but most are more permanent. They are typically a metal wagon with an open window to the street, and a counter where one can stand and eat the sausage. More advanced wagons may be built in and include limited seating, usually both inside and outside.
Eating breakfast out of the house is unheard of, although hotel restaurants serve breakfast for their guests. In the cities it is becoming more common to eat brunch out in restaurants during weekends.
This is the base on which the art of the famous Danish open sandwich, smørrebrød is created: A slice or two of pålaæg is placed on the buttered bread, and then pyntet (decorated) with the right accompaniments.
As a first course (or first visit to the buffet table) one will in all likelihood eat pickled herring (marinerede sild), or another herring dish. The most common herring is marinated either in a clear sweet, peppery vinegar sauce (white herring), or in a red seasoned vinegar (red herring). It may also come in a variey 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. On extra festive occassions 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, apples pieces, horseradish topped with a curry sour-cream/mayonnaise sauce.
Herring is usually served with cold aquavit, to help the fish swim down to the stomach.
As a second course one will in all likelihood eat warm foods (lune retter) served on rye bread with accompaniments. Some typical warm foods would be:
Frikadeller -- Danish meatballs, the "national" dish
Chopped steak patty (Hakkebøf'')
Danish sausage (Medisterpølse)
Pariserbøf med tilbehør
Veal medallion (Kalvemedaljon)
Liver with sauteed mushrooms and onions
Dansk bøf med spejlæg og rugbrød
Veal tenderloin (mørbradbøf) with sauteed onions and pickle slices (surt)
Beer is the preferred beverage with lune retter, and through the rest of the cold table meal.
Next comes a selection of cold cuts (pålæg) and salads, as might be found on prepared smørbrød.
Finally one is served cheese, and fruit with crackers or white bread.
A very special part of, not only the jule frokost but of most festive, celebratory meals is the selskabsang (party song). These songs, sung to the melodies of traditional tunes, have specially written words that fit the occasion. The later in the evening, the more drunk the participants, the more challenging the lyrics become.
Danes enjoy inviting people over for dinner. These are often an elaborate affair with many courses.
Special events are often celebrated with family and friends at home. A celebration is not complete without a sit-down dinner.
Guests are generally invited to come at 6.00 PM for a welcome drink before dinner. Danes are punctual.
The most commonly eaten fish and seafood are:
As regards meat-eating, the Danes primarily eat pork, rather than beef: salted and smoked pork, bacon, hams, pork roasts, pork tenderloin, pork cutlets and chops are all popular. Ground pork meat is used in many traditional recipes requiring ground meat.
Steaks are commonly eaten out at restaurants.
Chicken is also popular. A tray of frozen chicken pieces ready to put into the oven, Lørdag kylling (translated, Saturday chicken) is a quick and cheap way to feed a family.
The potato is considered an essential side dish to every warm meal. A common expression is "Jeg er en heldig kartoffel!" (I am a lucky potato!). This gives an indication of the exalted and well-loved position that the potato takes in the life of the Danish people.
Some favorites:
Pasta and rice have made great inroads into the Danish diet. Danes eat more pasta than any other people.
Fruit that is traditionally associated with Danish cuisine:
Danish cuisine has also looked inwards at the rich possibilities inherent in Danish traditional cooking, and in this way attempted to redefine itself, using local products and cooking techniques that have in the past been used in limited ways.
Influence from abroad
Denmark has always been a land in the center of international influence.Eating out
Danes do not eat out a lot, although this is also changing in recent times, especially in the bigger cities, and among younger and more affluent people. Breakfast (Morgenmad)
The traditional breakfast is buttered bread, Danish skæreost (slicing cheese), a buttery creamy white cheese, strawberry marmelade and a lot of coffee. Bread takes may forms: at breakfast it is mostly a franskbrød (French bread), a white bread, rolls (boller, birkes, rundstykker) or croissants. The "Danish pastry", which is also eaten at breakfast, is named wienerbrød (Vienese bread) and it comes in many varieties. A festive breakfast calls for a shot or two of Gammel Dansk, a bitters.Lunch (Frokost)
The majority of adult Danes work, and therefore eat their lunch at work. Many work places offer a lunchroom cafeteria, however many prefer to bring along a packed lunch-- the madkasse (food box). This typically consists of a few pieces of smørbrød from home.Pålæg and smørrebrød
Literally translated, pålæg means "something laid on", and this something is generally laid on to a piece of buttered rye bread (Rugbrød), a dense, black bread with many seeds. Kold bort
The Danish kold bort (translated, cold table) corresponds to its Swedish counterpart, the smorgasbord. It is usually served at lunch time. The cold table may be a buffet arrangement prepared away from the dining table, or more likely it will consist of the many and varied items being brought to the dining table and passed around family-style.Christmas lunch, the Jule frokost
A special variation on the koldbort is the Christmas lunch, a festive holiday cold table or smorgasbord, served during the holiday season. Groups of people (coworkers, members of clubs and organizations) generally hold their annual jule frokost on a Friday evening in a restaurant's private room. There is great demand for these rooms, and planning begins early in the year. The "lunch" may include music and dancing, and usually continues into the very early hours of the morning with plentiful drinking either on the premises or in after-hour bar tours. In the Copenhagen area, trains and buses run all night during the jule frokost season.Dinner (Aftensmad)
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 preparation and eating time becomes shortened.Welcome drink
The velkomstdriks served shortly after guests arrive, and there are usually small snacks set out, such as chips or nuts. Some traditional favorites include:
Cocktails are becoming increasingly more popular, especially among the young.Appetizer
The first course is typically fish, although a wide variety of other appetizers are becoming more common. Common traditional appetizers include:Soups
Soup is often a meal on its own, or served with bread.Main dishes
Fish, seafood and meat are prominent parts of any traditional Danish dish.
Fish from Bornholm, Iceland and GreenlandTraditional main course dishes
Tradition vs. the new Danish cuisine.Vegetables, salads
Vegetables, other than the potato, do not play a large role in traditional Danish cooking. Those vegetables that play in important role had to be preserved for long periods of time in cold rooms, or were pickled or marinated for storage.The indispensable potato
The potato is almost ubiquitous in Danish cooking. It has captured this important position in in spite of its relatively short career in the Danish kitchen. The potato was first introduced into Denmark by Huguenots immigrating to Fredericia, Denmark from their native France in 1720. Around 1750 King Frederik the 5th encouraged widespread cultivation of the grasslands on the Jutland Peninsula, by enticing German immigrants to move to Denmark and cultivate potatoes.
The potato's flexibility is almost limitless. Sauces and condiments
Sauces and condiments are an important part of the Danish meal:Dairy products and eggs
Seasonings and herbs
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 common in Danish cooking:Fruit
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.
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.Drinks
Desserts
Baked goods
Confections
The new Danish cuisine
Danish cuisine continues to change and keep up with the times. It has become more health-conscious, and has hented inspiration from the French and Italian kitchen, but also from many other gastronomical sources. These come often from either the travels of cooks, but also their immigration into Denmark from all over the world.