Danish Food & Drink

When travelling, one thing to get excited about (or worried, depending on the country) is the food. Denmark, of course, is no exception. Due to its northerly location, Denmark's historical diet has involved mostly carbohydrates, meat and fish, and shares similarities with Germany and other Scandinavian counties, and has been influenced by French cuisine as well. Traditional Danish foods include sausages, cheeses, breads, fish, and the potato (kartofler). One of the more famous Danish foods is smørrebrød (literally "spread on bread"), which generally is served on a slice of rye bread (rugbrød). The topping (pålæg) is usually roast beef or pork, cheese, fish, or spreads, and then topped with other garnishments. Due to a number of factors including immigration, Denmark's diet is slowly expanding to include a larger number of food items.

Copenhagen is generally considered to be a beer town, with the two most notable brands being Carlsberg and Tuborg. As fate would have it we will probably end of visiting the Carlsberg Brewery as part of our trip. Aquavit and wine are also pretty popular.

In general Danes eat out less than American due, in part due to the high tax rate. So when they do it tends to be a rather lenghty affair. Like many countries, tipping is not customary. Most people don't seem to be able to write about Danish cuisine without mentioning the concept of hygge. It is generally translated to mean "warm and cozy." I don't know about you, but I think I can feel the hygge already.

Skål!