Another pleasant surprise in Denmark was how good the food was. Sure, the prices can still be a shock. Four hundred kroner, or 54€, for two main courses, a beer, and a juice would probably be considered reasonable by Scandinavian standards. But the right perspective on the fresh and local ingredients can be just as valuable. Eight euros for decadent heaps of smoked salmon, lashings of fresh dill and chive spread, and mesclun salad on newly baked bread the size of a sub is a bargain in my book!
At dinner in Copenhagen's Latin Quarter, we first became acquainted with the Danes' creativity with salads. Lentils with seaweed, anyone? For lunch, smørrebrød is really traditional. Billed as an "open-faced sandwich," the topping can be piled on so heavily as to render the bread invisible. The bread itself is a beautifully dark rye, densely packed with grains and seeds. Layers of thinly sliced meat, fish, or cheese are artfully arranged on top followed by various accompaniments - salads, pickles, and/or spreads - that seem to be sandwich-specific.
Even ordering just a roll at the bakery for breakfast, each kind receives a specific jam (e.g. sour cherry for poppyseed, rhubarb for pumpkin-seeded). Curiously, these rolls were labeled "danishes" on the menu. What we would call "danishes" were known as wienerbrød (or "Viennese bread"), and a dizzying array confronted us. Cinnamon swirl made for a good choice. The dearth of baked goods in Spain caused me to lose my head a little among such bounty that first time around, and 3 cakes seemed to just order themselves. They became an addiction really, especially when we discovered that Copenhagen's delectable Lagkagehuset bakery has multiple locations. In all seriousness, as a connoisseur of fruit tarts, let me just say that their jordbærkage (or "strawberry tart") is the absolute ideal. This blissful creation has a moist almond cake base coated in dark chocolate and crowned with a delicate chantilly cream and perfectly ripe strawberries. Don't even try to share it. Maybe get one for the road, too... easily achievable, since Lagkagehusets are at the train station and the airport!
At dinner in Copenhagen's Latin Quarter, we first became acquainted with the Danes' creativity with salads. Lentils with seaweed, anyone? For lunch, smørrebrød is really traditional. Billed as an "open-faced sandwich," the topping can be piled on so heavily as to render the bread invisible. The bread itself is a beautifully dark rye, densely packed with grains and seeds. Layers of thinly sliced meat, fish, or cheese are artfully arranged on top followed by various accompaniments - salads, pickles, and/or spreads - that seem to be sandwich-specific.
Even ordering just a roll at the bakery for breakfast, each kind receives a specific jam (e.g. sour cherry for poppyseed, rhubarb for pumpkin-seeded). Curiously, these rolls were labeled "danishes" on the menu. What we would call "danishes" were known as wienerbrød (or "Viennese bread"), and a dizzying array confronted us. Cinnamon swirl made for a good choice. The dearth of baked goods in Spain caused me to lose my head a little among such bounty that first time around, and 3 cakes seemed to just order themselves. They became an addiction really, especially when we discovered that Copenhagen's delectable Lagkagehuset bakery has multiple locations. In all seriousness, as a connoisseur of fruit tarts, let me just say that their jordbærkage (or "strawberry tart") is the absolute ideal. This blissful creation has a moist almond cake base coated in dark chocolate and crowned with a delicate chantilly cream and perfectly ripe strawberries. Don't even try to share it. Maybe get one for the road, too... easily achievable, since Lagkagehusets are at the train station and the airport!
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