Until the mid 19th century, Danish people had to rely on foods that could withstand the long winters; root vegetables, pickles or preserves, and smoked meats. Therefore many traditional dishes are based upon those types of ingredients.
Pork, plums, cream, butter, carrots, potatoes, seafood, apples, onions, cheese, beer and bread are dominate ingredients in Danish cooking.
Pickled herring is quite popular in Denmark. It is usually stored in vinegar or sour cream and placed on pieces of rye bread. Sometimes topped with sliced raw onions.
Smørrebrød (open sandwiches) consisting of rye bread, buttered and covered with sliced meat, cheese, etc. has long been known, whereas the more elaborate open sandwiches used on festive occasions only appeared in the decades around 1900. Among the best- known of these are open sandwiches with shrimps, smoked salmon, marinated herring, smoked herring and egg yolk, radishes and chives, smoked eel with scrambled egg, pork with red cabbage, apples and prunes, and liver paste with pickled cucumber or gherkins. |
