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I'm visiting Denmark and I'd like to bring home some local Danish ingredients so I can prepare a meal which is specific for Danish cuisine (can be scandinavian if Danish is too narrow).

It doesn't necessarily have to be full-blown meal, it can be snack or something equally simple.

Additional requirement it should survive flight so I tumult more about either something dry or canned or similar.

Any recommendations?

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Bfore you attempt this, you should check what the import laws are in your country of origin. I've had cat food confiscated when re-entering the US ... because it's made with meat (I was transporting two cats, and had bags of food taped to the cages so I could feed them; they didn't attempt to take the food that was in the bowls in with the cats, though). No meat or fresh produce can come in, although I have declared spices before and they were okay with it. (which was good, as it was a couple ounces of saffron) – Joe May 10 '11 at 21:43
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@Joe - Poland and Denmark are part of the EU, it's 800 km ish from Denmark via Germany. It's a bit like driving from Maryland to Michigan, no real borders to worry about – TFD May 10 '11 at 23:09
@TFD : I wasn't sure ... but if someone else were to read this question, and think the same response applied, they could be quite annoyed if they come home only to have their items confiscated. Hell, I even had a time when I changed planes in Madrid (from international to domestic within Spain), and they made me go back through security, meaning I had to give up items bought at the duty-free shop as they were liquids and I only had my carry-on. – Joe May 10 '11 at 23:55
Liquids on aeroplanes are a different issue - that's something to check before you board. Last time I went through Spanish airspace I was allowed to carry two bottles on board because the seals were intact. My wife had to throw her cola away, though. – klypos May 15 '11 at 0:48

4 Answers

up vote 6 down vote accepted

I'm from Denmark but I've lived in so many other places. Here's a list of things that usually go well:

  • leverpostej, similar to foie gras, tastes very good on rye bread.
  • marineret sild, marinated herring, also very good on rye bread.
  • flæskesvær, crunchy salty pig skin :-) people say it tastes a lot better than it sounds, and though I personally disagree, my foreign colleagues like it.
  • "proper" (strong) liquorice like Haribo's Super Piratos or Leaf's Lakrisal - because anything with less than 6% ammonium chloride is for wusses!
  • various kinds of cheese and bread, as has been said already.
  • wienerbrød, Danish pastry, especially kringle and spandauer are delicious.
  • makrel i tomat, canned mackerel (fish) in tomato juice, yet another delicious treat on rye bread.
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+1 Wouldn't it be easier just to get rye bread and potatoes :-) – TFD May 10 '11 at 21:47
Are flæskesvær similar to the UK pork scratchings, or US pork rinds? – klypos May 15 '11 at 0:39
@klypos Yes I think those are comparable but I don't know them. – Torben Gundtofte-Bruun May 15 '11 at 4:58
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Huge thanks for the answer. I can hardly express how good it was. Danish names helped with shopping. And despite we have similar things in Poland, where I live, these things come in different flavors, e.g. I haven't eaten herrings marinated the ways Danish folk use. All in all, great answer. – pawelbrodzinski May 20 '11 at 10:25
You're welcome, I'm glad I could help. Smacznego! – Torben Gundtofte-Bruun May 20 '11 at 10:35
up vote 2 down vote

The Danish do a nice line in pickled cucumbers, cheeses and crispbreads. Cheeses to look at include Havarti, Samsoe, Esrom, Maribo and the various kinds of Danish Blue. The pickled cucumbers are very much a local thing.

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up vote 1 down vote

There are a variety of breads you could get - a lot of sourdough, rye and seed breads. Open sandwiches are popular in Denmark, for some reason. Also Danish salami can be very good.

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up vote 0 down vote

Licorice (danish: lakrids). But, er, buy a bag first and see if you enjoy the local interpretation or not.

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