Food

Danish food

When cooking dinner in Denmark, we typically start by choosing the meat, and then select the addition. This is the other way around compared to many other cultures. 

Breakfast

Breakfast in Denmark is typically a cold serving. 

Examples of typical breakfast servings:

• Yoghurt or likewise, perhaps with some kind of topping, like müsli. 

• Cereal, like corn flakes with milk.

• Oat meal with milk, and perhaps nuts or/and dried berries.

• Bread with cheese, honey, jam, different kinds of thin sliced meat, nutella etc.

Morning snack

Many grab a snack sometime between breakfast and lunch. 

Examples of typical of morning snacks:

• Fresh fruit

• Müsli bars

• Sliced vegetables

Lunch

Some high schools have cafeterias, but it is often quite expensive. Most either bring a lunch box for school, or go finding a local take out restaurant or 7-Eleven or likewise. Basic schools usually don't have cafeterias or options to buy lunch. Pupils at basic school typically bring lunch boxes, as it is not allowed at many schools for the pupils to leave the school in breaks. Some schools have a microwave for reheating. 

Examples of typical lunch servings: 

• Sandwich

• Open face sandwich on rye bread with different variations of thin sliced meat, patés etc.

• Left overs from yesterday's dinner

• Salad

Afternoon snack

Some might grab an afternoon snack, sometime between lunch and dinner.

Examples of afternoon snack:

• Fresh fruit

• Müsli bar

• Bun with cheese or other kinds of topping

• Pancakes or waffles

• Cake

Dinner

Most Danes have a hot meal for dinner. Many Danes take inspiration from the Italian kitchen, like pizza, lasagne, or the American kitchen, like burgers etc. The traditional Danish kitchen consists a lot of potatoes and different meat cuttings from pork, ox or chicken.  We tend to eat a lot of food made from ground meat. And there's often plenty of sauce, especially around holidays.

There will often be served some kind of a green salad.

Examples of typical danish dinners:

• Frikadeller (fried meat balls made from ground pork and veal) with boiled white potatoes or potato salad.

• Karbonader (breaded ground pork) served with boiled white potatoes and gravy. 

• Stegt flæsk (fried pork belly) served with boiled white potatoes and a white gravy with chopped parsley. (National Dish)

• Stew or some kind of a sauce with meat

• Hakkebøf med bløde løg is fried minched meat with fried onion slices with a dash of sugar. Typically served with potatoes and gravy.

Danes also very much like Italian dishes like:

• Pizza

• Lasagne

• Pasta Bolognese 

Other well-liked dishes:

• Burger (German/American)

• Sushi (Japan)

• Noodles (Asian)

Dinner is typically served around 6 PM, but can varies from 5-7 PM. Families with little children tend to have dinner early, while singles and families with older children or teenagers tend to have dinner a little later. 

Night snack

Many like a snack between dinner and bedtime. 

Examples of typical danish night snack:

• Fresh fruit

• Nuts

• Knækbrød (a crisp bread) with cheese, jam, honey, nutella etc.

• Chips and candy

• Ice cream

• Cake

'Fredagsslik'

Fredagsslik, or Friday Candy, is a tradition in many families with kids. Kids are not treated with candy throughout the week, but on Fridays most families go to their prefered candy store to buy their favorite candy mix. In the evening, after they've had dinner, they will watch 'Fredags Tam-Tam' (1 hr show of cartoons) or something else, while sharing the candy.