Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
plants. The ingredients are then skilfully prepared using traditional techniques (curing,
smoking, pickling and preserving) alongside contemporary experiments that have in-
cluded, among other things, ants.
Despite Redzepi's strict faithfulness to Nordic produce, a newer wave of chefs - many
of whom are Noma alumni - seem to be taking a less dogmatic approach, their own sea-
sonal, Nordic menus splashed with the odd foreign ingredient. Among these is chef Matt
Orlando, of the Copenhagen restaurant Amass, a place where burnt kale and beach plants
might be punctuated by foie gras or Indian gherkins. While some may argue that this com-
promises the very concept of New Nordic cuisine, others see it as the next step in the evol-
ution of contemporary Danish cooking.
ESSENTIAL DANISH FLAVOURS
New Nordic flavours
Sample Nordic produce cooked with groundbreaking creativity at
hotspot restaurants like Copenhagen's Noma, Kadeau or Geranium.
Smørrebrød
Rye or white bread topped with anything from beef tartar to egg and
shrimp, the open sandwich is Denmark's most famous culinary export.
Sild
Smoked, cured, pickled or fried, herring is a local staple, best washed down with
generous serves of akvavit (an alcoholic spirit commonly made with potatoes and spiced
with caraway).
Kanelsnegl
A calorific delight, the 'cinnamon snail' is a sweet, buttery pastry, some-
times laced with chocolate.
Koldskål
A cold, sweet buttermilk soup made with vanilla and traditionally served with
crunchy biscuits such as kammerjunkere.
Beer
Carlsberg may dominate, but Denmark's expanding battalion of microbreweries
include Mikkeller, Amager Bryghus and Bryghuset Møn.
Danish Staples & Specialities
Reindeer moss and hay-smoked quail eggs may be the norm on New Nordic menus, but
traditional Danish tables serve up a much heartier cast of classics. Grab a fork and knife
and plunge into the following Danish faithfuls.
