Danish foods to check out this festive season

Tick tick tick- another Christmas Day beckons. And its yet another time to get ready for eating, drinking and decorations. Most people get to set and decorate ttheir houses well ahead of time. Candles have been lit and the countdown to Christmas 2023 remain on top gear. A newly arrived person will easily get the real feel that December and Christmas mean a lot in Denmark.

If you land in the country around the month of November, it will already be clear that the festive season has just kicked in. All manner of ecorations will usher you into cities and residential spaces. Sparkling lights of asorted colors wounded around different decorations, on walls and fences tell it all.

Peopl who have young children know no peace at such time as kids demand to be spoiled with gifts. To start with, they will ask for the famous Christmas Calender for kids, then to clothes and many other goodies. Just before they get over your head, remember to also stock your home bars with an assortment of wines and beer for enjjoyment needs be for everyone at home.

But over and above the decorations and frenzy that come with Christmas in Denmark, eating, drinking and partying take a lead. Indeed some may choose to eat at home but a majority will step out of their homes to their favourite food joints alone, with family or friends.

Eating out in Denmark

It may not be so common for you as a newcomer to prefer eating at restaurants or food outlets. Truth be told, most nationals of countries where family sizes are large, would rather cook and eat at home. The costs of taking the whole family out for a meal in Denmark may be just too much-but not a bad idea just in the Christmas spirit.

In Denmark though, family sizes are quite small. An average family could consist of at most 5 people which tells why it’s easier to go eating out together. This number thins down as children get older and spend most of their time with peers out there. 

Regardless of whether you’re only in Denmark for a short stay or actually intending to prolong it, easting is a must. Most visiting guests would check in at their booked hotels and sample the wide array of foods on offer. For those on a long term stay, there’s enough time to understand, learn and eat so many foods. 

Immigrants get asked so many questions about food in Denmark

For those arriving in Denmark, especially for a long term stay, people back home always ask so much about what foods are eaten in the country. As a precaution and precautionary move, people tend to stock local food from home just in case they don’t quickly adjust to the foods in the country.

Whatever you think about the Danish food, you will have to adjust to and like them. One thing about the meals served in restaurants in Denmark is that they have a touch of international gastronomy. In short, you will not be exclusively tied to Danish local foods alone. 

Initially, you may find it difficult to cook the Danish meals yourself. But when you find them cooked at a restaurant, they will be quite tasty. So, it’s all a matter of deliberately learning and adjusting to your new home. 

As a part of integration in Denmark, you will be wired to try the country’s staple foods which include pork, potatoes, herring, rye bread, butter, and cream. They may appear strange at the beginning but over time, the taste buds slowly adjust to them so well. 

15 common Danish foods a foreigner may check out

• Herring 
• Leverpostej
• Smorrebrod
• Flaskesteg 
• Frikadeller
• Steg flesk med persillesovs 
• Good
• Biksemad
• Risengrod
• Lakrids 
• Hakkebof
• Rugbrød
• Dyrlagens natmad
• Syltede agurker
• Lutefisk

For a detailed explanation and clearer images of what all these foods entail, click here.

A final hint

The Danish foods may look strange in appearance that someone may quickly trash them. However as the saying goes that the taste of the pudding is in the eating, the moment you try any of these foods is the time you will have unapologetically initiated yourself into the world of Danish tasty meals.

As an advice, it’s totally fine that some people will miss and try to import their home foods when living in Denmark. But for an effective integration, just train your body and mind to embrace the Danish diet if everything has to be easy for you.