© 2020 Fonsenius. Eric Maurice
Forlag: BoD – Books on Demand GmbH, København, Danmark
Tryk: BoD–Books on Demand GmbH, Norderstedt, Tyskland
ISBN: 9788743083245
This book is dedicated to Sylvie, my wonderful wife for more than 55 years. Allthough born on the island of Mauritius in the tropics, and thus more used to rice and curry, she came to love the Danish smørrebrød and throughout the years her creations has been a delight for the eyes as well as the taste buds.
The first mention of Denmark dates back to the 8th century and Gorm den Gamle (Gorm the Old) is mentioned as the first reigning king from 936 until his death in 958. The Danish flag (Dannebrog) is red with a white cross and according to the legend, it fell from the sky during the battle of Lyndanisse in Estonia in 1219, just as the Danish king Valdemar was about to lose the battle. This sign from heaven gave the Danes renewed hope and they finally could withdraw victorious.
Denmark, officially the Kingdom of Denmark, is a Nordic country and the southernmost of the Scandinavian nations. Denmark is bordered to the south by Germany. The Kingdom of Denmark also comprises of two autonomous constituent countries in the North Atlantic Ocean, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. Denmark proper consists of a peninsula, Jylland and an archipelago of 443 named islands, with the largest being Sjælland and Fyn. The islands are characterised by flat, arable land and sandy coasts, low elevation and a temperate climate. Denmark has a total area of 42,924 km2 (16,573 sq miles), and the total area including Greenland and the Faroe Islands is 2,210,579 km2 (853,509 sq miles). Denmark has a population of 5.8 million (2020).
Denmark is considered to be one of the most economically and socially developed countries in the world. Danes enjoy a high standard of living and the country ranks highly in most metrics of national performance, including education, health care, protection of civil liberties, democratic governance, prosperity, and human development. The country ranks as having the worlds highest social mobility, a high level of income equality and is among the countries with the lowest perceived levels of corruption in the world. Denmark has one of the world's highest per capita incomes and one of the world's highest personal income tax rates.
It's heart-warming to know there's still a country where the term "fairy tale" can be used freely – from its most enduring literary legacy to it's textbook castles. In a nutshell, Denmark gets it right: old-fashioned charm embraces the most avowedly forward-looking design and social developments. The country wins a regular place on lists of both the most liveable and the happiest nations on earth. You won't have to search hard to find much-prized hygge, a uniquely Danish trait that has a profound influence on the locals inestimable happiness. Hygge is social nirvana in Denmark: a sense of cosiness, camaraderie and contentment.
While many countries are noticeable for the ever-increasing gap between the "haves" and "have-nots", Denmark seems to be populated by the "have enoughs", and the obviously rich and obviously poor are few and far between. This egalitarian spirit allows the best of the arts, architecture, eating and entertainment to be within easy reach of everyone. Indeed, the best catchword for Denmark might be "inclusive" – everyone is welcome and everyone is catered to, be they young, old, gay, straight, and whether they travel with kids, pets or bikes in tow. Cities are compact and user-friendly, infrastructure is modern, and travel is a breeze.
It's true, Denmark doesn't have the stop-you-in-your-tracks natural grandeur of its neighbours, but it's landscapes are understated – pure and simple, often infused with an ethereal Nordic light. Such landscapes are reflected in the Danish design philosophy towards fashion, food, architecture, furniture and art. Simplicity of form and function come first but not at the expense of beauty. And so you'll find moments of quintessential Danish loveliness on a long sandy beach, beside a lake, admiring a Renaissance castle, on the bike lanes of Bornholm or in a candlelit cafe that has perfected the art of hygge.
Smørrebrød originally smør og brød, (butter and bread) is a traditional Danish open-faced sandwich that usually consists of a piece of buttered rye bread (rugbrød), topped with commercial or homemade cold cuts, pieces of meat or fish, cheese or spreads and garnishes.
Bread is a very important part of the Danish lunch table, primarily rugbrød, which is a sour-dough rye bread. It is a dark, heavy bread which is often bought sliced, in varieties from light brown rye, to very dark, and refined to whole grain. It forms the basis of smørrebrød, allthough some toppings are served on franskbrød (French bread), a very light, crusty wheat bread. The bread is usually buttered, though for some variants, a spread of lard is customary.
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