HOLIDAY GLØGG

A Nordic Holiday Tradition...

...worth a delicious try

BY TERRI FERRAGUT

The word glögg is spoken by the Swedish and Icelanders, gløgg by Norwegians and Danes, and glögg by the Finnish and Estonians.

No matter how it’s pronounced or spelled, this Nordic mulled holiday drink has been warming souls since the early 1600s. Traditionally, spices were added to the poor-tasting wines of the time to enhance the flavor. As the wines improved over time, the warm-spiced Gløgg remained popular, eventually becoming a traditional Christmas beverage.

Dating back to the 1600s, this warm-spiced Christmas drink is still enjoyed today during the holidays. In Scandinavian countries, outdoor markets traditionally draw revelers during the holidays for food, social interaction, and gløgg. Try it for yourself this Christmas and fill your home with its wonderful soothing fragrance.

CLASSIC GLØGG

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup raisins 1 cup akevitt (or brandy or vodka) 1 cup water ½ cup sugar 2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half 4 whole cloves 6 whole cardamom seeds, crushed Peel of 1 orange, thinly shaved 1 small piece ginger, peeled and cut in half 2 cups burgundy or pinot noir wine 2 cups port wine Blanched almonds

METHOD: Soak raisins in akevitt (or brandy or vodka) for 30 minutes. Put a large pot on the stove over high heat. Add water and sugar to the pot and stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar is completely dissolved. Lower the heat to medium and add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom seeds, orange peel and ginger. Stir again with wooden spoon. Do not allow the mix to come to a boil from this point on. Add the akevitt-raisin mixture, burgundy or pinot noir wine and port wine. Sweeten and spice to taste. Strain, garnish with raisins and slices of blanched almond and serve hot off the stove. Note: The drink can be made a day ahead and kept covered, on the stove, at room temperature. Reheat before serving.

SPICED ORANGE GLØGG

(non-alcoholic option listed below) INGREDIENTS:

2 cups orange juice ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 tsp. slightly crushed cardamom seeds 1 piece fresh, peeled ginger about 1-inch square, or 1/8 tsp. ground ginger 1 28-ounce bottle white table wine, Reisling or Rhine (or 4 cups white grape juice) METHOD: In a non-aluminum saucepan, combine the orange juice, brown sugar, cardamom and ginger. Heat slowly to a boil. Add wine (or grape juice). Serves six to eight.

A said favorite of the Vikings during their long voyages, ebelskivers are delicious, pancake-like, fluffy treats that are often enjoyed with a cup of hot gløgg at Christmas. Filled with sweet or savory fillings, they are also enjoyed with syrup, dusted with powdered sugar, or dipped in chocolate or jams.

Another Scandinavian classic enjoyed with gløgg is riskrem. This Norwegian dessert, similar to rice pudding, is flavored with cinnamon, vanilla and raisins and served chilled.

Commonly used spices in gløgg are cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger. Other flavorful ingredients include citrus peel from oranges and lemons, almonds and even raisons. Many recipes call for a red wine base with the addition of port, sherry, vodka, akvavit or brandy. Purchasing a high-end red wine is not necessary for this liquid treat, as the spices, fruit and nuts will take flavor command over this unique holiday beverage.

At Christmas in Sweden, gingerbread and lussebullar (also called lussekatter), a type of sweet bun with saffron and raisins, are typically offered. It is traditionally served at Julbord, translated literally to the “Christmas table,” the traditional Scandinavian Christmas buffet.

In Denmark, gløgg holiday pairings typically include æbleskiver (Danish pancakes) sprinkled with powdered sugar and accompanied by strawberry marmalade. In Norway, gløgg is paired with its popular holiday treat, rice pudding or riskrem. Perfect for a gathering this holiday season, serve a warm cup of gløgg with cookies, small sandwiches, hors d’oeuvres or other nibbles.

Give it a try — it just might become a Christmas tradition for you, too!

Happy Holidays!

What is aquavit?

Akevitt (Norwegian), akvavit (Danish), or aquavit (English) are all the same names for a traditional holiday spirit home to Scandinavia – Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Demark. It hearkens back to the 1500s and remains a cultural mainstay. The name comes from the Latin Aqua Vitae (water of life) assimilated into their own languages. Aquavit is distilled from potatoes or grain mash and flavored with a multitude of spices including dill, caraway, juniper, cardamom, fennel, coriander, citrus, and anise. The spices used to create the specific flavor characteristics are localized to each Nordic country. Swedish and Danish aquavit is clear. Distilled from grain, they lean heavily on dill, coriander, and caraway. The Swedes create their clear aquavit with stronger fennel and anise components. Traditionally, Norwegians use potato mash and incorporate caraway, dill, fennel, anise, and coriander. Aged in casks, the Norwegian spirit takes on a golden color. Since 1821, the Norwegian-made LINIE aquavit has been aged on a 4-month sea journey across the world, crossing the equator twice, LINIE meaning equator “line”. Stored in 333-gallon sherry casks on the ship’s main deck, the aquavit is exposed to the natural fluctuations of the sea weather’s temperature, humidity, air pressure, and rolling wave movement accelerating the aging process. The journey, live-streamed on their website, begins at Oslo, then onto Baltimore, through the Panama Canal to Tacoma, and then off to Japan, Australia, and back to Oslo— you can actually follow the voyage on the LINIE website.

You don’t have to be a Viking or Scandinavian to enjoy pickled herring with crackers and “smorrebrød “open-face sandwiches with friends. *Raise a tulip-shaped glass of aquavit and shout “Skål”!

* Find Linie, Tattersall and Proof Vän Skap aquavit (distilled in Fargo) at Happy Harry’s locations.