USTaste of Travel IN FOC
Danish Delight taking the sandwich to a whole new level
I wondered what could be special about buttered bread, for that’s what smørrebrød literally means
interesting journey. It started in the 19th century as a wholesome meal enjoyed by peasants and labourers. But during the 1880s, it become a speciality, leading to the opening of several smørrebrød restaurants in Copenhagen. It had a midlife crisis of sorts in the 1960s and 1970s when it acquired a super-sized avatar. In this unsavoury version, mass-produced bread was piled high with canned meat and fish accompanied by standard sauces— preparations that were high in fat and artificial preservatives and low on taste. Soon smørrebrød began to be ignored by its creators, and Danes became distracted by whiffs of Asian and Italian food blown in by the winds of globalisation. The new millennium saw a smørrebrød renaissance when young Danish chefs, keen to revive their traditional cuisine, began experimenting with the dish. They interpreted the smørrebrød in modern, healthy ways, making it the crown jewel of Danish cuisine. Today, smørrebrød is prepared with fresh bread, locally produced meat and fish, fresh seasonal vegetables, herbs and homemade sauces. It’s a popular choice for lunch for most Danes: a quick meal that’s light yet filling and delicious, and a symbol of Danish craftsmanship and cultural pride. While the Michelin Guide recommended Aamanns as a safe choice, another popular place is the oldfashioned Schonnemann, where you can pair your smørrebrød with Scandinavian schnapps. My personal favourite is the Royal Smushi Café, which offers the traditional Danish smørrebrød with a contemporary sushi twist. It serves bite-sized pieces, allowing you to try several variants. A set of three costs about 135 kroner/`1,300. Part café, part store, Royal Smushi Café offers a peek into Danish design from different eras. To me, that’s a perfect way to satisfy your appetite for two distinctive Danish creations: smørrebrød and design. n
Boyny, Michael-the food passionates/Corbis
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efore arriving in Copenhagen, I had heard about the “new Nordic cuisine” movement that was gaining ground in Denmark. But once I got there, I felt that I should first try the staples of traditional Danish cuisine. I’m sorry to report that long-time favourites like lever postej (liver pâté) and frikadeller (meatballs) failed to get my taste buds tingling. The smørrebrød, on the other hand, was another story. When I first heard of smørrebrød (pronounced smoh-reh-brol) from my Danish language tutor, I was intrigued. I wondered what could be special about buttered bread, for that’s what smørrebrød literally means. Still, I managed to cast my scepticism aside and made my way to Aamanns, the restaurant that is credited with reviving the smørrebrød tradition in Copenhagen. Faced with the actual dish, the translation seemed spectacularly inappropriate. The smørrebrød is an open sandwich with a smorgasbord of pålæg (toppings). The base is usually a slice of rug brød (sour dough rye bread), artistically piled with pieces of meat or fish combined with vegetables, cheese, or pâté. It offers a combination of tastes and textures that tickle the palate. The Shooting Star, for instance, is made with poached, butter-fried plaice fish served on crusty white bread, topped with shrimp and pickled herring, garnished with caviar and dill. The hønsesalat, meanwhile, has chicken topped with crunchy bits of apple, celery, cucumber and pickled mushrooms in herbed cream. My first brush with smørrebrød was unexpectedly satiating and, I can never again think of it as merely buttered bread. Smørrebrød has had an
BY Sarita Rajiv