Smørrebrød (originally
smør og brød;
DanishDanish is one of the North Germanic languages , a sub-group of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages. It is spoken by around 6 million people, mainly in Denmark; the language is also used by the 50,000 Danes in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein in Germany where it holds the...
for "butter and bread") usually consists of a piece of buttered rye bread (
rugbrødRugbrød is the most commonly used bread in Denmark. The common rugbrød usually resembles a long brown rectangle, no more than 12 cm high, and 30-35 cm wide, although shapes and sizes may vary, as well as the ingredients. Sourdough is almost always the base; the bread may be made exclusively with...
), a dense, dark brown bread.
Pålæg (literally "on-lay"), the topping, then among others can refer to commercial or homemade cold cuts, pieces of meat or fish, cheese or spreads. This daily practice is the base on which the art of the famous Danish
open sandwichAn open sandwich, also known as an open face sandwich, Ulrich Sandwich,open faced sandwich or tartine, consists of one single slice of bread with one or more food items on top of it...
,
smørrebrød is created: A slice or two of
pålæg is placed on the buttered bread, and then
pyntet (decorated) with the right accompaniments, to create a tasty and visually appealing food item.
Bread is a very important part of the Scandinavian table.
Smørrebrød (originally
smør og brød;
DanishDanish is one of the North Germanic languages , a sub-group of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages. It is spoken by around 6 million people, mainly in Denmark; the language is also used by the 50,000 Danes in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein in Germany where it holds the...
for "butter and bread") usually consists of a piece of buttered rye bread (
rugbrødRugbrød is the most commonly used bread in Denmark. The common rugbrød usually resembles a long brown rectangle, no more than 12 cm high, and 30-35 cm wide, although shapes and sizes may vary, as well as the ingredients. Sourdough is almost always the base; the bread may be made exclusively with...
), a dense, dark brown bread.
Pålæg (literally "on-lay"), the topping, then among others can refer to commercial or homemade cold cuts, pieces of meat or fish, cheese or spreads. This daily practice is the base on which the art of the famous Danish
open sandwichAn open sandwich, also known as an open face sandwich, Ulrich Sandwich,open faced sandwich or tartine, consists of one single slice of bread with one or more food items on top of it...
,
smørrebrød is created: A slice or two of
pålæg is placed on the buttered bread, and then
pyntet (decorated) with the right accompaniments, to create a tasty and visually appealing food item.
Bread
Bread is a very important part of the Scandinavian table. Based primarily on
rugbrød, which is sour-dough rye bread. It is a dark, heavy bread which is sometimes bought pre-sliced, in varieties from light-coloured rye, to very dark, and refined to whole grain. It forms the basis of
smørrebrød, which is closely related to the Swedish
smörgås.
Toppings
Traditional toppings include
marinerede sild, which are pickled herrings (plain,
kryddet - spiced, or
karry - curried), slightly sweeter than Dutch or German herrings; thinly-sliced cheese in many varieties; sliced cucumber, tomato and boiled eggs;
leverpostej, which is pork liver-paste; dozens of types of cured or processed meat in thin slices, or smoked fish such as salmon; mackerel in tomato sauce; pickled cucumber; boiled egg, and rings of red onion. Mayonnaise mixed with peas, sliced boiled asparagus and diced carrot, called
italiensk salat (lit. Italian salad), remoulade or other thick sauces often top the layered open sandwich, which is usually eaten with utensils. It is custom to pass the dish of sliced breads around the table, and then to pass around each dish of toppings, and people help themselves.
Hundreds of combinations and varieties of
smørrebrød are available, and some traditional examples include:
- Dyrlægens natmad
Dyrlægens natmad is the Danish name for a piece of smørrebrød upon which a particular selection of meats is laid....
(Danish: Veterinarian's midnight snack) — On a piece of dark rye bread, a layer of liver paté (leverpostejLeverpostej Leverpostej Leverpostej (Danish, pronounced , lifrarkæfa (Icelandic), leverpostei (Norwegian), leverpastej (Swedish) or leverpastei (Dutch) is a "pâté" made of pork liver and lard, which is a popular spread in northern Europe...
), topped with a slice of corned beefCorned beef refers to a variety of different styles of brine-cured beef. The "corn" in corned beef refers to the "corns" or grains of coarse salts used to cure it...
(salt kød) and a slice of meat aspicAspic is a dish in which ingredients are set into a gelatin made from a meat stock or consommé. It is also known as cabaret.When cooled, stock made from meat congeals because of the natural gelatin found in the meat. The stock can be clarified with egg whites, and then filled and flavored just...
(sky). This is all decorated with raw onionOnion is a term used for many plants in the genus Allium. They are known by the common name "onion" but, used without qualifiers, it usually refers to Allium cepa. Allium cepa is also known as the "garden onion" or "bulb" onion...
rings and garden cressGarden cress is a fast-growing, edible herb that is botanically related to watercress and mustard, sharing their peppery, tangy flavor and aroma...
.
- Eel
True eels are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 19 families, 110 genera and approximately 600 species. Most eels are predators...
— Smoked eel on dark rye bread, topped with scrambled eggs and sliced radishThe radish is an edible root vegetable of the Brassicaceae family that was domesticated in Europe in pre-Roman times. They are grown and consumed throughout the world. Radishes have numerous varieties, varying in size, color and duration of required cultivation time...
es.
- Leverpostej
Leverpostej Leverpostej Leverpostej (Danish, pronounced , lifrarkæfa (Icelandic), leverpostei (Norwegian), leverpastej (Swedish) or leverpastei (Dutch) is a "pâté" made of pork liver and lard, which is a popular spread in northern Europe...
— Warm rough-chopped liverpaste served on dark rye bread, topped with baconBacon is a cured meat prepared from a pig. It is first cured in a brine or in a dry packing, both consisting largely of salt; the result is fresh bacon . Fresh bacon may then be further dried for weeks or months , boiled, or smoked. Fresh and dried bacon must be cooked before eating...
, and sauteed mushroomA mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus, hence the word mushroom is most often applied to those fungi that have...
s.
- Roast beef
Roast beef is a cut of beef which is roasted in an oven. Roast beef is often served within sandwiches and sometimes is used to make hash. In England, Canada, Ireland, and Australia roast beef is one of the meats traditionally served at Sunday Dinner...
— thin sliced and served on dark rye bread, topped with a portion of remouladeRemoulade or rémoulade, invented in France, is a popular condiment in many countries. Very much like the tartar sauce of some English-speaking cultures, remoulade is often Aioli- or mayonnaise-based. Although similar to tartar sauce, it is often more yellowish , often flavored with curry, and...
, and decorated with a sprinkling of shredded horseradishHorseradish is a perennial plant of the Brassicaceae family, which also includes mustard, wasabi, broccoli, and cabbages. The plant is probably native to southeastern Europe and western Asia, but is popular around the world today...
and toasted (ristet) onion.
- Roast pork (Ribbensteg) — thin sliced and served on dark rye bread, topped with red sweet and sour cabbage
The cabbage is a popular cultivar of the species Brassica oleracea Linne of the Family Brassicaceae , and is used as a leafy green vegetable...
, and decorated with a slice of orangeAn orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus ×sinensis and its fruit. The orange is a hybrid of ancient cultivated origin, possibly between pomelo and tangerine...
.
- Spiced meat roll (Rullepølse).
- Tartarmad — raw beef mince with salt and pepper, served on dark rye bread, topped with raw onion rings, grated horseradish and a raw egg yolk.
- Smoked salmon
Smoked salmon is a preparation of salmon, typically a fillet that has been cured and then hot or cold smoked. Due to its moderately high price, smoked salmon is considered a delicacy.-Presentation:...
(laks) — Slices of cold smoked or cured salmonCured salmon and other fish recipes have been found in many cultures stretching from the people of early to modern Scandinavia to the Native Americans....
(gravad laks) on white bread, topped with shrimpShrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
and decorated with a slice of lemonThe lemon is a small evergreen tree originally native to Asia, and is also the name of the tree's oval yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and nonculinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind are also used, mainly in cooking and baking...
and fresh dillDill is a short-lived perennial herb. It is the sole species of the genus Anethum, though classified by some botanists in a related genus as Peucedanum graveolens C.B.Clarke.-Growth:...
.
- Stjerneskud (Danish: Shooting Star) — On a base of buttered white bread, two pieces of fish
A fish is any aquatic vertebrate animal that is typically ectothermic , covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins...
: a piece of steamed white fish on one half, a piece of fried, battered plaice (rødspætte) on the other half. On top is piled a mound of shrimp, which is then decorated with a dollop of mayonnaiseMayonnaise is a thick condiment. White or yellowish-white in color, it is a stable emulsion of oil, salt and vinegar, or lemon juice which uses egg yolks as an emulsifier...
, red caviarCaviar is the processed, salted roe of certain species of fish, most notably the sturgeon and the salmon...
, and a lemonThe lemon is a small evergreen tree originally native to Asia, and is also the name of the tree's oval yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and nonculinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind are also used, mainly in cooking and baking...
slice.
Serving
A famous and very old restaurant in
CopenhagenCopenhagen ; ) is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban area with a population of 1,167,569 and a metropolitan area with a population of 1,875,179...
's historic
NyhavnNyhavn is a colourful 17th century waterfront, canal and popular entertainment district in Copenhagen, Denmark. Stretching from Kongens Nytorv to the harbourfront just south of the Royal Playhouse, it is lined by brightly coloured 17th and early 18th century townhouses and numerous bars, cafés and...
harbour,
Ida DavidsenIda Davidsen is a celebrated smørrebrød restaurant located in the heart of Copenhagen, Denmark. The restaurant is more than a century old and is considered a cultural institution in Denmark with a menu of over 178 varieties of open-faced sandwiches. Popular among tourists and locals alike, Queen...
, serves up many imaginative combinations, and the fridge in a typical Danish home will often be stocked with toppings for
rugbrødsmad, or "rye bread meal", which is a way of saying "a plain normal lunch". Denmark has strong traditions of special types of food eaten at particular times of the year, such as smoked eel with slices of a sort of scrambled-egg loaf eaten on rye bread at New Year, accompanied by beer.