Danish treats: Æbleskiver, gløgg and other

Like in any culture, Danes have traditional food for the Advent time.

The so-called “apple slices“ (æbleskiver) and mulled wine (gløgg) are typical treats during the Danish Christmas season. Despite their name, æbleskiver have nothing to do with apples. They are ball-shaped cakes made of pancake dough and eaten with strawberry jam and/or powdered sugar. Gløgg is originally a Swedish tradition, but then who would like to refuse a mug of warm mulled wine on a cold winter’s evening! Don't know what type of mulled whine you know - the gløgg is not only plain wine with spices (with or without added spirits), but it is improved with almond splinters and raisins. I am originally German and we of course also have mulled whine (Glühwein) unfortunately without the almonds and raisins. After I drank (or should I say drank and ate) gløgg, I will always feel that something is missing in our Glühwein. In any supermarket you can buy the concentrate (gløgg extrakt) to add to your warm red whine. It will be easy for your to prepare your gløgg with the right taste.

Danes experience their lives very hectic and stressful and don't have necessarily time to keep in touch with all of their friends, but during the Christmas season they will try to re-connect with them. If there's no time to meet them for a Christmas lunches, Danes will at least try to meet them for a gløgg (or probably more of them) at a Christmas market.

There are, of course, typical Danish Christmas cookies as well, including various types of ginger bread biscuits (pebernødder and brune kager) and vanilla cookies (vaniljekranse). The "brune kager" (brown cookies) are to be as thin as possible and there will be somewhat of a competition of whose cookies are thinner. Danes will bake many cookies and will store them in boxes. If you go for a visit you will be served the magic pastry.

Find out more about the Danish traditions for the Christmas time

• Advent
• Christmas lunches
• Christmas markets
• Christmas cards
• Wish lists
• Gift exchange practice
• Christmas Eve
• End-of season sales
• New Year's Eve
• Three Kings day

Remember to check also the resource section for your life in Denmark to find important information which will help you to settle down faster and make more out of your stay.