The Danish Language

The Danish language is
the mother tongue for 6 million people

The Danish language is a rare commodity. Famous Danes like our beloved story teller Hans Christian Andersen, famous playwright Ludvig Holberg or philosopher Søren Kierkegaard all spoke Danish.. albeit a Danish somewhat "old school", but for which people have loved them centuries later.


Growing up a Dane in the modern day and age - you are somewhat dependant upon being able to communicate in other languages such as English. After all only six million people have the Danish language as their native tongue. 


 
The Famous Danish writer Ludvig Holberg used the Danish language in his plays with an elegance and an excellence which made his plays cherished by Danes. 



Hans Christian Andersen was loved for his use of words and so was indeed Søren Kierkegaard. A genuine 24 carat philosopher searching for the truth expressed in poetic language.














Today certainly a more modern Danish is spoken everywhere .. 


"Dansk" - as we say in Denmark, has a subtle expression to it. It's not very extrovert like e.g. Italian or American.. unless of course you are at an important football match or the like. The Danish language can then in a very short time unfold a dynamic of surprising proportions.
I think learning Danish has become easier for foreigners after language schools have stopped trying to teach it as it's written instead of how it's actually spoken in everyday life. 


Danish is confusing for many a bit like French is... and then again not really. Anyway.. the Danish language is quite good for expressing poetry and humour. I even hear from German people that they find it cute comparison to their own language.. well even I can't disagree there.


Scandinavians generally understand each other. Norwegians and Danes share the same basic language. The pronunciation however is very different. Swedish differs the most from the two others since many words are of another origin. 

Pronunciation
So.. the toughest part of learning the Danish language lies in how it is pronounced. This is also the primary obstacle for understanding one another among the three largest Scandinavian countries Sweden, Norway and Denmark.


If I speak with a Swede I really have to to prick my ears even if he speaks slowly.. and I have actually lived in Sweden when I was a kid.

Unlike in Denmark, the Swedes and the Norwegians actually pronounce their languages the way they write them. As mentioned above Norwegian in its written form is almost identical to Danish - but sounds ever so different. All in all Danish is generally considered to be the most incomprehensible of the three languages.


Speaking of which..

Below is probably the most famous "tongue breaker" sentence that Danes ask foreigners to pronounce. A real Danish shibboleth. 

Try it out and .. good luck.

How would you say ..“Rødgrød med fløde”

When you have exhausted your tongue - check here how close you were

 

As you can see on the picture.. "rødgrød med fløde" means fruit pudding with cream and is usually made from red and black berries.


Here are some other examples that demonstrate the challenges of pronouncing the Danish language correctly. I will have audios of them shortly as well.“Freddy Fræk fra Faxe fangede i fælder 15 flotte friske fiskefrikadeller”
or..

"De hvide og de røde holder bedemøde på den fede måde"


.. say that 50 times ! 


Huhh?
Dialects in the Danish language are frequent and some are quite "severe". In fact I, as a Copenhagener, do not understand a word of what they say in certain northern parts of the country - just a few hundred kilometres away. Even within a small area like Denmark - dialects can be very heavy indeed


 

.. dialects are distinctly different even in a small country like Denmark


Although most Danes speak some sort of official Danish, perhaps with a mild dialect, in some areas they just speak like they always did .. and I wouldn't have a clue what they are saying. It's actually fun. 

One would not expect that they are so different. The website unfortunately is only in Danish.. but click on the various links below to hear. Each dialect corresponds with another area in Denmark. See map above



What can you always talk with Danes about?

• The weather
• Their traditions like Christmas and birthdays
• Our Queen
• Football.. (mostly men)
• Handball.. (mostly women)




Learn Danish
Wanna learn Danish online? There aren't many good online language courses available. However I'd like to mention one though Learn to speak Danish. This excellent resource is a very well made language course with lots of instant audio samples which is exactly what you need for beginning to speak the Danish language. 



There's even a long introductory try-out section to explore - for free, before deciding if you want to buy the full course.. which is actually a true bargain considering the quality. 



Danish to English translation
You need a good translator from English to Danish or vice versa? There are some good Danish to English - English to Danish online dictionaries available.


As a short introduction to Danish grammar, which is somewhat of a night mare for foreigners, this resource is very helpful. 


For a word to word translation this dictionary actually works

Hi, I'm Anders and I am the webmaster and owner of Welcome To My Copenhagen. Here you can read about why this website was created.

Danish Dessert or Red Porridge with Cream (Rødgrød med fløde)

Rødgrød med fløde (Red Porridge with Cream)

Rødgrød (Danish, Danish pronunciation: [ˈʁœðˀgʁœðˀ]), Rote Grütze (German), or Rode Grütt (Plattdeutsch) is a dish from Denmark and Germany.

Grød or Grütze was traditionally made of groat or grit, as revealed by the second component of the name in Danish, German or Plattdeutsch. Semolina and sago are still used in some family recipes; potato starch or corn starch is today the standard choice to achieve a creamy to pudding-like starch gelatinization. The traditional berry used was the red current. Today, the essential ingredients that justify the adjective are red summer berries such as redcurrant, blackcurrant, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, bilberries, stoned black cherries and sometimes red plums. Rødgrød med fløde, red berry porridge with cream, is the hallmark dessert of Denmark. Use tart berries like red currants if you can find them; if using strawberries, reduce the amount of sugar so it isn't too sweet. Many recipes include rhubarb as well.

Rødgrød med fløde is also an excellent way to tease LDS missionaries, exchange students and any English-speaking visitor, as the phrase is notoriously difficult to pronounce.  In Denmark, rødgrød med fløde graces the table often. English speakers always approach it with anxious pleasure because they know they'll have to make a lame attempt at pronunciation and smile through the host’s laughs before they can even pick up a spoon.

The essential flavor can be achieved with redcurrant alone; a small amount of blackcurrant will add variety; sugar is used to intensify the flavour. The amounts of starch, sago, semolina differ with the solidity desired; 20 to 60 grams on a kilogram or liter of the recipe are usual; sago, groat or grit have to soak before they can be used.

The preparation is basically that of a pudding: The fruits are cooked briefly with sugar. The mass should cool down for a moment so that the starch—dissolved in fruit juice or water—can be stirred into it without clumping. A second cooking process of one to two minutes is needed to start the gelatinization; remaining streaks of white starch have to clear up in this process.

Rødgrød or Rote Grütze is served hot or cold as a dessert with milk, a mixture of milk and vanilla sugar, vanilla sauce, (whipped) cream or custard to balance the refreshing taste of the fruit acids. In Denmark, most eat rødgrød ladled into soup plates for an afterschool snack, or as a light dessert (cakes and cookies were only served at teatime, never for dessert) after dinner.

The cream (fløde) pitcher makes its way around the table, everyone adding generous sloshes into their bowls.  It is difficult to resist the bright pink and white.  Sometimes Danes even spooned a bit of whipped cream on top. (You’ve got to love a place where people put both cream and whipped cream on their desserts.)

The Eastern European Kissel known in Poland, parts of Russia, Lithuania and Ukraine is a closely related dish.

Anyone can grow a red currant bush.  The berries can be frozen and saved to make jelly, summer pudding (into  the fall), pies, and, of course, rødgrød med fløde.

In Denmark, many thickened fruit soups are eaten throughout the year: rhubarb, strawberry, cherry. Two of the favorites are: rødgrød med fløde and Mirabelle plum soup.

It is served often in Denmark because it’s such a pretty dish and is so very good.

We also had jordbærgrød (strawberry), rabarbergrød (rhubarb), and mirabellegrød (mirabelle plums).

Bettina in Denmark said...

"I guess most Danish families have their own recipe for "rødgrød med fløde". To me, it should definitely include strawberries, and probably also some rhubarb ;-) And I would save the raspberries for a snack later... And - as many danes are also more consious about skipping some of the fats nowadays, you will probably get your stewed fruit with milk. Lots of us don't even like cream ;-) I know, boring!"

Rødgrød med fløde
Use frozen berries for this version.
Serves 4
300 grams red currants (a generous 2 cups, without stems)
200 grams raspberries (a shy 2 cups)
1-1/2 cups water
75 grams (5 tablespoons) sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 3 tablespoons water
Combine the red currants and raspberries in a saucepan with 1-1/2 cups water.  Bring to a boil, and simmer until the berries are tender—about 10 minutes.  Blend the berries with an immersion blender, then put through a sieve.  You will have about 2-1/2 cups liquid. Put the juice back into the saucepan and add the sugar (use more or less to taste).  Bring to a boil, and then stir in the dissolved cornstarch.  Stirring constantly, bring to a boil again, and boil for a full 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, and pour into a serving dish.  Some suggest sprinkling sugar over the surface to keep a skin from forming.  I haven’t had luck with that.  Maybe you will? Let cool to room temperature, then put in the refrigerator to chill.  Serve with cream and/or whipped cream. Notes: It's tempting, and easy, to oversweeten this, as the currants are tart.  Resist the temptation--the currants have an intense taste, and when combined with too much sugar the dish tastes like a bowl of jam.  Pass a bowl of sugar at the table for those who want more. For those with fancy tastes or for use as a ‘company’ dessert, after the rødgrød med fløde is chilled, layer it in parfait glasses with whipped cream.  Add some amaretti crumbs to the layers or caramelized pumpernickel crumbs.

Red Berry Pudding with Cream (Rødgrød med Fløde)
This intensely-flavored berry pudding is topped with a delicious light cream. While it's traditionally made at the end of the summer in Denmark, when raspberries and red currants are at their peak, it's also wonderful with the strawberries and raspberries. 8 servings, generous 1/2 cup each
Active Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 3-4 hours (including chilling time)
INGREDIENTS
6 cups (about 6 half-pints) fresh or frozen (not thawed) raspberries
5 cups (about 1 1/2 quarts) fresh or frozen (not thawed) strawberries, trimmed
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 pint whipping cream
2 Tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
PREPARATION
Process raspberries and strawberries in batches in a food processor or blender until smooth. Transfer to a food mill or push through a fine sieve into a large measuring cup or bowl. Add enough water to the strained berries to equal 5 cups liquid. Whisk cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Whisk the cornstarch mixture and granulated sugar into the strained berries and transfer to a Dutch oven or large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly (make sure to whisk the bottom well), until the mixture is very hot and beginning to bubble. Cook for 1 minute more, whisking constantly.
Transfer the pudding to a large bowl and let cool for 10 minutes. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (it will continue to thicken as it chills). Whip cream in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla; continue whipping until firm peaks form. Serve the pudding with a dollop of cream on top.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (120% daily value).

Rødgrød med Fløde
1 1/4 lbs mixed soft fruit (red-currants, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, red plums, chop rhubarb, if using, into 1-inch pieces. You can use a combination of fruits but never use rhubarb alone.)
2 1/2 cups water
8 ounces sugar (caster or superfine)
vanilla essence, to taste
2 ounces potato flour
whipped cream, to serve
slivered almond, to serve
Wash and pick over the fruit, then crush the fruit with a fork. Place fruit in a pan with the water, bring slowly to the boil; remove from heat and leave to cool for 15 minutes. Pass fruit through a fine sieve, return the juice to the pan, add the sugar and vanilla essence, bring to the boil. Measure the liquid and, if necessary, make up to 3 cups with water. Blend the potato flour with the wine, stir into the juice and simmer until thickened; spoon into glasses and sprinkle with caster sugar. Decorate with whipped cream and almonds.

Rødgrød med Fløde"

INGREDIENTS

1 package (10 ounces) frozen raspberries, thawed

1 package (10 ounces) frozen strawberries, thawed

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup cold water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Slivered almonds (optional, most Danes do not use them)

Fine granulated sugar (optional)

Half-and-half (optional)

PREPARATION

Puree the berries in a food processor (or press through a sieve to remove seeds). Mix cornstarch and water in a saucepan. Gradually stir in the water.  Add the processed fruit. Heat the entire mixture to boiling stirring constantly. Boil and stir for 1 full minute. Remove the pan from the heat.  Add in the lemon juice. At this point, you can pour into individual dessert dishes or 1 serving bowl. 

My tweak - I sprinkle fine granulated sugar over the top of the pudding. That keeps it from getting a skin on the top. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Sprinkle with the slivered almonds.

In Denmark, some serve with half-and-half. Top with whipped cream.

Rødgrød med flød

Rødgrød med fløde

Antal: 4 Pers. Retten er: Frugtgrød Oprindelsesland: Danmark - Dansk - Danske Kilde: Ikke anført Indsendt: 2003-02-12                                                                                                                 Fotograf: Per © Alletiders Kogebog

Ingredienser: 300  g. rabarberstilke 4  dl. vand 250  g. ribs 200  g. solbær   250  g. jordbær 350  g. hindbær 150  g. sukker (reguleres efter smag)   samt frugtgrødsjævner

Skær rabarberstilkene i små stykker og kom dem i gryden med vand, ribs og halvdelen af solbærrene. Lad det småkoge i 6 minutter. Si det.  Hæld saften tilbage i gryden. Kom de øvrige bær i og giv et opkog, mens der røres om i gryden. Rør jævningen i den varme grød, og hæld den op i serveringsskålen.  Drys med lidt sukker, så vil der ikke dannes skind på grøden.  Serveres kold med fløde til.