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ENVIRONMENT

Danish princess eats meal made from surplus in dinner against food waste

Denmark’s Princess Marie, Minister for the Environment and Food Jakob Ellemann-Jensen and ambassadors from several countries participated in a Copenhagen dinner to raise awareness of the issue of food waste.

Published: 19 November 2018 15:34 CET
Danish princess eats meal made from surplus in dinner against food waste
Dutch ambassador Henk Swarttouw, Stop Wasting Food's Selina Juul, HRH Princess Marie and environment minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen. Photo: Per Gudmann

During the International Stop Wasting Food Dinner, which is set to become an annual event, a menu was served made of surplus food, prepared by Lucas Jeffries of Dutch anti-food waste restaurant InStock, and Denmark’s Martin Jacobsen, chef at Copenhagen Michelin restaurant Kadeau.

The event was organised by the Dutch embassy in Copenhagen and Danish NGO Stop Wasting Food (Stop Spild Af Mad).

“The fight against food waste is one of the Netherlands’ top priorities. As the world’s second largest food exporting nation, we are assuming our responsibility to lead this fight,” Henk Swarttouw, the Netherlands’ ambassador to Denmark, said in a statement.

‘Ugly’ and imperfect fruits and vegetables and other good surplus food, which otherwise would have been wasted, were used to prepare the meal and guests were given the opportunity to take the leftovers home in biodegradable boxes, so nothing was wasted.

It is not known whether the Princess took home one of the boxes.

“We are very honoured and thankful that H.R.H. Princess Marie participated in our dinner against food waste – and I would also like to thank all of the guests,” Stop Wasting Food founder Selina Juul said.

“I am delighted to see that this important agenda has got such a strong anchoring,” Juul added.

One of the stated aims of the dinners was to inspire key actors present to embed the issue into their own organisations and projects, according to a joint press release issued by Stop Wasting Food and the Dutch and Swedish embassies in Copenhagen.

Other guests included representatives from Carlsberg, The Danish Agriculture & Food Council, Nestlé Nordics and HORESTA, the industry organisation for the Danish hospitality sector.

Juul’s organisation, which has for over a decade campaigned to reduce food waste in Denmark, is also involved with a government thinktank to develop the country's strategy on the issue.

Earlier this year, figures from the Danish Environmental Protection Agency showed that Danes living in apartments have reduced food waste by 24 percent per person and Danish households have reduced food waste by an average of eight percent per person over the past six years.

“We still have a lot of work ahead of us, especially focusing on detached households, but overall the new numbers show that we are moving in a good direction,” Juul said when the figures were released.

Next year’s Stop Wasting Food Dinner in Copenhagen is scheduled to be hosted by the Embassy of Sweden.

READ ALSO: Danish producer saves 75 tonnes of 'ugly' tomatoes

For members

FOOD AND DRINK

Five dishes that every newcomer to Denmark should try at least once

Denmark may have a stellar reputation as a world leader when it comes to fine dining, but it’s also home to plenty of hearty dishes. Here are a few you should try.

Published: 19 April 2024 17:30 CEST
Updated: 16 June 2024 08:24 CEST
Five dishes that every newcomer to Denmark should try at least once

With dozens of Michelin stars scattered across the country, world-famous restaurants like Noma and Geranium and Bocuse d’Or winning chefs, it’s not surprising Denmark is known as a gastronomical destination.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t many simple, traditional meals that make up an important part of the culinary landscape.

Danish dishes often reflect the country’s agricultural roots, its heavy use of pork and fish and common “meat and two veg” style of meal composition.

Here are a few dishes that are time-honoured favourites in Denmark and, as well as tasting great, might tell you a bit about the Nordic nation’s past and present.

Frikadeller

Frikadeller is Denmark’s answer to Sweden’s köttbullar or meatballs, made famous worldwide by their presence in IKEA cantines.

The Danish version consists of ground meat – commonly pork – rolled into a ball with salt, egg and seasoning like thyme and cumin, fried on a pan. There are other variations and styles but this seems to be the most common.

Usually, the frikadeller are pressed flat to make them more cylindrical than ball-shaped.

They can be served with anything from a salad to pasta or a slice of rye bread, but seem most at home with boiled potatoes, gravy and some cabbage or beetroot.

Look out also for fiskefrikadeller – where the meatballs are made of fish.

Karrysild med æg

Curried herring with egg might sound like a potent mix of ingredients and it can be an acquired taste, but once you’ve got used to it you may join many Danes in favouring it as a rye bread topping on occasions like Easter lunches.

It’s easy to make – you chop up the herring (which can be bought in pre-marinated jars at supermarkets, if you prefer) and mix it with a creamy dressing consisting of mayonnaise, crème fraiche, curry seasoning and red onion.

Mix in some chopped boiled eggs or serve them alongside the curried herring for your finished article. If you want to add a fancy twist, include some chopped apple in the cream for a bit of extra crispness.

Curried herring with egg. Photo: Vibeke Toft/Ritzau Scanpix

Brændende kærlighed

Translating literally to “burning love”, brændende kærlighed is a classic Danish winter dish that will, as advertised, warm you up on cold nights.

It includes buttery mash potatoes and usually a side of pickled beetroot, but its crown it the topping: a hefty portion of chopped bacon, fried up with onions, pepper and sometimes a little chili.

Make sure the bacon is as crisp as possible.

READ ALSO: Five classic Danish cakes you need to try

Grønlangkål

Kål is the Danish word for cabbage. Grønlangkål or “green long cabbage” isn’t a type of cabbage in itself but a way of preparing and serving regular green cabbage, often at Christmas dinners or as a side with a pork-based main like glazed ham, the giant medister sausage or the aforementioned frikadeller meatballs.

Prepare by finely chopping the cabbage, mixing with cream, butter, sugar and muscat, and sautéing on a pain until it is soft.

Grønlangkål (top right of picture) with medister sausage and leverpostej (pate). Photo: Nils Lund Pedersen/NF/Ritzau Scanpix

READ ALSO: Påskefrokost: What are the essentials of a Danish Easter lunch?

Hotdog

Although it wasn’t invented in Denmark, the Danes have certainly made a version of the hotdog their own.

There are a few types which could be considered typically Danish, but the hotdog with rødpølse (“red sausage”), remoulade relish, pickled cucumber and dried fried onions is a classic and arguably the Scandinavian country’s signature street food.

You could also try a fransk hotdog or “French hotdog”, a somewhat blander affair in which the sausage is placed into a hollowed out miniature baguette, usually with ketchup or mayo.

Although fast food has diversified hugely since the hotdog’s arrival in Denmark over a hundred years ago, it is still as popular as ever – just ask the country’s police officers.

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