When traveling to new countries, the trend is to buy souvenirs for friends, family, and of course, yourself. The problem is what kind of souvenir to take home. Well, when you come to Denmark or if you are just looking for some good Danish souvenirs, I have a couple of suggestions that have been winners for many of my friends and family. Below is a list of my favorite Danish souvenirs.
Souvenirs are only appreciated if the person you give them to has been to Denmark or cares about the place. Many of the keepsakes, such as memorial plaques, ashtrays, etc., will be put on the shelf by your family and mean “nothing” to them. They will only mean something to you, because you visited Denmark. I always suggest bringing home interesting food items that are not available at home. Here are some fun and tasty treats to take on the go:
1. Flødeboller: These are chocolate covered marshmallow cream balls on a biscuit base. They are popular on top of ice cream, but can be eaten on their own. You can get them at almost every grocery store for around 15-20 kroner for a box of 12 and I have yet to find anyone who doesn’t love them.
2. “Pålægschokolade”: It comes in a small box with about 30 pieces in each box. Again, it can be found in all grocery stores. They are thin sheets of chocolate and are usually served on freshly baked and warm bread. If the bread is warm, the chocolate will melt on the bread. If the bread is not freshly baked, you can toast it and place it on the toast when finished. You can even gently heat the bread and chocolate in an oven (not a microwave…it ruins the flavor). The chocolate does not have to be heated; it can be eaten at room temperature and will still taste fantastic. Come on, where else do people eat chocolate sandwiches? I always send boxes of these to friends who visit me. They stock up here and they write to me and ask me to send a few boxes every couple of months.
3. Sweets: Licorice is of course the natural choice if your friends/family like licorice. If not, get some other great candy. You really should go to Nørregade in Copenhagen and buy “bolcher”, which is the Danish word for sweets, at the BEST bolcher factory/shop in Denmark. It’s called Nørregade Bolcher and it’s located in Nørregade (right next to the Nørreport train station…2 minute walk). There you can not only watch them make the sweets, but you can also choose your own mix of the different types of bolcher from the store displays. It’s reminiscent of one of the old American 5 and dime/soda fountain shops where they had all kinds of different candies in little jars with scoops for you to choose from. Even if you don’t like sweets, it’s a great place to visit as a tourist. I love the smells and the atmosphere. Delicious!
4. Kitchen Accessories: Look at places like Illums. It is quite expensive, but there are some interesting things. Accessories can also be found at places like Kop og Kande and Inspiration for a bit less. Only original designs that make any home or kitchen look DANISH! Denmark is famous for its unique and stylish cookware and it is well made to last.
Avoid all souvenir plates unless your family or friends collect such things. Also note that Stroeget is a great place to shop, but its prices are much higher than places in the suburbs. A 10 minute walk to Vesterbrogade or Norrebrogade can take you to the suburbs where the same shops are, but with better prices. Remember to spend wisely, because it is not cheap. 🙂
