First week on the Danish diet

I love food, it is something that I’m hugely interested in. At times I have had a love hate relationship with it, but I love discovering and eating new foods and trying new recipes for cooking and baking. So the idea of trying new foods in different country and culture to the UK got me a little excited (sorry if that makes me sound a little weird..).

My eating situation during my first few days has been different to what it will be once I am settled in to my own place, so for now I’m having to rustle up my 3 meals without the use of a kitchen (as stated in previous blogs) – which mainly involves eating out. Copenhagen is not known for bargains and in 2012 was ranked the 21^st most expensive city to live in. Considering all the cities in the world, it’s pretty high so scouting cheap deals has been a bit of a challenge.

My budget breakfast isn't too shabby

As I can’t afford the breakfast at the hostel, I have been living off eating muesli from the Aldi located at the end of the street and eating out of a (clean) takeaway box from my first meal here. I feel this has been a pretty savvy technique that I thought of and it has saved me a bunch of money every morning. Hooooowever, I did make one mistake. Milk. WHY IS IT SO HARD TO BUY MILK IN DENMARK?!? I had even tried to be clever and read up beforehand what was the right stuff to buy as supposedly it is the common thing for foreigners to buy yoghurt instead of milk. I saw a carton, and the word mælk so I thought I was safe >.<… turns out I bought buttermilk instead. Why on earth they sell buttermilk in litre cartoons and in different fat content is beyond me. Perhaps theres a Danish food thing I don’t yet understand…I have since resolved this issue but I am ashamed to admit I now fall under the naïve traveller category.

This is not milk...

...THIS is milk.

From the lunch situations I have come to 2 conclusions:

1) Danish people like bread and particularly sandwiches. Now I know bread is quite a continental Europe thing but I don’t tend to eat much of it at home as I don’t get very hungry at lunchtimes. I have been grateful of sandwiches (sometimes free thanks to uni providing them for us) as I’m not eating much at breakfast. I also know the Danes are known for Smørrebrød (open sandwiches), something I am yet to try. I also like their Rye bread as it tastes different to the boring bread back at home. Sandwiches are probably the cheapest food we have found so for now they will do the job.

2) Danish people like mayo.. and when I say 'like' mayo, I mean obsessed with it. It creeps up in everything. I ordered a salad on my visit in March and was basically given a pot of mayo with some fruit in it. I can manage eating it for now but for these two weeks only. For one I just don’t like the taste and  also the fact that it is basically 80% oil and the rest egg just makes my stomach churn…

My cheapest meal and the only sandwich I could find without mayo, but salad cream >.<

'Sunset Boulevard' - the Danish equivalent to Subway!

Dinner has been an accidental success. On our 2^nd night, Liis and I were looking for somewhere quick and cheap to eat when a helpful Danish lady told us about this little café that provide lots of different salad options and also a hot dish (curry, chilli con carne etc.) and soup if they haven’t run out. She also told us that if you go just before closing, everything is discounted 50% - such a bonus. The food is really tasty and a much nicer option than pizza every night (Thanks Chilimili!) Unfortunately it is closed on a Sunday so we will have to extend our search for dinner tomorrow further.

A selection of hot an cold meals.. so tasty!

Regarding drinks, I’ve mostly been drinking water (it’s free and tastes much better than the tap water at home). I’ve had some coke, my shameful addiction, but it is quite expensive here. I have also found ONE type of cider in the shops which is Somersby.  However, it doesn’t taste like the UK Somersby… it is much sweeter making me think they add something to the taste because it’s so much like concentrated apple juice. I will manage for now and have to ask for cider donations from my friends when they come to visit ;)

I MISS YOU CIDER :'(

I haven’t had much experience in supermarkets other than to buy a couple of bits but I’m looking forward to trying all the foreign chocolate and sweets that look so tempting. I do know however to avoid the 7/11 corner shops because they are a massive rip off. And according to them, small bags of crisps don’t exist…

Sorry about the massively long post. Also if you are interested, I have started my first vlog (located on my about me page at the top ^^ or at http://www.youtube.com/user/alexxx373/videos).

Byeee for now!