Who needs breakfast at Tiffany’s when you can have a special Danish breakfast in the city centre? And not just any meal… Today Zagreb citizens had the opportunity to try Danish Christmas dishes prepared by Anders Christian Hougård, the Danish ambassador to Croatia. The menu from the ‘Land of the Vikings’ was offered at a special price as a part of Advent on European Square program. Visitors were able to taste three dishes: Frikadeller (meatballs with red cabbage and caramelized potatoes), Smørrebrød Fish (a sandwich with salmon cream, horseradish, dill and radish), and Smørrebrød Meat (a sandwich with roast beef, remoulade and baked onions). And all this with a drop of good Danish mulled wine – Glogg!
‘I am happy that people seemed to like our cuisine! This is a good presentation of my country in Zagreb’, said ‘the Chef’ – Ambassador Anders Christian Hougård, who came to Zagreb last September. It is going to be his first Christmas in Croatia, a country that has a different Christmas tradition than his homeland.
‘I realized that here, like in most of the European countries, the 24th of December is a working day. In my country, we have a day off on the 24th; many people go to the church in the afternoon, and in the evening we decorate our Christmas tree and have dinner’.
Even though we tasted their breakfast, a Christmas morning meal is not necessary in Denmark. Like most people from Scandinavia, the Danes give particular attention to Christmas Eve.
‘We eat a lot of pork, which is my favourite meal. We eat duck as well, but turkey or goose is less popular in our country. With meat, we always have vegetables, especially caramelized potatoes, like the ones you can try here at European Square every day until Christmas, added northern ambassador, whose new home is right here in the Croatian capital.
‘I am happy that I am going to spend my winter holidays in Zagreb. I love the city centre, which is cozy and friendly. Especially now for Christmas, it looks fantastic! I feel like home here’, said Danish Ambassador Anders Christian Hougård, our new citizen!
Apart from the Danish meals, those who visited European Square had the opportunity to sample local delicacies from the Little Market. Every Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 4 pm, the Little Market brings small farmers to European Square. With citruses from Dalmatia, seasonal vegetables from Slavonia, organic honey and juices, homemade ghee butter, teas, spreads, dips and all sorts of winter store foods (mostly pickled), no one will leave with their taste buds unsatisfied.
If you missed today’s event, do not worry – you’ll be able to enjoy (and learn about) Danish traditional meals throughout the week.
