Grocery Shopping in Copenhagen

Living in the US, you become so used to having every single ingredient at your fingertips. We walk into Whole Foods with our latest Bobby Flay or Ina Garten recipe, and fully expect to find every friggin' chili Mr. Flay uses or that $30/pound fish that the Barefoot Contessa made to look so delectable. We completely take our all-access-foodpass for granted, and it takes a trip to a foreign country to make you fully appreciate it.

That is not to say that Copenhagen grocery stores have no variety. I learned from my host family that over the past 5 years, grocery stores have been acquiring more international produce and spices, as well as better quality meats and dry goods. The problem is, of course, the price. Denmark has EXTREMELY high taxes, which includes a 25% sales tax on all groceries. Add that onto an import tax and yeah, that American brand of peanut butter doesn't sound too appetizing anymore. To show you just how lucky we are, here are some ingredients we absolutely take for granted, that you just don't exist in wonderful wonderful Copenhagen.

CHOCOLATE CHIPS - Yeah. I met an American woman at my host brother's softball game (they all play softball here, not baseball - it's hilarious seeing boys seriously pitch underhand). She had made chocolate chip cookies for the team, and it was a BIG DEAL. She told me that she had the chips imported from her family in the states. I was dumbfounded. Chocolate chip cookies are such a staple in the US, not only can you buy chocolate chips in any gas station, you can pick up a box at any store on your way to any event. It's incredible how something so common in one country isn't even considered in another. Needless to say I'll be breaking up a lot of chocolate bars this year!

MEXICAN INGREDIENTS - It would be really funny watching Bobby Flay trying to cook here. In a Danish grocery store throwdown, he would fall flat. The only chili I have seen here are of the thai variety, the small, long and thin ones. Jalepenos, serranos, poblanos, habeneros, forget about it. You want salsa verde? You're out of luck, cause there's no such thing as a tomatillo. Jack cheese? I think cheddar's a nice substitute, don't you? However, I was surprised and delighted to find taco shells and flour tortillas, so I was able to prepare my mom's bastardized burritos from a 1980's Bon Appetit, a recipe from before America began importing the Mexican ingredients we use today. When I told my family I was making burritos for dinner, they looked at me quizzically, until I showed them the tortillas, and they happily exclaimed, "oh! pancakes!" They were amazed by the concept of these rolled concoctions, and even more so when I placed a bowl of quac next to them (they do have avocados, but they use them mainly for slicing on top of a mixed salad). I'll post the recipe at the end of this entry, because they are absolutely delicious!

KEY THANKSGIVING INGREDIENTS: This is understandable, as obviously the Danes don't celebrate Thanksgiving. However, having an American in their home, my family wants a full out, Thanksgiving feast. Of course how can I say no? This means that my mom is going to have to send me quite a few things, as cranberry sauce (let's not kid ourselves, the canned is the best), canned pumpkin, large bags of pecans, corn syrup, and condensed milk are just a few of the things not available in Danish grocery stores. It will be an interesting holiday!

FISH COUNTER: Although inconvient, you have to admit that going to the fishmonger is so much better than the sometimes dismal fish counter at your local grocery.

JARRED ROASTED RED PEPPERS: You do it yourself. Again, just a little inconvient, but not that big of a deal.

GUM: My host mother went to Stockholm for the weekend and came back with a giant package of Wrigley's Doublemint gum. Everyone was psyched, except me. Wrigley's Doublemint? That shit loses it's flavor in like, 2 seconds! In the US, gum is such a huge market, with new brands claiming better and longer flavor coming out monthly. In Denmark, I believe there's Bubblicious, and something with liquorice around it, but that's it. I know what's going to be in my first care package!

STOCK IN A BOX - In the US, we have almost an entire aisle dedicated to those quart-size cardboard boxes containing every animal or veggie stock known to man. Chicken, beef, pork, fish, lobster - you name it, it's there, with every sodium level and your choice of about 20 different brands. Heck, even Rachael Ray sells stock in a box. Not in Denmark! I was sick with a cold last week, and all I wanted was a huge bowl of chicken soup. When I couldn't find my chicken stock, I asked my family if they knew about stock in a box. After several weird looks, a look of recognition crossed over my host mother's face, and she immediately went to the fridge and pulled out a vanila extract sized bottle of this gelatinous brown mush. Liquid bouillon. A few ml per liter and you're all set! . . . *sob.
After immediately emailing my mom to send me as many cartons of stock she could fit in a package, I thought about how I probably shouldn't be judging. I mean, how much different is an organic bouillon from some stock that sits in a cardboard box for months on end? Stock in a box certainly looks better, but flavor wise, is it all that different? I'll have to make soup one day and let you know. However, my contemplation about stock in a box made me realize that perhaps if I am the foodie I claim to be, maybe I should start making chicken stock from scratch. Maybe.

VARIETY IN GENERAL (especially snack foods): In the US, we're used to having 50 brands of potato chips, hundreds of types of the same sugar cookie, juices, soups, pastas - the list goes on. A grocery store is where you can see American capitalism and competition at its finest. In Denmark, there is ONE peanut butter. There is ONE brand of milk. There are maybe 3 different types of potato chips, plus some very pricey Pringles. Without any huge marketing competition, there isn't the same obsession with the high fat and salt content snack foods that we have. As a society we constantly change our eating habits based on what the latest product or diet tells us to consume. 100 calorie snack packs? I think any Dane would laugh at you if you pulled one of those out of your purse. If Danes want a snack, they pull out a piece of rye bread and cheese, or maybe a small ice cream cone on their way home from work. If you're hungry, you eat something until you are happily satisfied, not worrying about how many points or net carbs it was. Snacks are kept to a few simple, but good ingredients that nourish your body, not alleviate it for the next 1/2 hour. We wonder why Europeans aren't fat from all the cream and butter they eat, or the amount of beer they consume - well my friends, that's why.

So yeah, shopping can be a downright pain in the ass if you go in with your heart set on making something specific. The key is to put down that latest food network recipe and check out what's there, what's fresh, and what's going to nourish.