What should I buy when I am in Denmark?

February 1, 2012 6:49 PM

Jog my memory: what do I miss from Denmark?

I lived in Denmark in 2003/2004. About a year after I moved from there to Australia, I often caught myself thinking "Wow, I wish I'd stocked up on that before I moved," or "If only I'd bought one of those in Denmark where they were way cooler than the Australian ones." Or even just "I miss X."

Now it's eight years later and I am actually going back to Denmark for a week. But I don't remember any of those things I used to wish I had! And my week in Denmark will be mostly conferencing, so I'm not going to be able to spend days wandering around hoping things come back to me.

The only thing I am certain was on my 'miss list' is chocolate turtles, and I plan to buy out the entire country's supply. (Sorry Danes, the impending national shortage will be my fault.) And I plan to have a bit of a look at homewares because I love Danish design, but I think most things like that will be too big, heavy, or (e.g. light fixtures) wired wrong, so as to make it not worth bringing them back. I think maybe tights/stockings were on my miss list too, because I seem to remember there was more variety in colourful tights over there than there is here.

So what else should I be looking at? Danes who live in Australia, what do you miss? Expats living in Denmark, what is awesome?

posted by lollusc to shopping (13 answers total)

Aebleskive...
posted by bq at 7:15 PM on February 1, 2012

I'm a big fan of the mustard that comes with polse. When my mom visits, I usually ask her to get me some of that mustard, and some dried onions (which I think I can get here at IKEA, but I figure it's good to give her a project).
posted by backwards guitar at 7:23 PM on February 1, 2012

Danish Salty Liquorice. Also mazipan and wine gums. (Danish SIL who brings these back as souvenirs when she goes to visit). Also the special peppermints for making "Black Pig" though I can't remember the brand or name of those.
posted by wwax at 7:35 PM on February 1, 2012

Sorry, to be clearer I'm mostly trying to think of things I can stock up on and bring back, so sadly, aebleskiver aren't going to work :( Probably not mustard either. Or dried onions. Australia is very fussy about what sorts of food you can bring back in. Sweets are okay, though, so wwax's suggestions should be great.

I'm sure there are non-food items I used to really miss too, so if anyone can think what they might be, that would be great.
posted by lollusc at 8:58 PM on February 1, 2012

akvavit?
posted by zadcat at 9:34 PM on February 1, 2012

food-wise if you're coming to Copenhagen then definitely visit the newly opened Torvehallerne right by Nørreport station - kind of like the open market of Boquerias in Barcelona.
posted by alchemist at 12:46 AM on February 2, 2012

Pålægschokolade?
Faxe Kondi?
Guldkarameller?
Piratos?
posted by sveskemus at 6:01 AM on February 2, 2012

A Fjällräven backpack? (I lived there as a kid a long time ago; maybe they aren't as cool any more.)
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:36 PM on February 2, 2012

Lakrids (especially this one) and Haribo slik
posted by flif at 1:08 PM on February 2, 2012

(ms. Vegetable lives in the us, so this might not apply)
I miss the chokolade cereal by quaker. I can't get it anywhere else. That plus matilde made many a happy breakfast.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 2:01 PM on February 2, 2012

And all the ritter flavors you love but can't get.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 2:01 PM on February 2, 2012

A horizontal toaster?
posted by iviken at 3:32 PM on February 2, 2012

Thanks! I marked the two as best answers that seemed to actually be reading my 8-year-ago mind. Pålægschokolade, guldkarameller, and akvavit are in fact things that I actually have wished I had here.

I'm sure there are more things, though, and not necessarily food.
posted by lollusc at 4:54 PM on February 2, 2012