Øllebrød () is a traditional Danish dish. It is a

porridge Porridge is a food made by heating, soaking or boiling ground, crushed or chopped starchy plants, typically grain, in milk or water. It is often cooked or served with added flavourings such as sugar, honey, fruit, or syrup to make a sweet cereal ...

or thick

bread soup Bread soup is a simple soup that mainly consists of bread, usually staling, stale bread. Variations exist in many countries, and it is often eaten during Lent. Both brown bread, brown and white bread may be used. The basis for bread soup is tra ...

made of sourdough rye bread (

rugbrød (, ) is a very common form of rye bread from Denmark. usually resembles a long brown extruded rectangle, no more than high, and long, depending on the bread pan in which it is baked. The basic ingredient is rye flour which will produce a p ...

) and

beer Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...

(often hvidtøl). These ingredients give it a slightly tangy, caramelly, full taste. Øllebrød is common in

Danish cuisine Danish cuisine originated from the peasant population's own local produce and was enhanced by cooking techniques developed in the late 19th century and the wider availability of goods during and after the Second Industrial Revolution, Industrial ...

and is also part of Scanian cuisine, which was formerly a Danish province. Øllebrød is typically eaten for breakfast during the winter, a par with oatmeal porridge. It is regarded as easily digestible and nourishing and frequently served in hospitals and retirement homes. Considered a thrifty dish, it is very rarely served at restaurants, but

New Nordic Cuisine New Nordic Cuisine (, , , , , ) is a culinary movement which has been developed in the Nordic countries, and Scandinavia in particular, since the mid-2000s. New Nordic Cuisine was propelled and inspired by new ideas introduced in a manifesto writ ...

restaurants such as

Noma Noma, NoMa, or NOMA may refer to: Places * NoMa, the area North of Massachusetts Avenue in Washington, D.C., US ** NoMa–Gallaudet U station, on Washington Metro * Noma, Florida, US * NOMA, Manchester, a redevelopment in England * Noma District, ...

and Agern (of chef

Claus Meyer Claus Meyer (born 27 December 1963) is a Danish entrepreneur, cook and television host. He is often accredited as the founder of the New Nordic Cuisine philosophy. Projects Claus Meyer has been engaged in a plethora of projects and has been ...

) have offered gourmet versions.

History

Øllebrød has its origins in the

Middle ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, as a practical meal using

shelf-stable Shelf-stable food (sometimes ambient food) is food of a type that can be safely stored at room temperature in a sealed container. This includes foods that would normally be stored refrigerated, but which have been processed so that they can be s ...

ingredients and food scraps. A morning meal became more popular during the 13th century in Denmark, and the dish was part of an emerging breakfast culture. It is likely that øllebrød evolved from a simple bread dipped in warm beer, to become a more refined porridge. The dish was reportedly not well liked, but simply an economical way to make use of bread scraps. Nevertheless, it was consumed by all classes, having reportedly been a staple of the court of King Christian III during the 16th century.

Ingredients

Traditionally, øllebrød was made using leftover rye bread scraps, including hard end crusts that otherwise would be discarded. The bread would be soaked in water overnight before being boiled with hvidtøl. It is best made of traditional rye bread of fine-ground flour. Since the 1970s, whole-grain rye bread, or rye bread with whole sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or similar, have become increasingly popular, but the grains or seeds will make a lumpy øllebrød, unless it is puréed with a blender or passed through a sieve. Formerly, øllebrød would be served unsweetened and could be part of all meals of the day. Today, it is often made using fresh rye bread and sweetened with sugar. It is eaten for breakfast with milk, cream, whipped cream, or an egg yolk beaten with sugar. Some modern variations also spice it with lemon peel, orange peel or vanilla, but many Danes disapprove of this since øllebrød is (by most) not regarded as a dessert. Instant powder mixes, consisting of dried rye bread and sugar, have become commercially available. These mixes are similar to ymerdrys, differing only by a more fine ground content.

Variations

A Norwegian dish exists of the same name, but is made of wheat flour, milk, beer, and sugar. Is a paler porridge, by comparison and is very rarely eaten today. In Denmark, it is called ''norsk øllebrød'' (Norwegian øllebrød). The Finnish porridge

mämmi Mämmi (; ) is a traditional Finnish dessert, eaten around Easter. Mämmi is traditionally made of water, rye flour, ground malted rye, salt, and dried, ground Seville orange zest. The mixture is then left to sweeten naturally, before b ...

is also a similar traditional dish, made of barley malt.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ollebrod Danish cuisine Porridges Rye-based dishes Beer dishes Bread soups Breakfast dishes

History

Ingredients

Variations

See also

References