The following text has been translated from Danish. I would appreciate if someone could read through it and comment on it (choice of words/gramma etc).
Breakfast in Denmark
I have sampled many varieties of breakfast all over
the world.
The buttery crescent-shaped
bread wrapped carefully in thin layers of dough together with a steamy cup of
café-au-lait in France. I have ingested a cup of café Espresso and five bags of
sugar early in the morning, accompanied by Signor Barsanis in Italy. Gazed at
the ravishing mountains in Germany, Austria and Switzerland while eating a loaf
sprinkled with poppy seeds and ended up with mountain honey in odd places after
finishing the freshly baked Semmeln. I have had bacon and eggs which I later found to be an important
component in the English breakfast, while the sound of Big Ben resonated in my
ears. In Shanghai, I have tasted eleven different varieties of rice with
noodles together with green-tea watching how the glorious morning sun slowly
rises to the highest point in the sky, shining brightly and providing warmth. I feel I have seen it all but I am still left unsatisfied.
But whenever I return to Denmark, the
mere prospect of a having breakfast fills my heart with great bliss and
delight. I hope I am not perceived as someone who has grown too attached to his
own country.
I enjoy the taste of coarse grained bread, thinly sliced, with fresh butter and
a soft-boiled egg. The traditionally backed breakfast rolls from my personal
backer together with freshly boiled marmalade, preferably the liquid kind
without the added substance which thickens it, is nothing less than delectable.
Finally, I simply must mention the cheese which I purchase from the local
cheese monger whose advice I more than gladly take.
On the
negative side, the Danish idea of a packed lunch hardly qualifies as a meal –
especially when it comes to sandwiches. I have had the misfortune of experiencing
it myself in pre-school. The famous and too common combination of cheese and
beetroot fails to excite. Wrapped in transparent foil making the pink coloured
sandwich (due to the reddish juice from the beetroot blending with the cheese)
visible to those gathered around the lunchtable.
Then there are the
traditional afternoon lunches – an absolute plethora of cold comestibles and
drinks. The kind with three different flavoured herrings, rich and light
salads, sausages and four varieties of cheese usually decorated with radish-flowers,
watercress bouquets and pineapple.