Smørrebrød

Smørrebrød (Danish pronunciation: [ˈsmɶɐ̯ˌpʁœðˀ]; originally smør og brød, "butter and bread"), smørbrød "butter bread" (Norwegian), or smörgås [ˈsmœrˌɡoːs] "butter goose" (Swedish), is a traditional open-faced sandwich in the cuisines of Denmark, Norway and Sweden that usually consists of a piece of buttered rugbrød (a dense, dark rye bread) topped with commercial or homemade cold cuts, pieces of meat or fish, cheese or spreads, and garnishes.

Bread

Bread is a very important part of the Scandinavian diet, primarily rugbrød, which is sourdough rye bread. It is a dark, heavy bread which is often bought sliced, in varieties from light-coloured rye to very dark, and from refined to whole-grain. Some toppings are served on franskbrød ('French bread'), a very light, crusty wheat bread. The bread is usually buttered, though for some variants, a spread of lard is customary.

Toppings

Traditional toppings include pickled herring (plain, spiced or curried), slightly sweeter than Dutch or German herring; thinly sliced cheese in many varieties; sliced cucumber, tomato and boiled eggs; pork liver-paste; dozens of types of cured or processed meat in thin slices, or smoked fish such as salmon; mackerel in tomato sauce; pickled cucumber; boiled egg, and rings of red onion. Mayonnaise mixed with peas, sliced boiled asparagus and diced carrot, called italiensk salat ('Italian salad'), remoulade or other thick sauces often top the layered open sandwich, which is usually eaten with utensils. It is customary to pass the dish of sliced bread around the table, and then to pass around each dish of toppings, from which people help themselves.

More festive meals can be loosely divided into courses: fish toppings first (such as herring, shrimp, or smoked salmon) followed by cold cuts and salads, and finally cheese with bread or crackers and fruit. One or several warm dishes are often served with the meats on special occasions, such as breaded plaice filet, fried medister sausage, frikadeller with pickled red cabbage, or mørbradbøf (pork tenderloin with sauteed onions or a creamy mushroom sauce).