Introduction to Danish lunch lore.

From my Danish fellow traveler "Big Kim" Andersen comes this link to an article that explains the institution of the Danish lunch.

Although beer is not the focus of this piece, it's worth noting that it certainly has a place at the table. As noted, Danish lunch is no place for oenophiles.

In the far-off time of my youth -- 1989, to be exact -- I was introduced to the home-cooked version of Danish lunch by Big Kim and our friend Allan Gamborg.

The day began with crates of serviceable mainstream Danish lager, passed through multiple courses of special local foodstuffs, and culminated with Polish buffalo grass vodka and chocolate ice cream. The ending shall be left to the imagination of the reader, at least until there's time to record the whole unfortunate episode for posterity.

Later, in 1998, Barrie Ottersbach and "Boris" Lawrence joined Kim and I for Danish lunch "out," served at one of the last places to indulge the custom on a regular basis. The eggs, fish, and steak were raw, the beer and schnapps were consumed with a far more judicious temperament than the first time, and the afternoon (and eventually, the evening) was passed in pleasant conversation with a pair of crusty old Danish merchant mariners.

Danish lunch lore, by Nikki Werner (from the bi-monthly magazine Good Taste).