Pronunciation

I enjoyed a delicious lunch of smørrebrød on a recent visit to Denmark, followed by a dessert of rødgrød med fløde.

The Wikipedia entry for rødgrød cautions that “the name of the dish in Danish features many of the elements that make Danish pronunciation difficult for non-native speakers.” Fortunately the difficulties I had with pronunciation were well-balanced by my ease and pleasure in eating these fine foods.

I started with smørrebrød, this one with pickled herring, rhubarb, some cream, and various flowers, vegetables, and herbs.

Then another smørrebrød: Sicilian tomatoes and a type of smoked cheese, washed down with a 0.0% IPA.

Then came rødgrød med fløde. Red berries with cream, by my rough translation.

I recalled advice I received in China a long time ago: “If you aren’t sure about the pronunciation, don’t be shy, and say it loudly.” In this case, I tried a hybrid technique—a simultaneous mispronunciation of the order at a normal volume, followed by some mutterings about dessert and berries, and a request to my dining companion for clarification of that order with the waitress.

As you can see, it all worked out.

For more about this trip, and a look at some of the other food, in a photo gallery of grass photos from an extraordinary event, see A pesticide free golf course.