Exquisite Travel Adventures Worldwide LTD

Denmark is a country of extraordinary design sensibility, a deep relationship with the sea, and a cuisine that prizes quality above all else. Smør på Brød — butter on bread — is perhaps the purest expression of this philosophy. It is eaten at breakfast, as a snack, before dinner, and sometimes as dinner. The Danes do not apologize for this.

Ingredients

• 2 slices dense rye bread (rugbrød) or good sourdough
• 2 tablespoons cold, high-quality unsalted butter
• A pinch of flaky salt (optional)

Method

Take the bread. Spread the butter on it generously — the Danes do not scrape. The butter should be cold enough to leave texture but soft enough to spread without tearing the bread. If using flaky salt, add a small pinch. Eat immediately.

The bread matters. The butter matters more. Everything else is optional and probably unnecessary.