Copenhagen: Learn how whole grains shape a culture

Day 1

Sunday, September 12

Check into 1Hotel, right in the heart of downtown Copenhagen. Unpack, rest, or take a stroll through the nearby botanic garden. We’ll meet at the hotel in the early evening for a Welcome Session and dinner. The meal will feature Coastal Italian-style food (think bruschetta, panzanella, pasta, risotto, etc.), which is extremely popular in Copenhagen right now. While we settle in and get to know each other, we’ll also get a special introduction from the Danish Whole Grain Partnership.

Day 2

Monday, September 13

Our first full day will start with a boat tour along the scenic city canals to help orient ourselves to the history and architecture of our surroundings. Next, we’ll share a smørrebrød lunch (traditional open-faced sandwiches served on world-famous Danish rye bread) in a beautiful setting in the center of Frederiksberg Park at one of Claus Meyer’s restaurants. Here we’ll have the chance to learn about the foundations of New Nordic Cuisine (Meyer was one of the founders of this food movement) and the vital role that whole grains play in it. You’ll get to enjoy classic Danish sandwich combos with toppings like: smoked salmon, crispy fried fish, potatoes and cheese, chicken salad, or egg and shrimps. After lunch, you’ll be free to explore on your own. We recommend checking out the nearby Cisternerne Art Gallery in the water cistern caves under the park.

Day 3

Tuesday, September 14

In the morning, we’ll visit a rye bread facility and test kitchen and get a chance to see large-scale whole grain bread production. You’ll have free time midday to shop, rest, or visit a museum or castle. We’ll reconvene in the evening for a group dinner and hands-on craft brewery tour where you’ll get to taste some of the raw ingredients in the beer and enjoy several small pours of the finished product. We’ll learn about different beer styles and hear about the unique history of the brewery, while getting the chance to see grains at work in another form.

Day 4

Wednesday, September 15

We’ll head to a local cooking school for a hands-on baking class and a cooking demo by Chef Ana Sortun. We’ll enjoy snacks and beverages throughout and will have a chance to taste all the creations at the end, alongside salads, fresh dips, cheeses, and charcuterie. Later in the evening, we’ll make our way to Copenhagen Distillery for an aquavit and whiskey tasting and a chance to mingle and relax.

Day 5

Thursday, September 16

We’ll step outside Copenhagen and enjoy a daytrip into Sweden where we’ll stop first at a beautiful, award-winning artisan sourdough bakery for coffee and breakfast. From there, we’ll drive just down the road to Berte Qvarn, the oldest family-owned business in Sweden, a flour mill with a 14-generation history stretching back to 1569. Here’s we’ll get a chance to see the original site of the mill and tour the state-of-the-art milling facility they operate there today. We’ll share a lunch at the mill, catered by a local restaurant that specializes in Swedish salmon dishes, before heading to our next and final stop, a wine tasting at a Swedish vineyard with magnificent views of the rolling fields of the Bjäre Peninsula.

Day 6

Friday, September 17

Our day will start with a guided tour of a mill and bakery. We’ll get a chance to step into their test kitchens and taste breads made with varying levels of whole grain so we can understand the flavor and texture differences that whole grains impart. Copenhagen has a large and growing Italian-influenced culinary scene, and our group will have the chance at lunchtime to savor what may be the best pizza you’ve ever tasted. This is pizza crafted in the Sicilian tradition, made with an ancient grain crust and local Danish ingredients on top, cooked to perfection in a huge wood-fired oven. You’ll have free time for shopping, wandering, or resting in the afternoon. We recommend checking out Københavns Bageri, one of chef Ana Sortun’s favorites, located just steps away from our lunch location.

Day 7

Saturday, September 18

Our last full day will start with an artisan bakery walking tour in the morning, sampling pastries and tasting Copenhagen’s favorite breakfast which they lovingly call the BMO (“bolle med ost” or bread with butter and cheese). We’ll conclude our trip in the evening with a Farewell Group Dinner at a beautiful location looking out over one of the city’s canals. The restaurant was recommended to us by friend-and-food-writer, Lisa Abend, and it was one of the most spectacular meals we had on our planning trip. We’ll be treated to a feast of New Nordic Cuisine, famous for its fresh fish, gorgeous locally grown vegetables, and delicious Nordic cheeses. Of course, you can expect to see traditional whole grains (oats, barley, rye) incorporated throughout!

Day 8

Sunday, September 19

Departures for those not adding on the 1-day tour of the House of Grains (Kornets Hus) in North Jutland.

For those traveling with us to Jutland, we’ll fly out in the morning and arrive at the House of Grains, a “mecca for baking nerds, grain lovers, and foodies,” for a series of immersive experiences, including a hands-on cooking class, a tour of the surrounding experimental farm plots growing heritage varieties of wheat and oats, and a delicious whole grain meal served by our hosts. We’ll fly back to Copenhagen in the evening and spend one last night at our hotel before departing.

Day 9

Monday, September 20

Departures for the portion of the group that added on the extra day.