Buttermilk Koldskål

Koldskål with crushed kammerjunkers served in a bowl

Buttermilk koldskål (Danish: Kærnemælkskoldskål, often just koldskål - literally cold bowl) is a sweet cold beverage or soup, made with buttermilk and other ingredients: eggs, sugar, cream and/or other dairy products, vanilla, and lemon. The dish arose when buttermilk became common in Denmark in the early 1900s, and was eaten chilled most days during the summer as a dessert or snack. Since 1979 there have been ready-made varieties on the Danish market, originally from Esbjerg Dairy, today mainly from Arla^[1].

Koldskål with biscuits

Originally the name koldskål was used to describe a sweet gruel, but this dish is not commonly eaten any more.

Traditionally, buttermilk koldskål is served with dry, crispy biscuits such as tvebakker or kammerjunkers.

Like most activities in Denmark, the consumption of koldskål is highly dependent on the weather, and a couple of weeks of warm weather can double the demand for ready-made koldskål. According to figures from the Danish Dairy Board, Danish dairies produced in week 24 of 2007 1.2 million liters of koldskål (a little over 2 deciliters per Dane) and then fell again to under half of that in just 3 weeks^[2].

Sources

1. ^ "Koldskål". Arla Foods. http://www.arla.dk/Produkter/Artikler/koldskaal/. Retrieved 2009-07-18. 
2. ^ "Nu går danskerne amok i koldskål". Mejeriforeningen. 2008-06-04. http://www.mejeri.dk/Nyhedsarkiv.aspx?ID=773&PID=1362&M=NewsV2&Action=1&NewsId=673&currentPage=5. Retrieved 2010-06-21.