The Dark Bread...

At least once a day, Kasper comes to my room and tells me, "Sara, soon it will be time for you to taste the dark bread." Today was that day.

I've been hearing about the dark bread since the first evening I arrived here. Apparently it is a staple of Danish breakfast and lunch, and it is packed FULL of fiber. Helle explained to me that growing up she told Mira and Kasper that if they didn't eat the dark bread, they wouldn't grow up to be big and strong. And so, they faithfully ate their dark bread every day.

Based on the tone that Kasper has used when he tells me that soon if will be time for me to taste the bread, I haven't been overly anxious to try it. This afternoon however, I went to the kitchen for a snack and Helle was cleaning out the refrigerator. Mira asked whether she could make me a snack. Kasper wasn't home, but I could hear his voice in my head: the time has come!

Mira took out the dark bread and asked if she could put "this" (a strange pan/loaf of some substance from the fridge) on it. "What is it?" I asked Helle. "Or do I not want to know." "Yeah," she said, "it's better you just try it before we tell you." I decided that I had to go big or go home; if I was trying the dark bread I might as well try whatever strange Danish thing Mira wanted to put on it.

So she spread the dark bread with the strange substance and added something that I was quite sure was canned beet (I was right) on top. Thankfully Helle told her to go easy on me and to just prepare a small slice for me (see right):

So now all I had to do was eat it. Mira decided to capture the whole thing on camera.

Almost ready... I was definitely stalling for time.

I couldn't put it off any longer... 

I started chewing... and....

It wasn't terrible... in fact, it might have been a bit good!

So I finished most of my slice of bread, and then I asked the dreaded question, "So what was it?" Helle chuckled a bit and said, "Well, it's umm, liver, of pig. And fat." I stopped to contemplate the news momentarily. Should I gag and gulp down a glass of water? Naw. Eh, it doesn't taste terrible, I thought and I finished my slice. Mira applauded. 

So I may not be packing the dark bread with pig fat and liver topped with canned beet for lunch any time soon, but I have now officially sampled a true Danish delicacy. Kasper will be proud!

Mira proudly displays the ingredients in my afternoon snack.