Very Danish gifts to give your friends and family abroad!

Last week, a follower reached out to me asking if I had any suggestions for Danish gifts to send her friend in the US. I opened up the question to my Instagram followers (on Stories) and TikTok, and ended up with an AMAZING list of ideas!!! I’ve compiled them all below. If you’re wanting to share a bit of Denmark with a loved one abroad, look no further!

Danish foods

• Salty licorice (ex: Salte Fisk)
• Bülow licorice
• Summerbird chocolate
• Ristede løg (fried onions usually put on hot dogs)
• Remoulade (condiment)
• Pålægschokolade
• Marabou chocolate (not technically Danish but Scandinavian)
• Anthon Berg
• Jakobsens peanut butter with honey, caramel, & sea salt
• Haribo mixes (technically German)
• Tom’s candy (Skildpadder)
• Kanelgifler
• Dumle (Swedish)
• Rugbrød, toasted rye bread snacks
• Kims chips/Ostepops
• Flødeboller (put them in a sturdy box so they don’t get crushed)
• Danish butter cookies

Danish drinks

• Gammel Dansk (liquor) “If you want them to suffer a bit”
• Aalborg Akvavit (schnapps)
• local gin
• Mjød (Danish beer from the Viking ages)
• Tea from Østerlandsk Thehus
• Cocio
• Faxe Kondi

Non-edible gifts

*Roughly organized from less expensive to more expensive*

• picture/postcard/magnet/other souvenir of Nyhavn
• Danish flags
• Care by Nature vaskeduft (laundry scent)
• Hair clips/claws/scrunches
• Sparkly socks
• Ostehøvl (cheese slicer. Personal note: I’ve been told by lots of Scandinavians that this is a very Scandinavian thing and that Americans don’t use them… but in my experience that isn’t necessarily true!! They may not be used as “everyday” items in the US, but many Americans will be familiar with them. My family always had one growing up!)
• Starbucks location mug
• Candles (ex: twisted ones)
• Books: The Little Book of Hygge; The Year of Living Danishly, books on Danish design, Hans Christian Andersen books
• Danish cookbook (in English)
• Lego sets
• Hoptimist
• carved wooden figure (ex: Kay Bojesen)
• Holmegaard bonbonniere (candy bowl)
• Royal Copenhagen mugs with silicone sleeve /anything Royal Copenhagen
• Kähler vase or candle holder
• Georg Jensen decorations, especially Christmas ornaments

Have you given or received any of these as gifts? If you’re not from Denmark, anything you’re intrigued by??