What is Hyggelig Smushies? You Might Be Curious!

Let’s start with hyggelig. It’s a Danish word that has deep and sometimes complicated meaning for Danes. I, the non-Dane, understand it as being cozy with family and/or friends, usually with food as well. However, ask Annette or any of her family to translate hyggelig and you will get an earful. It will more than likely involve a few stories to help you get the “feel” of hyggelig. It’s one of those words you have to grow up with to fully understand.

Smushies are small versions of a Danish open-faced sandwich called smørrebrød. They are wonderful because of their delicious combinations of flavors, they’re wholesome and humble, and they’re flexible in that you can make them as simple or elaborate as you like. Smørrebrød have a very long history in Denmark – they’re available in many quaint shops in Copenhagen.

Since we began this project, we've followed a path that we hoped would lead to the development of a cookbook featuring smushies. The path has taken us down all kinds of different avenues. The cookbook isn't quite finished yet, but we wanted to get the word out about smushies anyway. I have to say it's been a fun path, with two college roommates (many years after graduating!) testing recipes and throwing tasting parties, visiting potential partners, planning, brainstorming, and gathering ideas and insight from friends and family.

We want to share our stories and recipes because, frankly, smushies are too good to keep to ourselves. We’d love for you to try the roast beef smushi recipe (under the Recipe tab) and let us know what you think. Personally, we love the flavor combination on this one! BTW, the word smushi comes from a combination of smørrebrød and sushi. It’s a small smørrebrød and is beautifully presented like sushi.

It seems like we’ve been working on this project for a while and it’s been great fun. We thought it time to let people know what we’ve been doing, and we’re hoping you’ll enjoy it as much as we do. Please check back often, as we plan on writing about once a week. We have a ton of ideas and stories to share.

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