At the beach along the coast of Aalborg, you will find herbs which can be used to spice up your cooking, and give the dishes a personal touch.
Collect herbs along the coast
You can find bog myrtle bushes several places along the coast of Aalborg. Especially near the beaches and along roads, where it appears as dense, short copse. The bog myrtle is an excellent ingredient for a great herbal schnapps.
How to make herbal schnapps
In all its simplicity, herbal schnapps is made from you favorite herbs, which are cleansed and put in a jar, after which a neutral schnapps or vodka is poured over. Let the mixture infuse for 2-3 days, until the herbs have given flavour and colour to the schnapps, which can be adjusted by adding other flavours, more liquid or simply more herbs. When the flavour is just right, the mixture is filtered for impurities, poured onto a flask or bottle and ready to serve.
Bog myrtle schnapps
Bog myrtle schnapps is a safe bet and a true classic. As mentioned, the plant grows on beaches, and you sense the spicy smell instantly by rubbing the leafs. A herbal schnapps with bog myrtle gives an intense and aromatic schnapps. The bog myrtle has quite a history, and dates back to the Vikings who used it in their mead, and it was used in the Middle Age by wise men and women to fight witchcraft.
Pick a few sprigs of the plant, put them in a jar, and pour neutral schnapps or vodka over them. Let them infuse for a couple of days before you filter for impurities. The plant and its leaves are best during the summer months. In the spring, the aments and the buds can be used for a milder and more delicate schnapps.
Beside the bog myrtle, you can also find the following herbs on the beach which can be used as excellent seasoning of several dishes:
Grab a basket and off you go – happy collecting!
Poisonous plants
Do not forget that some of the plants in the Danish forest floors, at the beach and in the roadside are poisonous. Among those are:
Wild arum
Cowbane/ water hemlock
Lilly of the Valley
Belladonna / deadly nightshade
English yew
See the complete list of poisonous plants in Denmark (In Danish).
If you are not sure whether the plant is poisonous, you should leave it.
Fresh produce and ingredients from farm shop
If you want to add fresh ingredients and produce from local growers and farmers to your newly collected herbs, this link below provides a list of all farm shops in Northern Jutland.
Fresh from the field with new potatoes, freshly picked strawberries, fresh green peas, crispy salad, new carrots, freshly cut cauliflower topped with newly collected herbs: There you have an easy, healthy dish with all the prides of Denmark – which both smells and tastes like summer.
Farm shops in Northern Jutland
Rav - Nordens guld
Hold godt øje i vandkanten når I går ture på strandene ved Aalborg Kyst. Her kan I nemlig være heldige at finde rav.
