scandi-rice-0312Before the World War II, rice in Denmark was a very expensive and imported ingredient and normal people could not imagine to have a completely rice-based meal

After the war, rice, like every kind of ingredient by now, became accessible thanks to the swiftly increase in the importation traffic. Now this rice porridge, called Risengrød in Denmark, is served on a very special occasion, Christmas Eve, as a symbolic offer to Nisse, a beneficent but touchy household spirit.

scandi-rice-pudding-02951During a lovely tour of Tivoli, the popular amusement park in the heart of Copenhagen, I saw quite a few kids eating from a warm bowl of white rice pudding. It was not breakfast for them, like this dish you see here was meant to be for me. I could see a spark in their eyes, just like when a kid receives a toy or a deeply desired sweet. I could not help but think that an Italian child would find the idea of rice as a dessert at least… uhm… strange, too simple to be delectable. Even to my eyes, this dish looks like a post-war dish, which concurs – as you might deduce from my love for peasant cuisine and simple food – to make it even more appealing .

scandi rice pudding-0300I’m not particularly happy with the photos I took of this recipe. Yeah, there’s no WOW factor in here. Rice, you know. However, the dish is visible, maybe you can even feel its light creaminess, its delicate taste of dense milk and soft consistency of a not too sweet rice. If you can appreciate at least one of these “properties”, then, yeah, I’ll get my mind happily crowded with a few WOW :).

scandi rice pudding-0325

Scandi Rice Pudding

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup 150g arborio rice
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 cups 500ml almond milk
  • 4 Tablespoons sugar I used coconut sugar
  • 1 cup blueberries

Instructions

  • For the rice pudding, place 2 cups (500ml) of milk into a large saucepan and bring it to the boil. Add the rice, 1 tablespoon of sugar and butter and cook,on a very low heat, for about 20 minutes or until the rise has absorbed the milk, until thick, creamy. Be sure to stir it often.
  • Meantime the rice is cooking, wash the blueberries. Place 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 cup of water into a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the blueberries and cook for 1 minute. Bring the syrup back to the boil continuously stirring for about 4 minutes to thicken it, and then set aside.
  • When the rice is ready, serve it on a platter with the blueberries on top.

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  1. I agree with the others who said your pics are amazing; however, we are often our own worst critics. Perhaps you were dissatisfied because the white rice in the white dish didn’t offer enough contrast for your liking. They are making me drool, though, and I can’t wait to make this for breakfast next week!

  2. You don’t give yourself enough credit. These photos (and all of your photos) are beautiful! Some foods are just so hard to shoot and others are effortless but you always make them look good.

    I wouldn’t imagine rice as dessert either but this could definitely pass for that. Although I really like the idea of eating for breakfast.

  3. What a nice surprise to see such a Danish classic on your blog. I love the story you told about the Nisse (who by the way lives in the attic and I am happy you have nice memories from Tivoli!

    This is the official Risengrød song that Danes sing Christmas eve – no joke!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5UrYXNfbnQ

    Your Risengrød looks delicious and you are practically a Dane now 😉

    Hope to see more Danish food on your blog 😉

  4. Oh my gosh girl – TWO things. One, this rice pudding looks amazing. Like seriously? I want this for breakfast right now. And two?…these photos are literally JUMPING off the page. Like FANTASTIC. Did you get a new camera?…, because I am absolutely loving these shots!!!

    1. Same camera, my dear. I would love to invest in some more gear… soon, maybe. Sometimes it is almost all about the right light. I’m very very glad you liked these pics, I didn’t even know if I wanted to published them!