Glimmingehus, A Medieval Scandinavian Castle

When Skåne was still a part of Denmark, a ferocious Danish knight named Jens Holgersen Ulfstand persecuted the farmers of Skåne in service of King John I of Denmark. He was then appointed to erect a castle in the area.

Built in 1499, the castle was established as the residence of knight Ulfstand and his family. It was designed by Adam Van Duren and the construction of Glimmingehus was completed in 1506. Dug artifacts like Venetian crystal, painted Rhineland glass and Spanish ceramics proved that Glimminghus was once decorated with the finest embellishment.

For a few generations, it was believed to serve as a residential castle before it was converted into an agricultural storage in the 18th century. In 1924, it was donated to the Swedish State.

Today, Glimmingehus is a museum showcasing the medieval life. It is also one of the best preserved medieval castles in Scandinavia. 


Glimmingehus
Address: 276 56 Hammenhög, Sweden
Coordinates: 55° 30′ 4″ N, 14° 13′ 52″ E
Admission:  90 SEK

Swedish Glögg

Christmas is fast approaching and one of our Christmas traditions is make our own Christmas goodies. And our usual routine, I'm in charge of the candies and my husband is in charge of the Christmas drinks.

Glögg is a traditional Swedish winter drink made of red wine and some spices, it may or may not have alcohol and it's served warm. This yummy Christmas drink is always present on our table during the Yuletide season. It's very simple to make and it really smells like Christmas! Hope you enjoy our homemade recipe.

Swedish Glögg

Ingredients:
1 bottle of Red Wine
0.5 Liter of Vodka or Brandy (optional)
5 Cardamom Pods
2 Cinnamon Sticks
2 strip of dried Orange Peel
1/4 cup Cloves
1/2 cup Raisins
2 cups of Sugar

Method:
1) Heat the wine, brandy or vodka and spices in a pot over medium heat.
2) Let it simmer for 30- 45 minutes. Be careful not to boil the mixture.
3) Turn off heat and let it cool down before you separate the spices.
4) Strain the cooled glögg from the spices, pour into a bottle and recap.
5) Store in a cool, dry place.

-To serve, pour glogg into a deep pan or pot and warm over low-medium heat until hot.
-Serve glögg in a coffee mug, add raisins.
enjoy!

Smelly Danish Cheese

One of the things to do when in Denmark is shop for cheese. Over the years, it has established a reputation of having the best cheese in the world. The most common household cheese in Denmark is called Gamle Ole or also known as King Christian. This semi-soft Danish cheese is made from cow's milk, aged between 12 to 52 weeks and it smells really bad but a lot of people loves the wonderful taste of this stinky cheese.

Gamle Ole

As a cheese lover, my husband and I went to Helsingør (Denmark) to try the Gamle Ole. When we opened the package, it has a rotten odor or ''stinky feet'' smell. Believe me, I was really disgusted but when I tried the cheese, it was actually very nice.

at a cheese shop in Helsingør

So when you travel to Denmark, never miss the opportunity to try Gamle Ole cheese.