Reffen Market

Entrance to Reffen Market.

Going to see the Glass Market did not prepare me for the incredible variety of cuisines and charming shipping container shops at Reffen Market. 

The whole market is built out of old shipping containers; the entrance to the market is marked by the shipping containers at the front and each of the vendors in the market feature converted shipping containers. Once you enter the market there are seating areas surrounded by the different vendors, giving you the opportunity to explore your different options and eat in the shelter of the containers. What surprised me the most about this market was that the majority of the food offered was from cuisines outside of Scandinavia. The focus in this course has been on New Nordic cuisine and utilizing local ingredients, so it was good to see how immigration and globalization still provides an opportunity for local ingredients to represent the other cultures that exist in Denmark. Culture is a hard thing to define and a focus on what has been "traditional" in Scandinavian doesn't necessarily mean that other cultures aren't now a part of what Danish people consider to be part of their cuisine. 

For this meal, I got a traditional Domodar and a mango salad from a West African vendor called Baobab. The Domodar was delicious and I'm glad I got to try it while at the market. I was planning on learning how to make the foods that I try while on this trip, and I'm excited to add this peanut butter stew to the list. When we talked to the vendor, she said that her goal with her stand was to get more people to try West African food and enjoy how good it is. She was an incredible cook and great at bringing people to her stall, so I'm sure she'll continue to succeed with her business!