In Nielsen's Denmark, the day revolves around dark rye bread (rugbrød). In the morning, a hot porridge (grød or øllebrød); at midday, smørrebrød — an open-faced sandwich of buttered rye, without the top slice, topped with a single well-arranged ingredient and eaten with knife and fork, often laid out on the 'det kolde bord' (cold table); in the evening, a hot dish. And in between, the sacrosanct kaffebord, that coffee moment with cakes and pastries that punctuates Danish sociability. Nielsen's native Funen, the 'garden of Denmark', adds its apples, elderflowers, and village pastries.

Dark, dense, and slightly sour bread leavened with rye sourdough: the foundation of the entire Danish table. It appears under smørrebrød, crumbled into morning porridge, and its fermented taste defines the Nordic palate of Nielsen's peasant childhood.