In 19th-century Denmark, the day was not divided into starter-main-dessert but into four meals centered around rye bread. Davre (early morning) and mellemmad (midday snack) relied on rugbrød spread as smørrebrød; middag (hot meal) brought soup or stewed meat; nadver (evening) closed with porridge or a simple dish. Sour rye bread was the foundation of everything; sweets only appeared at festivities or in drinks.

The signature of Andersen's Danish table is naturally leavened rye: it makes the dense rugbrød for smørrebrød, is recycled into øllebrød porridge, and keeps for weeks for travel. This gentle acidity of fermented rye is the thread connecting the daily life of the poor boy from Odense to the dinners at the Hotel d'Angleterre.