In the Duolingo Danish lessons I’ve been doing recently a number of words have popped with which are not really translated. One I noticed today is æbleskiver [ɛːbləˌsɡiːwɐ], which is simply translated as appleskives. That doesn’t really help as I don’t know what appleskives are.
Here’s an example sentence: Koen spiser mandens æbleskiver mens han kigger væk (The cow eats the man’s appleskives while he looks away).
From the context I guessed appleskives are something you eat and involve apples – æble = apple, but what?
The bab.la dictionary translates æbleskive as ‘pancake puff’, which doesn’t really help either.
According to Wikipedia, æbleskiver are ‘Pancake Puffs’ that are:
“spherical in shape. The name literally means apple slices in Danish, although apples are not usually an ingredient in present-day versions. Somewhat similar in texture to European pancakes crossed with a popover or Yorkshire pudding, æbleskiver are solid like a pancake but light and fluffy like a popover.”
Apparently they are traditionally eaten at Christmas, and are often served with gløgg (mulled wine). They are also served at children’s birthday parties.
This is more helpful, but what is a popover?
A popover is “a light, hollow roll made from an egg batter similar to that of Yorkshire pudding, typically baked in muffin tins or dedicated popover pans, which have straight-walled sides rather than angled.” [source].
So now we know.
Next time I go to Denmark, I will look out for æbleskiver, and try some. They sound quite tasty. I’ll have to make sure that no cows take them while I’m not looking though.
I still find it weird that æbleskiver don’t contain any actual apple slices. When I was a kid my family would sometimes make the Swedish equivalent äpplemunkar (also spelled äppelmunkar) which had a slice of apple, coated in sugar and cinnamon, at its center. They were made in the same type of pan (seen on the Wikipedia page) as æbleskiver. Typically one would fry them on one side and then flip them over completely. This would create a band along the circumference which looked like the hair of a monk, hence the name munk ‘monk’. Munk is also used as the Swedish word for doughnut.
They sound as if they may be similar to the Dutch treats known as poffertjes. Wikipedia defines these thus: –
“Poffertjes (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈpɔfərcəs] ) are a traditional Dutch batter treat. Resembling small, fluffy pancakes, they are made with yeast and buckwheat flour. They have a light, spongy texture.
Typically, poffertjes are a sweet treat, served with powdered sugar and butter, and sometimes syrup or advocaat. However, there is also a savoury variant with gouda cheese. ”
I have sampled these (in Australia, as it happens!) and can confirm that they are delicious.
Isn’t it more likely that the sentence is actually talking about apple slices?
Rauli, no, as a Dane I interpret the sentence to be about exactly this.
Had it been about slices of apple I think wording would have been æblestykker (apple pieces).
Ah, ok then. Thanks.
I still find it weird that æbleskiver don’t contain any actual apple slices.
The Swedish equivalent would be “munkar” ‘monks’. The name is also used for doughnuts. I’m uncertain which got the name first. It was either the torus-shape of the doughnut that reminded people of a monk’s haircut or it was the band that was left around the circumference of the “munk” when frying it in the special pan (“æbleskivejern”/”munkjärn”) seen in the Wikipedia article. However, in Norway the name “munker” only refers to æbleskiver.
My parents would sometimes make “äpplemunkar” which had a slice of apple, coated in sugar and cinnamon, at its center.