Denmark hit by largest earthquake in 14 years, Danish property buyers not deterred by war in Middle East and more news from Denmark on Thursday.
Danes eat double the recommended amount of meat
On average, people in Denmark eat 805 grams of meat a week ‒ more than double the official dietary recommendations.
The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration recommends just 350 grams of meat a week (equivalent to around half a burger a day).
The most common meat type is pork, making up 44 percent of Danes’ total intake. That includes fresh meat, processed meat and pålæg, cold cuts and spreads eaten on rye bread.
Fatty meat makes up at least 60 percent of the meat intake for two thirds of the population, with the other third primarily eating lean meat ‒ classified as meat with ten percent fat or less.
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Among those who primarily eat lean meat, the average meat intake is 840 grams per week. Those who eat fatty meat consume 990 grams on average.
“The thing which brings people who eat lean meat closer to the dietary requirements is the fact that they, among other things, eat more fish and have a higher intake of fruit, vegetables, wholemeal and legumes,” Frida Viple, from the Veterinary and Food Administration, told the Ritzau news wire.
Adults who primarily choose fatty meats are more often men, are less likely to have completed a higher education course and are more likely to smoke compared with those who eat leaner meats.
Danish vocabulary: magert kød ‒ lean meat
Zealand hit by Denmark’s largest earthquake in 14 years
An earthquake measuring 3.9 on the Richter scale hit Denmark yesterday afternoon, with its epicentre close to Køge near Copenhagen.
Tine Larsen, a senior researcher at the Geological Survey for Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), confirmed the quake to Ritzau.
“A lot of people noticed this earthquake, which is not surprising, as with a measurement of 3.9 it’s a nice earthquake,” she said. “And when it happens so close to the coast, there’s a good chance of people noticing it.”
The quake is the largest to hit Denmark since 2012, when GEUS reported a quake of 4.3 on the Richter scale.
Larsen added that there could be some smaller aftershocks, although these are likely to be so minor that they will be unnoticeable.
Danish vocabulary: jordskælv ‒ earthquake
Rejsekort’s replacement now available as anonymous card
The Basiskort, which replaces Denmark’s Rejsekort transport system, is currently being phased in to replace the white and blue cards used on Danish trains, buses and metro lines.
Previously it was possible to buy an anonymous Rejsekort, and an anonymous version of the Basiskort has now been launched.
These anonymous cards are useful if you have friends or family visiting, as they are not tied to a single individual.
“The extra thing with the Basiskort is that when you change journeys you have to check in and check out, then check in and check out again,” Jens Willars, customer director of the company behind the cards, Rejsekort & Rejseplan A/S, told the Ritzau news wire.
READ ALSO: How does Denmark’s new Basiskort travel card system work?
You can pick up a card in a number of kiosks, as well as 7-Eleven shops.
The blue Rejsekort cards and the stands on stations and in buses will be fully phased out in Jutland and Funen on May 28th, and in the rest of Denmark on June 29th.
Danish vocabulary: rejse ‒ travel
Danish property market showing no signs of slowing down due to war in Middle East
The war in Iran and its consequences, like sky-high oil and fuel prices, don’t seem to be deterring people in Denmark from buying new homes.
In April, a total of 7,882 properties changed hands, including houses, apartments and summer houses, according to property site Boligsiden.
That’s slightly less than the previous month, although when the figure is corrected for seasonal changes it’s actually a slight rise.
“Even though the number of trades looks like it has already peaked, there’s still a lot of action on the Danish property market,” property economist Daisy Hollen Dickmeiss, from Nordea, told Ritzau.
War in the Middle East has also caused interest rates to rise in many countries, including Denmark. However, this doesn’t seem to be putting buyers off either. Hollen Dickmeiss added that the sale of properties outside of the Copenhagen region has also risen, while sales of apartments in the capital and in Denmark’s second-largest city, Aarhus, have fallen slightly.
“That could reflect the fact that there have been large price hikes in Copenhagen and Aarhus which have set off a ripple effect, with people now looking at possibilities further out in Zealand and eastern Jutland, where they can get more square metres for the same price,” she said.
Danish vocabulary: boligmarkedet ‒ the property market