Buttermilk koldskål

Buttermilk koldskål (Kærnemælkskoldskål, often just koldskål - literally cold bowl) is a sweet cold beverage or soup, made with buttermilk and other ingredients: eggs, sugar, cream and/or other dairy products, vanilla, and sometimes lemon. The dish arose when buttermilk became common in Denmark in the early 1900s and was eaten chilled most days during the summer as a dessert or snack. Since 1979 there have been ready-made varieties on the Danish market, originally from Esbjerg Dairy, today mainly from Arla.

Originally the name koldskål was used to describe a sweet gruel, but this dish is not commonly eaten any more.

Traditionally, buttermilk koldskål is served with dry, crispy biscuits such as tvebakker or kammerjunkere.

Like most activities in Denmark, the consumption of koldskål is highly dependent on the weather, and a couple of weeks of warm weather can double the demand for ready-made koldskål. According to figures from the Danish Dairy Board, Danish dairies in week 24 of 2007 produced 1.2 million litres of koldskål (slightly above 0,2 litres per Dane) and then fell again to under half of that in just three weeks.

The lemon/lime variant of the German Probiotisch yoghurt drink has a taste similar to kærnemælkskoldskål.