Amber - the gold of northern Europe
No other region of Denmark is so well-known for its many amber finds as the west coast of Jutland. Here you can find amber in all types of weather, although changes are best after a strong gale that has stirred up the ocean bed.
Amber is particularly found in the ridge of the seaweed and material thrown up by the waves a few metres from the water's edge. One way of confirming you have found some amber is to rub it against your clothing - it then becomes electric.
Esbjerg Museum has a very beautiful amber collection.


The Story about "Bakskuld"
Bakskuld is a speciality from Esbjerg and is smoked Hjerting Dab which is skinned and fried in butter and served with wholemeal bread and butter. The name "Bakskuld" dates back to when young girls used to bait the fisher-men's lines. The dab, which at that time was not worth much, was thrown onto a tray (bak) as payment for the girls.

Smoked salmon from Hjerting is something quite special. In 1936, when he was 80 years old, Mr. Nissen, the salmon smoker at Varde, sold his knowledge, which was the secret behind the famous smoked Varde Salmon, to Leo Kjærgaard at Hjerting. The price he charged was 50 kroner. Nissen himself had bought the recipe from an old woman 30 years earlier.
Today about 10% of Denmark's total output of smoked salmon is produced in Hjerting following the same old recipe.