My sweetie friend H held a girly birthday dinner bash at her flat on Saturday night. After the main course, she got down to the serious business of unwrapping her gifts. One by one. Slowly. Giving everyone at the table the opportunity to observe and admire – as is the way in Denmark. Note to non-Danes: don’t thrust your gift into the arms of the host when you arrive. Instead ask, “Hvor er gavebordet hen?” (Where’s the gift table?) Because no matter where you are, be it a private home, church hall or posh hotel, there will always be an assigned tablewhere you can place your parcel.
Well, we oo-ed and aah-ed our way through the packages but this gift turned out to be the highlight of the evening…
A giant tube of kopattesalve. Or “cow tit ointment” 
Not the most attractive name, I grant you. But it’s a Wonder Product. The only cream which will protect your skin against the current arctic temperatures (which finally reached Denmark last week, along with a few snow flurries, after an amazingly mild winter).
Yes, this cream is used by Danish farmers to treat sore and infected udders. It soothes and disinfects. But it’s also used by breastfeeding mums, eczema sufferers and anyone who needs an extra rich moisturizing cream.
I’m choosing to believe the hype and am off to the chemist. Because I’ll be skinny dipping (vinterbadning) in the (now partially frozen) Danish sea tomorrow morning and – with a windchill on the beach of minus 20c (minus 4f) – I’m looking for all the help I can get…
Have a wonderful Wednesday! 
4 Comments
That’s funny! There is a NZ product called Moo Goo that has evolved the same way – from udder cream to people-cream.
Moo Goo? Love that name – then again, anything is better than “cow tit”!
This is funny. When I went to Denmark as an exchange student in 1970 I took a container of Dr. Naylor’s udder balm with me as it was made at the only factory in our small village in New York. Good stuff for humans too!
It’s perhaps not the perfect valentine’s gift for the missus(cowtit ointment)..ha,ha…Mine would actually find that very funny(I hope!).On the serious side I’ve started using it myself and find it really effective..the disinfectant property also makes it great also with small cuts,bruises,minor burns(also sunburns)etc etc..