In Denmark, an almond is hidden in the Christmas rice pudding to bring good luck to the finder.
The custom is closely associated with risalamande, a chilled Danish dessert made from rice pudding, whipped cream, vanilla, sugar, and chopped almonds. One whole almond is concealed in the serving bowl, and the person who discovers it traditionally receives a small prize or is said to have good fortune.
Risalamande is often served after the main Christmas dinner with cherry sauce. Danish families may prepare it from leftover risengrød, the hot rice porridge eaten on its own during the Christmas season. This creates a common mix-up: the almond hunt is especially linked to risalamande, not every ordinary bowl of rice pudding.
Related almond-in-porridge customs appear elsewhere in Scandinavia, but the prize and the dessert vary by country. In Denmark, the hidden object is specifically a whole almond, not a cherry, raisin, or coin.