10 Main Danish Dishes

Danish cuisine is a good mix of Scandinavian and German dishes. Really tasty, very satisfying, sometimes unusual. Gourmets sometimes criticize Danes for their love of tradition and the rejection of complex dishes. However, even the best restaurants in Copenhagen stand firm by offering visitors “understandable” dishes made from simple ingredients. Even the so-called “new Danish cuisine” is based on uniquely combined local products. Danes love sandwiches, fish and potatoes, brown cinnamon rolls, sweets from childhood. How can you blame them for something? We will tell you what is worth trying in Denmark from food, pastries, and desserts.

Smørrebrød

Denmark is often called “the land of sandwiches”. They say there are so many of them that you can eat every day and never repeat them in a whole year. Smørrebrød is called any Danish sandwich, it is a generic name. A slice of bread, sauce, meat or fish base, vegetables, herbs, cheese, ham – hundreds of combinations. A sandwich in Denmark is not just an addition to a staple food. Even the best restaurants in Copenhagen offer smørrebrød. In this case, it is customary to eat a snack with a fork and a knife. The exception is street food. Smørrebrød is popular street food in Copenhagen and throughout Denmark.

Roast Pork (Flæskesteg)

Denmark is famous for its pork dishes, so you should try them first of all from meat. The king of the national cuisine is a piece of baked or fried pork breast “with a crunch”. Coarse salt, a little pepper, rosemary – nothing more. This is the Danes’ favorite Christmas food. Crispy pork is served with caramelized potatoes, red cabbage, and crispy cucumber. Mandatory with lingonberry or white sauce, sour cream, and dill. If you order not flæskesteg, but stegt flæsk, they will bring you the same, but already cut into thin slices. Drink with Danish beer, it tastes even better.

Meatballs (Kødboller)

Appetizing small meatballs. Sometimes with a little spice, rice, or bread crumbs. Deep-fried kødboller is a popular street food in Copenhagen. They can be ordered with French fries or neat. This is a great beer snack. But the most delicious meatballs are cooked in taverns – they are not fried, but stewed or steamed. Order a Danish national dish with mouth-watering cream or tomato sauce. Take young potatoes or spaghetti to it.

Boiled Cod (Kokt Torsk)

For fish dishes in Denmark, boiled cod is worth trying. Europeans, of course, prefer fried fish. However, do not rush to give up this popular traditional Danish cuisine. It is prepared with an appetizing mustard sauce that gives the fish an extraordinary taste. Boiled vegetables are used as a side dish: potatoes, carrots, green beans, peas, zucchini, or something else. A dash of rosemary and allspice makes the cod even tastier. This dish is usually prepared on Christmas Eve in Denmark.

Beer Porridge (Øllebrød)

A traditional Danish dish that in Copenhagen can be tasted for breakfast in almost every national restaurant. The composition seems questionable, it looks very unusual, but the taste is still very interesting. He is either loved or hated. Øllebrød is made with Danish rugbrød rye bread, traditional white hvidtøl beer, sugar, lemon zest, and whipped cream. Arranging yourself a Danish breakfast is at least unusual.

Pickled Herring (Syltede Sild)

A traditional Danish snack that is definitely worth trying in Copenhagen. Usually, herring is marinated in white or red wine, sometimes a spicy vinegar or sour cream marinade is used. The fish can be served on a slice of rye bread with onions or fried with boiled potatoes, capers, and an apple. In Denmark, there are many variations of pickled herring dishes (here with imagination the Danes are as good as making sandwiches).

Apple Pork (Æbleflæsk)

If you love bacon and unusual cooked meat, be sure to try this dish in Denmark. It is especially popular around Christmas. Æbleflæsk – bacon slices fried until golden brown in an apple sauce with sugar and thyme. It turns out incredibly spicy, sweetish meat, the taste of which is especially well emphasized by potato salad, omelet, rye bread, and light berry-fruit sauce.

Red Sausages (Rød Pølse)

When you come to Copenhagen or any other major city in Denmark, be sure to look for a food truck called pølsevogn. They sell hot dogs there. The most popular street food in Denmark (after sandwiches, of course) is rød pølse buns with traditional red sausages. Try this fast food with three sauces:

• mustard;
• ketchup;
• remoulade (Danish mayonnaise sauce).

Unlike classic hot dogs, the appetizer is eaten separately: bread and sausages are dipped in the sauce alternately.

Cold Buttermilk Soup (Buttermilk Koldskål)

A sweet cold soup worth trying in Denmark in summer. It is prepared on the basis of buttermilk with eggs. It is easy to find in almost every restaurant and diner in Copenhagen during the warmer months. The koldskål taste is usually neutral (not sweet, with a slight sourness from the added lemon), but it is always served with Danish cookies, homemade granola, or berries. Airy, complemented by a pleasant crunch of biscuit kammerjunker and the most delicate texture – Denmark won the hearts of those with a sweet tooth for a reason.

Desserts and Pastries

Denmark is a country with a sweet tooth, delicious pastries, and aromatic coffee. Forget about your diet and go enjoy the national sweets of this country. Most popular desserts:

• Rødgrød Med Fløde. The most popular sweet dish in Denmark. Something in between jelly and berry mousse. It is served with whipped cream.
• Gammeldags æblekage. The old-fashioned apple pie with macaroons and whipped cream is a true Danish classic.
• Æbleskiver. Denmark’s main Christmas sweet, which is sold in every Copenhagen festive market in winter. Small round donuts with cherry jam or chocolate.
• Pandekager. Thin Danish pancakes, usually served in rolls with a thick berry or chocolate sauce.
• Kransekage. Marzipan cake in the form of a pyramid of rings is prepared in Denmark for Christmas.
• Kanelsnegle. The famous cinnamon snail buns found in almost every pastry shop in Denmark. The filling can be any: the main thing is that the dough is airy, like a bun.
• Wienerbrød (pictured). Those buns that the whole world calls Danish and the Danes call Viennese. Puff pastry tastes like the freshest croissant, and the filling is made from cottage cheese, jam, chocolate, cinnamon, pecan with maple syrup, or something else.
• Kammerjunker. A very popular Danish biscuit that literally melts in your mouth.
• Pepparkakor. Christmas gingerbread or gingerbread.
• Drømmekage. An airy sponge cake with brown sugar icing and coconut flakes, a must-try for all home-baked lovers (delicious, like grandma’s!).