In the last decade or so, Denmark, and especially Copenhagen, has become a world food city. Chefs and foodies from all over the globe travel to Denmark specifically to eat all the amazing food available here.
But Danish food culture has deep roots that go back much further than the current trends. What your Danish friends and colleagues eat on a daily basis is not necessarily the same as what you see in the fancy food blogs, but it is just as delicious.
Want to see the common threads uniting everyday foods like rye bread and pork with the fancy gastronomy of the New Nordic Kitchen?
Then read our guide to the best Danish food. What it is, how you eat it – and how you pronounce it too!
1. Rugbrød is (still) the king of the Danish kitchen
Ask a Dane what food they miss most when abroad, and most of them are likely to say rugbrød. Dark, dense sourdough rye bread is delicious, filling, packed full of wholegrain – and it is so beloved in Denmark that it is eaten both on fancy occasions as well as in everyday life.
Smørrebrød is the luxury version piled high with elaborate toppings like pork roast or a small mountain of chicken salad.
The everyday version is en rugbrødsmad or simply en mad, topped with something like a slice of cheese or salami, maybe a little mayo or fried onions. You will see a lot of Danes eating this for lunch every day – and they usually use a knife and fork, even if might seem unnecessary! If you’re eating your lunch on the go, however, it is perfectly normal to eat a rugbrødsmad with your hands.
Rugbrød is a staple of most Danes’ diets. Indeed, it is no coincidence that Danes use the same word for a slice of rugbrød that they use for food itself – mad.
2. Dear dairy
What goes well on rugbrød? Butter, of course! Denmark has a long history of dairy farming and the quality and variety of Danish milk products is pretty stunning.
Love yoghurt? Well, get ready to try a bunch of other kinds of fermented milk products.
A-38, ymer, skyr, græsk yoghurt, kefir and drikkeyoghurt. They are all great and each a little different – try them and find your favourite.
And don’t even get us started on all the different kinds of ost (cheese). There is also mælk (milk), smør (butter) and of course, is (ice cream).
If dairy is dear to you, then Denmark is the place for you!
3. When it comes to pork, Danes go the whole hog (literally)
Not only is Denmark a country with a long history of dairy farming, pig husbandry also has a long and storied tradition here. And while many Danes have started eating less meat, we are still a pork-loving nation.
Pork is there for every moment in life – and Danes eat most parts of the pig, including the liver which is used for the ubiquitous leverpostej (pork liver paté), and the …mystery bits that go into the hotdog you buy from the beloved pølsevogn (hot dog cart). Even the blood is used, in blodpølse (black pudding)!
A most beloved everyday dish is frikadeller (Danish meatballs). And at celebrations such as julefrokost (Christmas party) you might get the fancier cuts such as flæskesteg (roast pork), skinke (ham) and rullepølse (a cooked and seasoned piece of pork belly).
As soon as the weather is just a little less than freezing, Danes love to get out in their gardens and fire up the grill (barbecue). We have special sausages that go extra well on a barbecue. They’re called – you guessed it – grillpølser.
And finally, special mention must be given to stegt flæsk med persillesovs og kartofler (fried pork belly with parsley sauce and potatoes), which was officially named as Denmark’s national dish in 2014.
4. Herring – the sexiest of all fish!
Denmark is not only a farming country, it is also a fishing country. Our fishing history is reflected not only in our diet, but also in our language. Especially the humble herring plays a large role.
A beautiful woman is called en lækker sild (a delicious herring), while people crowded together are standing like sild i en tønde (herrings in a barrel). A barrel of herrings sounds like something from the very old days, but actually it was a common thing for a Danish family to have in their larder until not that long ago.
To this day, marinerede sild (pickled herring) is a popular dish that comes in many variations – such as curry, dill or onions. It is just as full of healthy oils and vitamins as fresh herring, so don’t be afraid to try some. It goes great with rugbrød and a boiled egg!
5. Strawberries? That is SO last season
Just like many other countries, Denmark has its own special seasonal foods – and Danes can go a little wild once they become available.
You may notice nye kartofler (new potatoes). Freshly dug up local potatoes are sweet and rich in flavour and often cost quite a bit extra. And the season for danske jordbær (Danish strawberries) is as short as it is sweet – usually a few weeks around June or July. In fact, many Danes refuse to eat strawberries unless they are fresh and Danish. Non-Danish unseasonal strawberries are simply not worth eating once you have tried the real thing.
Other natural seasonal foods beloved by many are stenbiderrogn (lumpfish roe, February – April), asparges (asparagus, white and green, May – June), fjordrejer (Baltic prawns, April – October) and fresh torskerogn (cod roe, eaten in all the months that have an R in it, i.e. September – April).
And let’s not forget those seasonal foods that have nothing to do with nature but are simply only made for limited periods every year. Many Danes get excited when they can finally buy fastelavnsboller (Shrovetide pastries), påskeæg (Easter eggs) and juleøl (Christmas beer)!
6. Have a drink – with or without alcohol
Like it or not, Danish culture is a drinking culture. If you are interested in reading more about that – and how to refuse alcohol politely – read point 10 in our survival guide to Denmark.
If you do enjoy alcohol, make sure to try øl - beer. There are so many types and varieties, and Danes are proud of their beer history. A cold snaps or akvavit (a strong spirit flavoured with herbs) is a must with a fancy piece of smørrebrød. And you may find a Danish bitter such as Gammel Dansk or Jensen at a celebratory breakfast table – right next to the coffee. Hey – it certainly gets your system going!
If you don’t like alcohol, try some saft (fruit syrup). In any supermarket you can find a bunch of delicious fruit and berry cordials – try jordbær (strawberry), hyldeblomst (elderflower) or maybe rød saft (red syrup – a mixture of different berries). Be careful though – the syrup is very sweet and should be heavily diluted with water before drinking! Danish æblemost (apple juice) is also a delicious treat.
7. Grød is not just a tricky word – it’s a part of Danish life
Everyone who learns Danish knows it. Rødgrød med fløde. So hard to say – such a joy to eat. Rødgrød is a sweet compote of red berries and it tastes amazing.
Berry and fruit compotes are a traditional Danish dessert that has gained something of a renaissance in recent years – using e.g. stikkelsbær (gooseberry), jordbær (strawberry) or æble (apple). They can now often be seen on fancy restaurant menus – and they are a wonderful way to use local produce and avoid food waste.
The Danish word grød means both fruit compote as well as grain porridge. Only forty years ago, it was common for Danish families to eat porridge for dinner once a week. This, too, is getting a comeback as it is healthy, cheap, good for the climate and filling.
If you would like to feel really Danish, have a weekly grøddag (porridge day)! Try havregrød (oats porridge), risengrød (rice pudding) or boghvedegrød (buckwheat porridge).
Traditionally, grød is cooked with milk or water and served with butter, sugar and/or cinnamon. But really, you can top with whatever you like – fruit, nuts or maybe some yummy spices?
8. Don’t panic even if it’s hard to pronounce ‘organic’
Økologisk - hard to pronounce, easy to spot. Just look for that red Ø – in supermarkets and restaurants. Denmark is one of the countries in the world with most organic food easily available – and, due partly to huge demand and partly to official subsidies, reasonably priced. The organic certification covers a lot of aspects, from use of pesticides to animal welfare standards. And in Denmark, even many nursery schools serve lunches that are certified organic!
9. Foraging – so hot right now
If you have eaten a meal at a New Nordic restaurant, you HAVE been served something that was foraged. Maybe it was seaweed? Maybe it was ants? Believe it or not, ants taste a bit like lemon – quite tangy in fact.
But while chefs like René Redzepi of Noma have taken foraging to a whole new level, there has always been a tradition for it here. For generations, Danes have taken to the woods to go mushroom hunting, especially for kantareller (chantarels).
It is fun, but always make sure to be extra careful when mushroom hunting! Some Danish mushrooms are very poisonous, even deadly.
Danish nature has many other edible joys such as wild brombær (brambles), ramsløg (ramson) and brændenælder (nettles) – just like the ants though, they sting!
One thing you cannot forage in Denmark is kastanjer (chestnuts). The variety that grows in Denmark can sadly not be eaten. They’re still pretty, though.
10. New Nordic – not so new after all
And finally, the thing everyone knows about Danish cuisine. Nyt Nordisk Køkken – New Nordic Cuisine. Restaurants such as Noma and many others live by a philosophy of using local foods and traditional recipes to create something new and delicious.
When the New Nordic Manifesto was signed in 2004, it was nothing short of revolutionary. Back then, most fancy restaurants in Denmark served French cuisine. It wasn’t believed that Danish food culture was rich enough to merit fancy food. Well, as you can see, that is completely wrong. Danish food culture is deep, varied and incredibly interesting. All the aspects we have covered in this article are something that is used in New Nordic restaurants – and something that you can experience every day if you eat the Danish way.
Velbekomme! (Enjoy your food!)