Sustainable eating habits, fresh seasonal produce, age-old recipes, and a desire for gastronomic innovation make Copenhagen an excellent choice for a culinary holiday. A city much-admired for its Michelin starred restaurants, a night out in the Danish capital promises to be a revelation, even for the most ardent of epicures. However, one doesn’t always have to indulge in gourmet dining to appreciate the city’s culinary scene. Readily available in cafes, food halls, and during festivals, the must eat foods in Copenhagen are, in fact, delectable preparations that showcase the region’s love for good food and a passion for healthy cooking.
Seafood and meats are the main ingredients of most Danish recipes. However, vegetables and the concept of farm-to-table are equally essential elements of the city’s culinary ethos. As a result, travelers flying in or arriving in Copenhagen via ferries booked through Ferryscanner quickly discover that a taste of traditional Danish delicacies is a brilliant opportunity to immerse themselves into the present-day gastronomic zeitgeist of a fascinating city.
Smørrebrød
The authentic charm of a smørrebrød is in its straightforwardness. An open-faced sandwich with buttered rye bread at its base, it is a must-try dish that you will find in every Copenhagen food guide, restaurant, and cafe.
Providing food lovers with endless possibilities, toppings on a smørrebrød range from local favorites such as pickled herrings and cheese to smoked salmon, meatballs, egg, liver pâté, cucumber, tomatoes, and remoulade sauce.
Hotdog
The Danish adore comfort foods just as much as the rest of the world. Only, they like to elevate their snacks to suit their own flavor preferences. Hotdogs have been one of the most popular must eat foods in Copenhagen since the 1920s. Therefore, hotdog stands are a common sight throughout the city.
Besides the juiciness of the Danish sausage, residents load up on the classic hotdog, known as pølsevogne, with an array of condiments such as fried and raw onions, pickles, roasted potatoes, pesto, remoulade, and mustard.
Moreover, instead of cutting the bread horizontally, Copenhagen residents sometimes fill it by making a vertical hole in the bun. Oh! And if you want to go completely genuine, order a bottle of chocolate milk to go with your hotdog.
Flæskesteg
Often considered the national dish of Denmark, flæskesteg is a common sight on dinner tables during Christmas time. A roast pork dish, one of the essentials of a good flæskesteg is that it should have crackling – crispy skin.
As a meal, locals eat the roast with red cabbage, caramelized potatoes, and boiled potatoes. However, pieces of flæskesteg often find themselves on smørrebrød or in other snacks.
Flæskesvær
Pork plays an integral part in Danish cuisine and pops up in the most unusual ways in any Copenhagen food guide. Flæskesvær, for example, is merely crispy pork skin. A delicious snack, it showcases the effort made by locals not to let any part of the meat go to waste.
Popular since the early 1900s, flæskesvær isn’t as common as one might expect it to be. Thus, if you come across a stand selling flæskesvær, don’t miss out on the opportunity. Surprisingly addictive, all you need to do is sprinkle some salt on the crispy pork skin and munch away.
Frikadelle
Danish meatballs are larger than their counterparts, somewhat flatter, and rather wholesome in taste. Typically consisting of a pork and veal mixture seasoned with onions, eggs, salt, and pepper, locals pan-fry frikadelle in butter till a nice caramelization is visible on all sides. Alternatively, you can opt for a fish frikadelle, commonly sold in food halls these days.
It’s possible to eat the meatballs on their own, with gravy, potatoes, and red cabbage, or even pair them with bread. The best frikadelle has a slight crunch on the outside and a soft, spongy, juicy texture on the inside.
Smoked Herring
Smoked fish eaten with rye bread is a quintessential Copenhagen food guide eat. While you will come across several varieties of fish to choose from at food stalls, herring is by far the most prevalent choice.
A crucial part of Danish cuisine since the Viking Age, herring is quite versatile, available in pickled, cured, marinated, or fried form. Usually served cold, it has a salty taste and oily texture. Herring dishes go rather well with raw onions, mayonnaise, and capers.
Flødeboller
Danish pastries are famous worldwide. So, when looking for must eat foods in Copenhagen, go for the locally-favored flødeboller. A deliciously sweet bite, flødeboller is like a chocolate ball, although it’s not exactly round in shape.
Also known as a dream puff, it consists of a Marzipan base and a thin chocolate exterior. However, when you bite into it, the filling is a soft fluffy marshmallow-like baked meringue. A favorite with kids, flødeboller is equally delightful when eaten along with a hot cup of coffee.