There are many reasons to visit Copenhagen. The colourful houses, beautiful canals, historic monuments and sweeping gardens all entice you to visit the Danish capital. But something that can perhaps be overlooked is the Danish cuisine.
Denmark is home to a variety of delicious treats, so make sure you know which ones to look out for on your next trip.
Stegt flæsk med persillesovs
Literally translated to crispy pork with parsley sauce, this is largely considered to be the national dish of Denmark. Depicting home cooking at its best, you’ll often find a rustic plate loaded with crispy fried pork, boiled potatoes, parsley sauce and pickled beetroot. This dish is so popular you’ll find it on the menu in many restaurants across Copenhagen.
Smørrebrød
Giving stegt flæsk med persillesovs a run for its money, Smørrebrød provides healthy competition in the race to become Denmark’s national dish. These open sandwiches are so popular they’re synonymous with this city, where you’ll find them cropping up on many a lunch menu across Copenhagen. This dish is made up of a buttered piece of rye bread topped with anything from cold meats and pickles to lavish seafood and herbs.
Frikadeller
Everyone loves a meatball and the Danes are no different! These are typically made from a mixture of beef and pork mince and often accompanied with the classic sides of potatoes and parsley sauce. It’s also common to serve Frikadeller with rye bread, or as a hot or cold topping on a Smørrebrød. If you’re not a big fan of meat, try to seek out fish Frikadeller; a classic Nordic dish traditionally eaten cold.
Hot dogs
Not the first thing you might think to eat on a trip to Denmark, hot dogs are one of the most popular street foods in Copenhagen. You can get them all over the city from traditional sausage wagons (pølsevogn) to filling stations, and you’ll be able to spot them a mile away! Traditional Danish hot dogs are topped with a mixture of fried and raw onions, pickles and sauces, while the sausage itself is much bigger than the accompanying bun!
Karbonader
This is a common Danish dish which also goes by the name of krebinetter. It consists of breaded pork patties traditionally served with carrots and peas in a white sauce, although the more modern take on these pairs them with salad and rye bread. You’ll notice the delicious golden colour these patties take on, having been dipped in egg, rolled in breadcrumbs and pan-friend in melted butter.
Leverpostej
You can lay your hands on Danish liver pate almost anywhere in the country. Popular to eat with rye bread, it can be enjoyed on its own or topped with pickled beetroot or cured meats for a lavish lunch. This mixture of pork liver, onions, eggs and spices can be eaten both warm and cold, and is a firm favourite as a Smørrebrød topping.
Klarsuppe
Soup is a popular dish in Denmark and while it’s usually eaten in the cold, harsh winters, it’s a great light lunch all year round. Klarsuppe is a clear soup full of meatballs and dumplings, flavoured with a variety of vegetables. Other popular Danish soups include gule ærter (pea soup) and hønsekødssuppe (chicken soup).
Fly from Cornwall
You can sample all these delicious Danish delights straight from your doorstep. Fly direct to Copenhagen with SAS on Mondays and Fridays between June and August, book now at flysas.com.