Take a bite out of the world of Danish pastries (2024)

FAQs

Take a bite out of the world of Danish pastries? ›

Typical Danish pastries include a snegl, a cinnamon roll-style pastry, a spandauer, a pastry with a dab of custard cream in the middle (you probably know this as a 'Danish pastry'), and a tebirkes, a pastry with remonce in the middle and poppy seeds all over the top.

Specifically, the famous Danish pastry wienerbrød was first developed by Austrian bakers who immigrated to Denmark during a worker's strike. Other European desserts, such as profiteroles and riz à l'impératrice, have inspired the development of Danish desserts.

Traditional Danish pastries

In Denmark, these world-famous sticky delights are called Vienna Bread (wienerbrød), as they were first made in Denmark in the 1840s by Austrian bakers.

However, the origin of the pastry is not clear as it is called Kopenhagener in Austria and Wienerbrød in Denmark. Like other viennoiserie pastries, such as croissants, it is a variant of puff pastry made of laminated yeast-leavened dough that creates a layered texture.

The pastry, a “Danish”, is called “wienerbrød” in Denmark, directly translated to “Weins bread”. This is because the pastry was originally from Austria ( Wein is the capital of Austria), it was brought to Denmark by Austrian bakers, and since developed into a Danish specialty.

Kongen af Danmark (Danish for "King of Denmark") is a type of hard candy with an aniseed flavour. The candy was previously eaten as a cure for cough and for general "chest pains". Kongen af Danmark candy. The candy is marketed in Sweden by Karamellpojkarna as "Kungen av Danmark".

Variant of Puff Pastry: Viennoiserie Pastry

A Danish has Viennese-Austrian origins, but it is not exactly a Viennoiserie (“Vienna Bread”) in French terms. A Viennoiserie is an enhanced version of a Danish which is developed and popularised in France.

The latter is also known as "onsdagssnegle" (Wednesday snails/cinnamon roll), which is such a popular pastry that the bakery sells no less than 4000 of them every Wednesday.

Here are some of the most typical and loved Danish wienerbrød – the cinnamon snail, spandauer and te-birkes.

What is the national dish of Denmark? ›

The "national dish of Denmark" is stegt flæsk - pieces of pork, fried until crisp, and then served with boiled potatoes and parsley sauce.

Typical Danish breakfast is bread (white or rye bread) with cream or soft cheese, sausage, cured cold meat or jam with coffee or tea. Among popular breakfast dishes are also cereals and porridge. One of the most interesting things and a very traditional Danish food you can eat in Copenhagen is øllebrød.

In general, people eat home-cooked food in Denmark, and many families eat together every night. A typical lunch in Denmark consists of slices of rye bread with different toppings such as chicken salad, roastbeef, paté, or herring. For dinner, traditional Danish dishes often includes potatoes on the side.

The Brunsviger

The most mouth-watering of all Danish delicacies, the brunsviger is a cake of crater-filled dough, drizzled by a thick layer of brown sugar and butter. This delicious concoction of sugar and fat soaks into the spongey cake, making for a delicious, moreish and sticky teatime snack.

The must-try traditional dishes in Copenhagen include smørrebrød, a Danish open-faced sandwich, frikadeller (Danish meatballs), and the Danish hot dog. Other notable dishes include flæskesteg, a juicy roast pork with crispy crackling, and forloren hare, a meatloaf-style dish.

The Germans themselves use the word for the language: "Deutschland" means "land of the German speakers"; "Deutsch" probably means "language of the ordinary people". The Scandinavian languages also took that word: it's "Tyskland" in Danish, Swedish and Norwegian.

Salmiakki is the most beloved and traditional form of liquorice, a small black, salted candy, introduced early on in the late 1800s by Danish Galle and Jessen with their Gajol pastilles. In 2007, Lakrids by Bulow popularised Danish liquorice around the world.

This traditional Danish rice pudding dessert is served at Christmas dinner and Julefrokost. On Christmas Eve, the cook hides one whole almond among the slivered ones; whoever finds it receives a gift!

In short, weinerbrød refers to a category of pastry rather than a single pastry, although occasionally individual pastries are referred to simply as weinerbrød. Today, Danishes or wienerbrød of all kinds are a must-try when visiting Copenhagen. The bakeries are packed with sweet smelling (and tasting) choices.

Whenever you decide to visit Denmark, in any season, anywhere in the country you will definitely find a small kiosk or tent with an “Ice Cream” sign on it. Ice cream is a year-round treat for the Danes, and it is believed among marketers that Denmark is the birthplace of ice cream marketing.