We talked to well-known food critic Ole Troelsø about what Danes eat, Nordic Cuisine and food festivals…
What do you associate with the Danish food culture? Danish food culture to me is rooted in bread, meat, potatoes and herring in the order mentioned. In the old days we lived almost only on potatoes and bread. Since the 1800’s the Danish open sandwich has played an important role as well. In the 1960’s the use of meat exploded and until the 1970/80’s the open sandwich was regular lunch for most Danes. After a few decades where pizzas, burgers and shawarma to some extend have cornered the Danish hot dog stands (pølsevogne)
and the traditional open sandwiches, the latter has had a renaissance in the restaurant scene. Today Danish food culture is more varied than mentioned above, and the new Nordic Cuisine is now an integrated part at the top of the food chain so to speak. When it comes to the restaurant culture there is no doubt that the new Nordic Kitchen has played an essential role.