Torvehallerne Market in Copenhagen, Denmark, is a great place to start a food tour, packed as it is with everything the Danes love: good wines, aged cheese, cold meats, jams, Danish pastries, and of course, smørrebrød. “We follow three principles: The food is organic; it is locally grown and sourced; and it is traditional food but served in an upscale format,” says Guxi Maria Abel, a tour guide with FoodTours.eu. Perhaps the most popular place here—as evidenced by the snaking queue—is Arla Unika. The cheesemongers have what Guxi calls “the best-selling gourmet cheese in Denmark”. Their Gammel Knas (Old Crunch) cheese—gets its name from the little protein crystals present in this two-year aged cheese. Another star is the intense gnalling, a combination of white mould and red smear cheeses.
Guxi’s tour stops at another popular outlet, Summerbird, which sells one of the best flødeboller in the city.
These marshmallow clouds sit easily on the tongue, with their marzipan base topped with fluffy chocolate-coated meringue. The Danes love their bread and pastries, and bakeries like Sankt Peders Bageri (the oldest) and Hart Bageri are filled with the welcoming aroma of baked treats.
The most unique bread in Copenhagen is the Space Bread, which is freeze-dried and aerated 10-year-old soy sauce that has the layers of bread but melts into nothingness at touch. The bread is one of 50 courses served at Alchemist, the Copenhagen restaurant making waves for its food. An equally memorable meal can be had at Absalon. The former church hosts a community dining experience every evening. The food is simple and changes daily—pesto potatoes, tomato stew, and hearty sourdough bread—and meant to be shared by tables of eight. For an hour each night, strangers sit beside each other to partake into a meal that is comforting and home-style. It’s a meal that satiates the body and soul.