The Danish hot dog turns 100 – Italian Cuisine


On January 18, 2021, we celebrate the centenary of true traditional Danish food. If the classic versions are in danger of extinction, it survives thanks to vegan and gourmet versions and the work of star chefs. It evolves, but it continues to eat with chocolate milk

Every city has a scent and a taste: Copenhagen tastes like hot dogs. When you wander through the streets of the city, the insistent presence of the pig hovers in the air, and whenever you feel like a quick snack this is the answer. Hot dog kiosks have been a cultural institution in Denmark for 100 years. In fact, on 18 January 1921, six small white carts began selling the first sausages accompanied by bread and mustard on the streets of Copenhagen, inspired by German comfort food. A century later, the classic Danish hot dog can still be enjoyed in kiosks on the streets of Denmark.

From Germany to the Danish roads

Hazel Evans, Copenhagen-based writer and food critic and founder of Mad About Copenhagen, tells the story of the famous sandwich. Already widespread in Germany, hot dog kiosks began to take hold in Sweden and Norway during the First World War, but only in 1921 did they finally arrive in Denmark. Before that, would-be sellers had repeatedly submitted applications to the municipality to obtain authorization for street sales from the closing of the restaurants until 2:30 in the morning. All their requests had been rejected for various reasons ranging from fears of obstruction to traffic to the fact that eating on the street was considered unbecoming. In addition, traditional restaurants obstructed requests in every way for fear of having new competitors. Finally, in 1921, the Dane Charles Svendsen Stevns, who had been running a thriving hot dog stand in Kristiania (now Oslo) for ten years, obtained permission to sell hot dogs on the streets of various locations near Copenhagen.

The hot dog lobby

The first Danish hot dog vans were very different from the ones we know today. They were small carts with large wooden wheels, and only the more elaborate ones had a canopy under which the seller could shelter. Sausages cost 25 øre and an extra 5 øre was required for bread. Not much by our standards, but in the 1920s it was a considerable amount and not everyone could afford a hot dog. Yet it was a real success! Within a very short time, the kiosks conquered not only the streets of the capital, but also those of Odense, Aarhus and Aalborg. In the 1930s, when hot dogs became even more popular, a protest movement began to emerge in Denmark. In fact, most of the hot dog vans were in the hands of wealthy entrepreneurs who made between 140 and 700 crowns a week per van, while the average salary of sellers was 25 crowns a week.

Selling hot dogs in Denmark is a "personal matter"

In 1942, some Copenhagen hot dog vendors joined in protesting this issue and petitioning the mayor to revise the laws on hot dog kiosks. The request was granted and the new rules established that hot dog vendors were self-employed with individual permits to sell in certain areas of the city. In Denmark in the 1940s, however, only disabled people or individuals unable for some reason to carry out traditional work could be self-employed. This reform radically changed the hot dog industry in Copenhagen and many other cities in Denmark. Now that the salespeople were no longer employees, they turned more attention to business, and of course making hot dogs! That's why most of the hot dog kiosks you come across while walking in any city in Denmark are named after their current or historical owner: "Lone's Sausages", "John's Hotdog Deli", "Harry's Place" … Selling hot dogs in Denmark it's a very, very personal matter!

The maximum expansion up to 400 kiosks

In the decades following the Second World War, the hot dog became a true symbol of Denmark. Each town and train station in the country had its own kiosk and sales reached unprecedented levels. In 1950 there were 400 kiosks in Copenhagen alone. In 2010 the number dropped to 60, also due to competition from other fast food and new street foods that arrived in Denmark in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Although there are only 10% left over from when they reached their peak period, hot dog stands are still a symbol of the country and hold a special place in the hearts of Danes that are unlikely to be replaced by other fast food restaurants.

From street food to national dish

The hot dog was the first example of Danish fast food and is still considered almost a national dish today. It is eaten seasoned with raw and fried onions, sliced ​​pickles and three types of sauces (ketchup, mustard and remoulade). Regardless of the topping, most hot dog stands offer variations on the theme. Usually, in addition to the "ristet pølse" (the classic hot dog consisting of a sausage stuffed into a piece of bread with a hole in the center) there is the "con laquette" (in which the sausage is wrapped in bacon), the all flavored with mayonnaise, mustard, remoulade and ketchup and garnished with fried onions and pickled gherkins. For watering, nothing better than a bottle of Cocio (chocolate milk).
Today you can also find revisited organic and Nordic versions of the classic hot dog and even gourmet, vegan versions and other original variations. For example, the starred MeMu restaurant in Vejle has won the national hot dog championship (yes, it exists!) For two years in a row: in 2019 the recipe included smoked apples, chorizo, local pickled salicornia and habanero pepper mayonnaise.

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Genuine experience

Hot dog stands are among the few places Danes eat alone, which is quite rare in Denmark. For this reason, it is often precisely here that we find ourselves conversing with a stranger. People from different walks of life pass by a hot dog vendor every day, and everyone is treated equally, from the prominent politician to the humblest worker to the curious tourist. You are spoiled for choice, hot dog kiosks are everywhere in Denmark: in the main stations, in the central squares and on the corners of the most famous streets of the capital. Here is Hazel Evans' selection for an unforgettable experience.

John’s Hotdog Deli

A true Copenhagen legend, this kiosk has been in business for 13 years and everyone likes its hot dogs: from Michelin-starred chefs to drunks wandering the streets at night, to unsuspecting tourists arriving at Copenhagen Central Station and they make their way to the first hot dog van they come across to find (good for them!) that it's one of the best in town. John is known for his easygoing and easygoing manner, at least until it comes to quality meat (that of the Hallegaard farm in Bornholm), artisanal seasonings and his famous hot sauce, very spicy: in these cases John has a lot to say, and how! Here you will find the hot dog in all its classic variations, in addition to the proposal of the week, which is generally more extravagant. For those who love to play and experiment with flavors, don't miss the self-service condiments corner at John's restaurant in Kødbyen (also called John's Hotdog Deli), with proposals such as curry sausage, wasabi mustard, pickled ginger, mayonnaise of miso, mustard based on Mikkeller beer, remoulade of chanterelles and teriyaki glaze.
Address: Bernstorffsgade 5 / Flæsketorvet 39.

DØP

The acronym DØP stands for "Den Økologiske Pølsemand", or "The organic sausage man" and identifies a couple of much loved hot dog kiosks located near the Round Tower and the Church of the Holy Spirit, but which sometimes they also appear at various events around Denmark. DØP is the perfect destination for a quick lunch while strolling around Copenhagen, but being open only during the day it cannot satisfy the hunger pangs at night. As the focus on organic food has grown among Danes, as well as among tourists visiting Copenhagen, DØP has become increasingly popular. Hot dogs are served with sourdough bread, but there is also the version without bread, in which the sausage with its condiments and sauces are served in a box. There are many types of sausage to choose from, including vegan, and a wide variety of toppings, from the most classic to the most original.
Address: Købmagergade 52 / Amagertorv 31.

Harry's Place

Opened in 1965, Harry's Place is a small piece of Danish history, an old-fashioned kiosk that is still going strong. To enjoy the best possible experience, you have to order the legendary “Børge” from Harry. This sandwich was born many years ago when Harry was commissioned by the Copenhagen prison to design a hot dog for inmates. At the time, prisoners were assigned a precise amount of meat a day, corresponding to one and a half sausages, and this often caused unrest at the time of meal distribution, with disputes over who received the largest half of sausage. Harry solved the problem by creating a larger sausage (later dubbed "Børge" after an inmate), equivalent to one and a half sausages of the classic type, and later began selling it in his Harry's Place. Even though Harry died in 1989, his kiosk and famous extra large sausage are still there! If you don't have the appetite of a convict, you can always take a smaller sausage: the important thing is to season it with the sauce "krudt" (which means "gunpowder"), another Harry specialty.
Address: Nordre Fasanvej 269.

Flyvergrillen

In the common imagination of a Dane, the hot dog is often associated with planes that take off and land. The popular Flyvergrillen is the kiosk that best embodies this image, with its direct view of Copenhagen airport. If you enjoy watching the planes, there is nothing better than coming here on a clear evening to watch the planes whiz past the setting sun, with a hot dog in one hand and a bottle of Cocio chocolate milk in the other. And when you are full of hot dogs, at Flyvergrillen there are other classics of Danish comfort food, such as "boller i karry" (curry meatballs) or "biksemad" (a dish based on minced meat, potatoes and onions sautéed in pan and served with a fried egg, beetroot and pickled cucumber), as well as burgers, fries, schnitzel, kebab, smørrebrød, and just about anything else you can think of. And to end on a sweet note, try the “æbleskiver”, soft pancakes similar to balls, served with jam and icing sugar. Address: Amager Landevej 290.

Bjarnes Pølser

«Every hot dog must be served with love. This is Bjarnes Pølser's motto. And in Danish it sounds even better, complete with a rhyme: "En pølse skal serveres med føl’se". A few words that best express what the hot dog culture is in Denmark. It is the sensation you get when passing in front of a hot dog van and you can breathe the familiar smell of childhood; it's the sense of welcome you get when the kids greet you from the van with their friendly smiles; and it is, of course, the pleasure of sinking your teeth into a good hot dog and savoring its textures and flavor. Bjarnes is a hot dog stand that has existed since 1984 and is worth a trip to Ballerup on its own, about 15 kilometers northwest of the capital's center. But if for some reason you are in the area and you get an irrepressible craving for hot dogs … Bjarnes is your place!
Address: Hold-An Vej 3.

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