Danish food souvenirs

We love bringing home treats from our travels. And from our food tours in Copenhagen we know that many of you do too! This is why we have decided to dedicate this blog post to some of the best food souvenirs in Copenhagen. If you are wondering, how to bring the taste of Copenhagen with you back home, stay tuned!

Food souvenirs are a great way to share our travelling experience with our loved ones at home, cure our post vacation blues or connect us to our memories of the places we have been and the people we have met.

Copenhagen has an abundance of artisanal producers and specialty stores. For those of you, who are travelling light: most of the places have smaller things, which you can either enjoy right away or stuff your pockets with to brighten up the flight home.

The following is our guide to some of favorite treats in Copenhagen. They are all packed and sealed – ready to fly home with you in your suitcase!

1. Cookbooks
2. The black gold
3. Handcrafted local sweets
4. ‘snaps’
5. Handmade chocolate
6. Danish butter cookies
7. Our foodie map

1. Cookbooks

Another amazing way to bring home the flavor of your time in Copenhagen is by finding some amazing recipes and start cooking in your own kitchen. Many of the more established restaurants in Copenhagen have published their own cookbooks, so if you love their food, it is always a good idea to ask if they have a cookbook. Another option is to visit Copenhagen’s smallest bookstore in our amazing food market Torvehallerne called Arnold Busck. Here is a great collection of cookbooks about the local cuisine in English. Some of our favorites are The Nordic Kitchen by Claus Meyers, Open Sandwiches by Trine Hahnemann and GRØD by Lasse Skjønning Andersen. Another amazing book about Copenhagen’s food scene is Mad About Copenhagen. It is a collection of stories and recipes from some of Copenhagen’s most exciting food entrepreneurs.

Where to find it: Arnold Busck book store in the food market Torvehallerne

2. The black gold – Licorice

If you have not noticed yet, here is one important thing to know about us Danes; we love our licorice. We call it ‘lakrids’, and it one of the most popular sweets. We have a ton of different varieties and flavors such as sweet, salty or salmiak (ammonium chloride – we know it is weird!). Especially the last two are an acquired taste, often used to prank foreigner with (consider yourselves warned!). That being said, licorice has undergone a renaissance over the last decade. The gourmet producer Johan Bülow has converted many sceptics by covering licorice in chocolate and offering new flavor combinations. The treats are incredible delicious and something we strongly recommend bringing home. Ready for a fun fact? They are gluten free.

Where to find it: Tivoli Garden, the food halls Torvehallerne, Copenhagen Airport and the department stores Illum & Magasin.

Curious to try licorice and learn more about why the Danes love it so much?

3. Caramel, toffee, taffy

You might not associate Denmark with caramels, but Copenhagen is actually home to one of the last artisanal caramel producers in the world. At Karamelleriet, they work hard to preserve and improve the art of cooking caramels the old fashion way in copper pots. They were inspired to open their business after cooking caramels for Christmas. Making homemade confectionary at Christmas is a proud tradition in many Danish households. Thanks to this tradition, we now have outstanding caramels cooking in Copenhagen with all kinds of flavors such as berries, licorice, chocolate or sea salt.

Where to find it: Their workshop at Jægersborggade or the basement of the department store Magasin

4. Snaps 

You might know this local alcohol under the name aquavit. It is not to be confused with its distant cousins: the sweet American peppermint schnapps or the Eastern European plum schnapps. Our local variety is quite the chameleon. It is a strong alcohol made on potatoes or grain infused with all sorts of flavors. Flowers, berries, wood, spices, and vegetables – you name it! Back in the days the flavors where added to make the snaps more pleasant to drink. With 35-40 % APV it has a kick to it (therefore the nickname burning wine). It goes beautifully with the traditional Danish cuisine as a digestive.

For a great selection of small bottles of local snaps, visit Bornholmer-butikken in the food market Torvehallerne. The brand Snaps Bornholm makes bold and modern flavors such as chili & honey, licorice or blueberry & lemon. They have small 5 cl bottles perfect to bring home in your carry-on.

Where to find it: Bornholmer-butikken in the food market Torvehallerne

5. Handmade chocolates

Copenhagen is packed with amazing chocolate! We eat it all year around: hot in the winter, cold in the summer and filled all year around. You can find skilled chocolatiers in most areas of Copenhagen. They each have their own pallet of flavors, visual identity and cute boutiques for you to go all Willy Wonka in. At Confecture Copenhagen in scenic area of Christianshavn, they dedicate their chocolates to the local neighborhood. Historical buildings, squares and local folklore provides inspiration for tasty, boozy filled chocolates. The welcoming owner Patrick Pörtner is always ready to share his passion for chocolate and the local area. Despite of his young age, Patrick as worked with chocolate for over 20 years. Definitely a must visit for any chocolate lover!

Where to find it: Overgaden Oven Vandet 40A in Christianshavn

Would you like to meet Patrick and learn more about his chocolate univers?

6. Danish butter cookies

Do you have a sweet tooth? We do too! Butter cookies have provided the Danes with an excuse to have coffee breaks, since they were first introduced back in the 1600 hundreds. They come in various flavors, shapes and size, but all have one thing in common; they are incredible delicious! If you enjoy baked goods, this is what we recommend bringing home. If you go to a good local bakery, the butter cookies are freshly made with real Danish butter. It gives the cookies a great snap and the best taste. For many bakeries butter cookies are only sold during Christmas, but the traditional conditori La Glacecarries a large selection all year around. You can even pick and mix your own box of butter cookies. So cute!

Where to find it: Skoubogade 3 in the historical city center

7. Our foodie map

Still hungry for more food souvenirs? Our foodie map offers great insights into hidden gems and tasty treats all around Copenhagen. Perfect if you want to keep exploring Copenhagen’s food scene on your own.

Over time we have found it difficult to share all our passion and knowledge about Copenhagen’s food scene within the duration of a food tour. This is why we write blogposts, share new bites on Instagram and offer personal foodie guide prior to arrival.

Our foodie map is a collection of some of our favorite eats in Copenhagen ranging from cafes and bakeries to bars and restaurants. All our guests receive a foodie map after our food tours. Made with love by local foodies the map offers all the tips you need to do your own culinary treasure hunt for the best food souvenirs.

Copenhagen is packed with so many delicious treats worthy of stuffing your suitcase with. We hope our guide helped you decide on what to bring home to your loved ones (or yourself ). We wish you all the best culinary treasure hunts around Copenhagen for tasty food souvenirs! <3