Smørrebrød: The Danish Open Sandwich

On our first full day in Copenhagen, I planned to lunch on an assortment of Danish smørrebrød. As it was explained to me, the smørrebrød is a typical quick lunch the Danes serve at home or eaten during lunch break from work/school.

The typical smørrebrød consists of a slice of buttered, dark and dense rye bread is placed flat on a plate, then topped with delicacies like steak tartare, caviar, fish, pickled vegetables, egg, bacon with herbs and mayonnaise-based dressing.

We opted for a smørrebrød lunch at Aamanns – a popular Danish eatery known for its ‘fancy’ and modern versions of the top Danish food. Of course, I accompanied my lunch with a locally brewed wheat beer. I feasted on two sandwiches: potato, cucumber, herb sprinkled with smoked herring crisps and a steak tartare with pickled cucumbers and potato chips. Note: Aamanns recently opened a spot in New York City. I may have to pay a visit.

Smørrebrød are filling, yet not too heavy. They seem to contain many healthy nutrients; which of course depends on what you put on the rye bread. In fact, upon feasting on my small assortment, I decided the smørrebrød could possibly be my new approach to a healthy diet. Nutritionists out there, please confirm that I can feast on these to help watch my handsome figure. (Hey, I’m trying.)

The open sandwich is a common treat mostly served in Northern Europe, typically as a simple lunch or mid-day snack. The name and construction of this treat is similar throughout Scandinavia – the Swedes call it smörgås; the Norwegian’s smørbrød; and the Danish refer to them as mentioned: smørrebrød.