It’s a bit of an anomaly that the Danish consider themselves to be very content, yet they have among the highest rates of suicide and alcoholism anywhere in Europe.
Most Americans don’t even know that Denmark is a country, except what we learn from Television. Most recently an episode of South Park where Denmark is described as “the Canada of Europe”:
“When you think about it, Denmark is the Canada of Europe.
It’s very cold, we like hockey, and nobody pays much attention to us”
– From “Canada on Strike”, South Park Studios
The whole country is only five million people, less than a large American city, but Maersk revenue gives their currency a huge boost in the international fiscal market, creating a talent vacuum whereby remote American experts cost up to 4x less than their own experts! (Their minimum wage is $22 per hour)
We are not alone here, Jim Goodnight beat us here. Other North Carolina companies are taking hold here in Denmark, and there is a huge SAS office right up the road from our hotel.
To Americans, food is very expensive in Denmark, and a big Mac will set you back ten bucks:
Copenhagen is the land of the $10 big mac
However, it’s their native fast food that is very intriguing.
A traditional Danish dinner can cost over $200
Hot dogs and pizza are as American as apple pie, but the Danish have an interesting take on hot dogs. There have over six varieties, quite different from any NYC Sabretts:
Only $5 for a hot dog - what a country!
On ordinary hot dogs, they put mustard, ketchup (a criminal offense in many states), canned onion strings and these funky sweet pickle slices. It sounds gross, but it’s actually quite good:
Yup, that's catsup and fried onion strings on that weiner
However, we could not figure out their other hot dogs. We loved the “fransk Hot Dogs”, a fat wiener tucked into a crispy fresh-baked french roll, quite yummy.
Where it gets weird are their other Danish hot dogs, essentially Coney Island footlongs served with a five-inch bun and pools of catsup and mustard served on wax paper:
I'd like the bun on the side, please . . .
For more details, see my complete notes here on Copenhagen travel tips.