The Retro Burger That's Been A Denmark Classic Since The 1940s

Although an icon of American cuisine, burgers are widely consumed worldwide. For example, head to Denmark, and you'll find the Bøfsandwich – a unique regional favorite enjoyed since the 1940s. In foundational ways, this rustic rendition mirrors other burger builds. A half-pound all-beef patty is pan-seared, grilled, or griddled, then sandwiched between two toasted buns. Yet examine the stacked additional accouterments, and the dish showcases its Scandinavian flair.

For starters, there's a generous spread of brown mustard on the bottom bun, a condiment popular in Denmark. Alongside, you'll find cubed pickled beets — which deliver sweet and lightly spiced notes. On top go sliced pickles, raw onions, and ketchup — three fixings which still recall the American palate. Next comes the burger patty, accompanied by a serving of caramelized onions.

Above the alliums, the Bøfsandwich's layered ingredients turn even more distinctly Danish. Chefs add a regional version of remoulade, made from mayo mixed with picalilli — an aromatic condiment consisting of quick-pickled vegetables such as onions, cucumbers, cauliflower, and carrots, all flavored with spices like turmeric, ginger, and mustard. Finally, the top bun is placed atop, before the whole burger is covered in a beer-based gravy, often assembled in the same pan as the beef patty. The sauce coats the burger on the sides and drips into a pool on the plate, with a garnish of crispy onions as the final touch. It's an extensive assembly of ingredients that all comes together into a mouth-watering burger.

Mention Danish cuisine, and Copenhagen's famed New Nordic dining scene first comes to mind. Yet the Bøfsandwich instead showcases a more rustic side of Danish dining, intertwining several culinary elements unique to the country. It's believed the burger rendition emerged at an amusement park stand in 1949, on the outskirts of Copenhagen. First served without the gravy, the dish instead fused an American burger base with local fixings.

Such traditional Danish toppings include ingredients like the pickled beets — called syltede rødbeder locally — which are often consumed alongside other meats and sandwiches. Remoulade sauce is also indispensable to the nation's cuisine, frequently sold in bottled versions with varying flavors. Specifically, the turmeric and pickled vegetable mix used atop a Bøfsandwich is a beloved version in Denmark, accompanying other dishes like roast beef sandwiches and fries.

Finally, there's the gravy, which traces its history to Jutland, a peninsula region to the west of Copenhagen. First spooned onto a Bøfsandwich in the 1950s, this sauce stems from the Danish dish hakkebøf, a minced meat cutlet served with caramelized onions and a brown gravy. It's believed this liquid component was integrated into the burger build to not only incorporate even more Danish flavors, but also to keep pre-cooked patties warm at stands. So decades down the line, all such components are now firmly established in Bøfsandwich preparations. The burger is stacked high on a plate and enjoyed alongside a beer or two.

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