Lean into the sustainable culinary movement in Copenhagen
Awareness of the environmental impact of food is growing across the globe and Copenhagen is no exception. Eating plant-based, organic, and locally is becoming increasingly popular and there is a big drive to stop food waste – stop spild af mad. While you’re abroad, consider joining the movement in one way or another! Find tips below for gaining new sustainable culinary habits.
Start cooking at home
Cooking food from scratch is much more affordable than eating out, and DIS housing has fully equipped kitchens for you to use. As a Community Advisor, I love cooking with DIS students, sharing techniques and ideas, and then sitting down to a meal. Cooking and eating together is a sure way to build skills, friendships, and good vibes in your housing.
Head to your local supermarket or green grocer where you will find a variety of raw ingredients to cook with. Organic options are easy to find in all supermarkets and they are often only a bit pricier: look out for things labeled Øko or Økologisk.
Eating plant-based is cheaper, better for the planet, kinder to animals, and healthier. There is no better time to try experimenting with veggie recipes than during study abroad.
Share a meal with others at a community kitchen
If you like sharing meals with others and trying something new, I really recommend going to a community kitchen. In Danish, these are called folkekøkkener. They take place throughout Copenhagen on different days of the week and serve up good portions of tasty food at very reasonable prices. They also give you a good opportunity to meet locals, as you often are seated at a table with other guests. Volunteers are welcome, so feel free to ask them if they would like some help next time in the kitchen!
Stop food waste
There are many initiatives that fight food waste by collecting and distributing surplus food. Foodsharing Copenhagen is one example, and is a wonderful place to meet locals, volunteer, get free food, and help fight food waste. The idea is simple – they collect fruits and vegetables from local markets that is still totally edible, but can’t be sold, and then distribute it. It is well worth a visit and is an inspiring example of young people coming together to make the world a better place.
Looking for other ways to fight food waste? Check out Too Good To Go and Eat Grim for discounted meals on surplus food.
Join the New Nordic movement
New Nordic cuisine has made eating local and foraging ingredients a passion for many. There is an abundance of food in Copenhagen that can be foraged, if you know where to look. Check out ‘Vildmad,’ which directly translates to “wild food,” for beautiful guides and info about how to take part in guided foraging tours.
If you don’t fancy harvesting wild food, then why not try cultivating it in one of Copenhagen’s many community garden projects? Another great place to meet locals and gain some gardening skills! ØsterGro, with its downtown roof garden, is open to volunteers every Wednesday and they have a big shared meal, too. Bioteket is also an inspiring greenhouse project with aquaponic systems and mushrooms galore!
Amanda works in the Housing Team at DIS Copenhagen. She lives in Valby, in a small collective with friends and many plants! Amanda is interested in how we can live better and more sustainably together and enjoys working and volunteering in projects to that end. She also loves all things water-related and can be spotted on the weekends paddling her bright yellow canoe in the harbor.
Currently in Copenhagen? Check out the initiatives mentioned in the blog:
>> Learn more about community kitchens (folkekøkkener)
>> Get involved with Foodsharing Copenhagen
>> Get discounted surplus food from Too Good To Go or Eat Grim
>> Join the New Nordic culinary movement with Vildmad, Østergro, or Bioteket
Interested in learning more about sustainability in Scandinavia?
>> Read this blog post to find other tricks for sustainability in the Danish supermarket