This Is TASTE

740: TASTE Travels: Copenhagen

Mar 6, 2026
Christel Pixi, pastry chef and TV presenter who catalogs Denmark's fastelavnsboller. Klaus Thomsen, Coffee Collective co-founder and World Barista Champion who leads a Copenhagen coffee crawl. Nick Curtin, chef of Michelin-starred Alouette known for plot-based, locality-driven menus. They tour Copenhagen’s restaurants, specialty coffee scene, wood-fire and whole-animal cooking, and the city’s pastry and bakery traditions.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
INSIGHT

Juice Pairings Offer Creative Control Like Wine

  • Nonalcoholic juice pairings give restaurants complete control to amplify or contrast flavors like wine pairings do.
  • Alouette's juice program, led by Aaron, balances acidity, bitterness, and body rather than defaulting to sweetness.
INSIGHT

Social Safety Nets Reduce Entrepreneurial Risk

  • Denmark's social safety net lowers the personal risk of opening a business, letting chefs pursue independent projects without catastrophic family consequences.
  • Curtin says this reduced emotional toll allowed him to open Alouette with his wife rather than relying on deep-pocket backers.
ANECDOTE

Changing Dishes Weekly From Farm Visits

  • Nick keeps inspiration fresh by visiting farms and aligning menu changes with what's in the field.
  • Alouette changes one to two dishes weekly and swaps plots one to two times a month, especially many times in summer.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app