TEMA: Generation Jesus
Fast-food and social inclusion goes hand in hand in Copenhagen’s hotdog stands
Hotdog is the traditional street food in Copenhagen, Denmark. It has existed for over 100 years in the city, and you need a physical or psychological impairment to work there which makes it a staple in city’s self-understanding.
Offentliggjort
If you have a physical or psychological impairment that makes you unable to work a regular full-time job, you can get a job at a hotdog stand in Copenhagen.
The stands have a more than 100 years old tradition, and even though it is under pressure from other fast-food competition, they still stand.
Original Nordic cuisine
Every year many tourists come to Copenhagen to experience the famous Nordic food scene, and if you go a bit further than Noma and pastries, you will discover the hotdog stands.
Even though hotdogs are originally from Germany, the people of Copenhagen, and Denmark in general, have their own way of severing them and they have a proud culture behind it.
Social Tradition
“It’s a social tradition, so you don’t have to live off a benefit from the state. Then you can share the spot with another guy and take turns working. In that way you can make enough to still afford a proper life”.
Says Sebastian Wilsbech, who has a psychological impairment and works at hotdog stand in front of The Central Station in Copenhagen.
Even though the stands are getting fewer because of competition, he thinks the tradition is important and will live on.
The article is intended for audiences in the UK and could be published on the culture section of BBC.
