Modern Forage: Racine, WI
Danish immigrants brought the kringle to Racine in the 1840s. The 36-layer dough takes three days to make properly; O&H Danish Bakery (since 1949) is the canonical commercial producer. Wisconsin made it the official state pastry in 2013.
Racine is the Kringle capital of America. Danish immigrants brought the pastry in the 1840s; O&H Danish Bakery has produced the canonical version since 1949. The dish became Wisconsin’s official state pastry in 2013.
This list is almost certainly incomplete; Racine and southeastern Wisconsin hold further hyper-local dishes that have not yet surfaced in the survey.
A note on the Where-to-eat blocks. Every entry below carries a list of restaurants and, where available, star ratings as of the date this post was published. These are a snapshot. Verify hours and addresses before driving anywhere.
Kringle — Racine, WI
Oval-shaped Danish pastry with 36 layers of buttery dough and almond paste, fruit, or nut filling. Three days to make properly. Brought by Danish immigrants in the 1840s. Official Wisconsin state pastry (2013). O&H Danish Bakery (est. 1949) is the canonical source.
Sources: Wikipedia; City Tours MKE; Cheapism; Mom’s Koop (2025). Five+ sources.
Where to eat: O&H Danish Bakery, multiple Racine locations (since 1949; ships nationally). Bendtsen’s Bakery, 3200 Washington Ave, Racine (longtime rival). Larsen’s Bakery, 3804 Washington Ave.
More from the series
Browse the rest of the Modern Forage survey.
Research & primary sources
Methodology, validation logs, and the entries that didn’t make this post are in the modern_forage/ on GitHub. Every entry here passed a 2+ independent-source check; the citations under each dish list them.