In the last decade, Iceland has emerged as one of Europe’s most dynamic gastronomic destinations, full of exciting places to taste thrilling new recipes. Iceland is blessed with delectable seafood due to its abundance of freshwater, clean nature, and fertile fishing grounds. Geothermal energy also makes it possible to supply a year-round offering of fresh vegetables grown locally in organic greenhouses.
If you are looking for a multi-sensory dining experience that uncovers elements of local history and culture, these Icelandic dishes and drinks should be high on your bucket list.
Check out the other articles in the Icelandic Series: Top 5 Things to Do & See In Iceland: Part 1 and Top 5 Things to Do & See In Iceland: Part 2.
Icelandic Fish / Harðfiskur / Dried Fish
Fish are essential to Icelanders. They even have a National Day dedicated to it. Sailors’ Day (in Icelandic, Sjómannadagurinn) is celebrated on the first Sunday in June each year. Icelanders take the day off to honor all those involved in the country’s fisheries by gathering with friends and family to eat fish and drink beer.
For centuries, fishing has been an essential part of Icelandic history and culture. Fish is not only a staple of Icelandic cuisine but a significant export earner as well. The best-known fish product to come out of Iceland is the dried cod known as hardfiskur, which Icelanders have been eating for centuries. Traditionally, the cod is caught in early summer and preserved by drying in the sun, salting or smoking. It is then stored for the winter.
Today it is still an important ingredient in Icelandic cuisine – the fish is soaked to remove the salt, then boiled or fried. In Iceland, it is a tradition to eat the dried fish with rúgbrauð, a rye bread with a crisp crust and a sweet, darkish flavor. The fish can also be eaten with mashed potatoes and onions.
Slow Roasted Lamb / Kjötsúpa / Icelandic Lamb Soup
Icelandic lamb has become something of a delicacy. Sheep roam the open countryside all summer long, feeding on wild berries, herbs and moss. Come fall, they are rounded up on horseback, the way it has been done since the time of the earliest settlers.
This free-range flavor, free of hormones or antibiotics, comes through in the succulent Icelandic lamb, which chefs praise all over the world. Traditionally the lamb is used to make kjötsúpa, a simple lamb soup made with winter root vegetables like carrots, onions, and potatoes.
These coarse vegetables give the dish a hearty texture and a subtle sweetness. This is a good example of the influence of New Nordic Cuisine, which advocates for cooking with fresh and seasonal vegetables.
An Icelandic Sunday dinner favorite is a slow-roasted leg of lamb served with a brown sauce similar to gravy, but with cream, caramelized potatoes, canned green peas served cold. Yummy!
Skyr Yogurt
Skyr is a creamy Greek-style yogurt made from skim milk and is a staple in Iceland. The tangy flavor is unlike any other yogurt you’ve tried. Whether you like flavors such as berry, vanilla, chocolate and strawberry or stick to plain Icelandic Skyr, you won’t be disappointed.
The name Skyr is derived from the Icelandic word for sour cream, “Skyrta.” The culture of making Skyr has been around for thousands of years, with the recipe and process being handed down from one generation to the next.
It wasn’t until the 1970s when Skyr was commercialized after Dr. Kristján Eldjárn, a food scientist, and his team spent four years developing the bacteria strain for the yogurt.
Today, the Skyr Factory in Iceland supplies restaurants and grocery stores around the globe. It has also become available in local food markets in the U.S.
Icelandic Hot Dogs
No matter where you travel in Iceland, you’ll find delicious streetside eats. Iceland’s favorite snack is the pylsa, or hot dog. This street food is a must for visitors to Iceland’s capital city Reykjavik. We encourage you to stop by Baejarins Beztu, a famous hot dog stand located across from the Harpa Concert Hall. It’s been open since 1937 and is very popular among the Icelandic community.
If you want to eat it the way the locals do, order it “eina með öllu “or “one with everything.” You’ll get a hot dog boldly topped with the works: crunchy fried onions, ketchup, sweet mustard, raw onions, and curry remoulade sauce made with sweet relish.
Hákarl / Fermented Shark
In the era preceding modern-day storage technology, food was stored using more primitive methods. The traditional food consisted of pickled, salted, cured, and smoked fish or meat. To survive the long winter months, all parts of the animal were consumed. Don’t be surprised to find Hákarl, which is fermented shark, singed sheep heads or pickled ram’s testicles on the menu of specialty restaurants.
Fermented shark, in particular, is not for the faint-hearted. It’s sourced from Greenland sharks, whose meat is poisonous. When eaten fresh, the meat would cause a powerful, uncomfortable intoxication.
Centuries ago, Vikings figured out that burying chunks of the sharks under rocks and dirt for 2-3 months would neutralize the toxins. After digging them up, they would hang the meat so it could age some more. The result was pungent! If you manage to get over the initial impact, you may like its distinct flavor, which some people even find enticing.
These days, Hákarl is fermented in containers instead of dirt. For the few daring souls, you can sample at the Bjarnarhöfn Shark Museum.
Icelandic Ice Cream
Despite the harsh cold climate, Icelanders’ love for ice cream is undeniable. It doesn’t matter what the season, weather or time of day, most locals will not say no to a visit to the ice cream shop.
From soft serve and gelato to lúxusdýfa and bragðarefur, the extremely high-quality dairy in Iceland makes all of them delectable. Lúxusdýf is a delicious mixture of chocolate and caramel. Icelanders like to dip their soft-serve ice cream cones in it to form a hard shell on the outside. Bragðarefur, what we call a Blizzard in the U.S., is a delicious mix of crushed-up candy and soft serve vanilla ice cream. This is a great way to end a meal at an Icelandic restaurant.
Be creative in picking your ice cream flavor, fruit base, favorite candy toppings, and final dip.
Baked Goods / Rúgbrauð / Hverabrauð
Icelanders have a rich tradition of baking remarkably dense Nordic bread and pastries. Don’t be surprised if you get hooked! One of the most popular is Rúgbrauð, a dark rye bread that is traditionally sliced very thin and served with smoked, cured, or pickled foods.
Over 98% of the country is heated by natural geothermal energy, so it’s no surprise that Icelanders use the ground as an oven. A perfect example is Hverabrauð, a special kind of rye bread that’s gently steamed by burying it in a volcanic hot spring for 24 hours.
It’s also called lava, volcanic, or hot spring bread due to how it’s baked. Visitors report that it’s incredibly moist and slightly sweet with the consistency of a cake. Typically, it’s served with butter, herring, lamb paste, and trout smoked over sheep dung. Hverabrauð isn’t as common as Rúgbrauð, but it can be found in select bakeries which still hold onto their ancestral method of baking.
LOCAL BEERS & SPIRITS
Let’s not forget about Icelandic beverages. Drinking beer & spirits is a very popular pastime in Iceland. So much so that at one-time beer was outlawed in Iceland for 74 years until 1989. This prohibition gave rise to other strong spirits such as vodka and Schnapps. If you’re feeling thirsty, the selection is endless and you’re bound to find something to your liking.
- VIKING BEER
Up to date, Icelanders are known for their fondness of beer, specifically Iceland’s light and easy-drinking brew, Viking beer. If you’re a fan of the Scottish-style ale, then this is what you want to order. This popular beer brand is listed on almost every bar and restaurant menu in Iceland.
- BRENNIVÍN
The local brew, Brennivin, is the most popular liquor in Iceland. Nicknamed ‘black death,’ it’s a potent, traditional schnapps made from potato mash and is flavored with caraway. It can be mixed with cola, coffee, or a cocktail, but the ideal (and best) way to experience Brennevin is chilled, straight-up in a small shot glass.
- REYKA VODKA
Many would claim this Icelandic vodka is the best in the world. It is produced from the water derived from a 4,000-year-old lava field. The rock naturally filters the water, creating some of the purest water on earth, while the cold has a way of softening many of the harsh flavors. What you get is smooth, easy-drinking vodka with just a touch of vanilla flavoring.
- FJALLAGRASA MOSS SCHNAPPS
Yes, this drink is actually made from moss that is hand-picked in the mountains and wilderness of Iceland. The moss is steeped for a long time in a specially prepared alcohol blend that draws out the biologically active compounds and provides the unique color and flavor of the drink. No artificial ingredients are added. Medicinal alcoholic beverages have been around for years, and Fjallagrasa Moss Schnapps is one of the best of them. If you have a cough from the cold Iceland conditions, this is a drink that will help chase it away.
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TRAVEL TIP
If you love exploring cuisines in different cultures, try booking a food tour or a local cooking class. Food tours often integrate a walking tour of the city with a sampling of different types of foods. Cooking classes give you hands-on experience crafting local cuisines. For example, you might make pasta in Rome, bake croissants in Paris, or prepare Icelandic cod in Reyjavik—all while learning about the city’s food heritage and history.
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PLAN A MEMORABLE TRIP TO ICELAND
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