Local Culinary Association Chooses Best National Dish In Iceland

Iceland is well-known for its bizarre and sometimes unappealing dishes like the infamous fermented shark, but there is much more to the local culinary heritage than what one might think. Local chefs in particular love experimenting—especially when it comes to revisiting, updating or rediscovering traditional Icelandic dishes.

That’s why an association called Iceland’s Culinary Treasures has organised an annual competition to promote Icelandic ingredients and innovation within the local food culture. This year’s winner is dried hard fish soup!

The soup was chosen as best national dish among a wide selection, which included 107 dishes from typical lamb and potatoes as well as a modern version of Icelandic doughnuts kleinur. Baldur Garðarsson, the man behind the recipe, told Vísir that he got the idea when he was snacking on dried hard fish. Instead of throwing away the left-overs, he decided to chuck them in a Knorr soup he found in the cupboard.

“It didn’t actually taste that well at the beginning,” Baldur said. “I add to flavour to it, but then I managed!”

If you’re curious to try Baldur’s interesting soup, which unites two typically Icelandic flavours—that of local fish and that of a classic, countryside tomato soup—you’ll be able to find it from now in various restaurants all around the country.