Food of Iceland
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Food Of Iceland: Uppstúfur
What’s white, salty, has a thick texture and you only eat at Christmas? You guessed right, it’s Uppstúfur, often called Jafningur, or white sauce. You put hot potatoes in it and spray it all over Hangikjöt and you have yourself the most…
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Food Of Iceland: Snúður, Our Favourite Chocolate-Covered Cliché
Want a quintessentially Icelandic way to achieve a rapidly diminishing bank balance and even more rapidly growing waistline? Look no further than the humble snúður (literally ‘twist’), our native species of cinnamon roll. Ok so we grudgingly acknowledge that the cinnamon roll…
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Food Of Iceland: Skonsur
The word “skonsa” (the singular form of skonsur) may remind you of the English word “scone”, but that’s where the similarities end. They’re more like American pancakes. In fact, a side by side comparison of skonsa and pancake recipes indicates that there…
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Food Of Iceland: Sterkar Djúpur, Liquorice With A Kick
Only a deeply twisted mind could look at an innocuous chocolate-coated liquorice ball and think you know what this needs? Seasoning. Or so I thought. Enter Sterkar Djúpur: the salt-and-pepper-covered sweet that has proven unfathomably popular with Iceland’s candy connoisseurs. Mmm ……
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Food of Iceland: Flatkaka (rye flatbread)
Flatkaka is an unleavened rye flatbread. It is made by mixing boiling water with flour and then cooking the dough. Back when Iceland was settled, ingredients such as grain were scarce, so moss was often used to supplement the flour. As time…
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Food Of Iceland: Malt & Appelsín
You would think that preparing a simple mixed Christmas drink would be banal, but when it comes to preparing Icelanders’ favourite Christmas drink, your life and reputation just might depend on your Malt og Appelsín mixology. But first, what are Malt and…
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Food Of Iceland: Laufabrauð
“Carb Season”—or Christmas, or the winter holidays, or whatever you’d like to call it— is fast approaching. It’s time for laufabrauð, or Icelandic “leaf bread,” to do a Jesus-esque comeback and remind Icelandic homes that it is once again time for frantic…
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Food Of Iceland: Landi
Is vodka not doing it for you anymore? Feel like your blackouts should be at least ten hours longer? Well, Icelanders found the solution. “Landi,” or “The fellow countrymen,” as is its direct translation, is the roughest moonshine you’ll find in Northern…
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Food Of Iceland: Liquorice
Liquorice gets a bad rap internationally, thanks to black jellybeans being the worst candy ever made, as well as Twizzlers completely missing the mark. (For reference: It’s not supposed to have so much damn anise!) Beloved throughout the Nordics, the candy is…
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Food Of Iceland: Hamburgers
Although Icelanders consider shark meat their country’s traditional cuisine, in reality, the truly traditional Icelandic food is the old-fashioned, fat and greasy hamburger. For decades, you could not travel around the country and buy anything else than a sloppy, slightly overcooked burger.…
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Food Of Iceland: Hjónabandssæla
The Icelandic model may seem odd from a foreign perspective, with cohabitation being a popular option for couples rather than marriage. In fact, it was recorded that only 30% of children in Iceland are born in wedlock. Yet there are still those…
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Food of Iceland: Icelandic Liquorice Booze
A sunny day of camping turned ugly due to a flavour still lingering in my darkest nightmares. I took a swig of what I understood to be an innocent, liquorice flavoured schnapps called Tópas. Needless to say, I was bewildered by the…
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Food of Iceland: Icelandic Glacial Air
What stage of capitalism even is this? Available in a disturbing number of shops across Reykjavik, Icelandic air is, well, pretty much what it sounds like. You can buy it in a can, but if you want the full experience, you can…
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Food Of Iceland: Kleinur
News broke recently that Krispy Kreme is shutting down its Icelandic operations. How will we survive? Well, perhaps by sampling any one of the bazillions of Icelandic pastries. And there’s no better place to start than with Kleinur. There’s much to appreciate…
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Food of Iceland: Blóðmör
Blóðmör and its cousin, lifrarpylsa, are both typical of countries where the going is tough and using every part of an animal is a necessity. Slátur, as they are known collectively, is made by mixing animal products that aren’t particularly enjoyable to…
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Food of Iceland: Harðfiskur
Finally! Food that is not only for the brave or foolish. ‘Harðfiskur’, or dried fish, is basically superfood. Research conducted a few years ago by Matís (Iceland’s food Research, Innovation and Safety authority) found that dried fish is a very rich source…
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Food Of Iceland: Lýsi
Lýsi is the name for fish liver oil; typically cod, but occasionally shark. While it’s true that lýsi is rich in Omega 3, the list of ailments it is reputed to cure is long, ever-growing, and often dubious. What used to be…
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Caloric Delights Of Iceland: Bragðarefur
Remember that time when you were pregnant and craving gummy bears, coconut, and ice cream? Remember frantically stuffing your mouth with all three at once and lamenting the fact that you couldn’t get it in fast enough? Never fear, gluttons Long ago,…
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Food Of Iceland: Horse
Some visitors to Iceland, especially North Americans, are surprised to learn that Icelanders do in fact eat horses, the shock mostly due to how beautiful Icelandic horses are. Icelanders are, in turn, quick to point out the obvious value judgement being made…
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Food Of Iceland: Lamb Hearts
Icelanders are known for their resourcefulness when it comes to available foodstuffs; a trait borne from times when not wasting anything was a matter of survival. A prime example of this would be the infamous Icelandic svið (singed sheep face), but less…
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Food of Iceland: Prince Póló
The rule in Iceland before 1990 was basically this: If it’s good, it’s probably banned. For example, beer was banned until 1989. It didn’t change the fact that Icelanders were free to get shitfaced on undrinkable hard liquor. But the government thought…
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Food Of Iceland: Lindubuff
Icelandic candy is a divisive topic. You can find YouTube videos of people from around the world trying Icelandic candy for the first time, most of them featuring reactions of horror and disgust at the ubiquity of liquorice. This is where Lindu…
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Great Moments In Icelandic Cuisine: Plokkfiskur
One of Icelanders’ most beloved dishes is ‘plokkfiskur’—a traditional fish stew, which roughly translates as ‘plucked fish.’ It’s a go-to comfort food you want to dig in after a crazy night out in 101. Consisting of potatoes, leek, milk, flour, cheese and,…