Icelandic Cuisine

Icelandic cuisine is the cuisine of the Icelandic people from the island of Iceland. Icelandic cuisine is related to other Scandinavian cuisines.

Icelandic is the language of the Icelandic people. It is related to Scandinavian languages and more distantly to German.

Reykjavik is a cultural center.

During mid-winter festival, or thorrablot(Þorrablót), a selection of seasonal foods known as thorramatur(Þorramatur) are traditionally served.

Ingredients

Rye is used to make bread.

A variety of rutabaga(rófa) is historically cultivated, having been first bred in Sweden.

Crowberry grows wild in the region.

Iceland moss is an edible lichen native to Iceland.

Popular fish include cod, haddock, plaice, halibut, herring, salmon, and trout. Shark meat, usually from greenland shark or similar types of shark, is traditionally fermented and dried. Other varieties of fish are also sometimes wind-dried.

Puffin and other game are hunted and used for food. Eggs are also gathered.

Lamb is a favorite meat. Dairy is common. Seal and whale meat is occasionally used.

Dishes

• rye bread(rúgbrauð)
• rofustappa(rófustappa): mashed turnip
• skyr: cultured dairy dish, similar to yogurt
• hakarl(hákarl): dried fermented shark meat
• svio(svið): singed and boiled sheep head
• hangikjot(hangikjöt): smoked and boiled sheep meat, sometimes served on rye bread
• harofiskur(harðfiskur): wind-dried fish, often cod or haddock