Icelandic Cuisine

Icelandic cuisine has evolved by adapting to an inhospitable climate and terrain. It is difficult to grow (cultivar) fruit or vegetable, and only animals like sheep and cows can survive the difficult conditions. Using the sea’s resources (recursos del mar) and ingenious methods of preserving food for the winter has created this unusual cuisine. A combination of greenhouses (invernaderos) and imported food have meant that now the Icelandic diet is more varied, but the essence of traditional cuisine, especially on special occasions, has not changed very much in centuries.

Fish and Sheep 

Fish is central to the culture and economy of Iceland, especially cod.(bacalao) Fishing rights provoked various “wars” with Great Britain in the 1950s and 1970s. Nobody was killed, but there was a lot of diplomatic tension. The majority of the cod, however, is for export, and locals prefer haddock (eglefino) or halibut. The most common way  to serve fish is boiling (hirviéndolo) it and serving it with potatoes. There are also many ways to preserve fish by drying,(secándolo) smoking (ahumándolo) or marinating it. Sild, marinated herring (arenque) in vinegar and onions, and hardfiskur, wind-dried (secado al viento) fish, are popular snacks.

       

Sheep is the principal animal in Iceland, and you can eat every part of the animal. Smoked lamb, hangikjöt, is a delicacy (exquisitez) that is served at Christmas. But sometimes it is best not to know what part is in some of the dishes! Do not be surprised to see boiled sheep’s heads at traditional feasts. If you do not want to have a head on your plate, the flesh (carne) is also made into a jam.(mermelada) And do not forget to have some hrútspungar before you leave – made from sheep’s testicles.

      

Christmas Celebrations

Icelanders will use any excuse to eat, drink and celebrate, and locals go to various Christmas Buffets, Jólahlaðborð, during December. It is not unusual to attend three: one with work colleagues, one with friends and one with the family. These include lots of Icelandic and imported delicacies. A typical family meal on Christmas Eve is roast (asado) lamb with cream sauce, caramelized potatoes, red cabbage (col roja) and laufabrauð,  a fried pastry. (pasta frita) For dessert there is a pudding made with rice, cream, raisins (pasas) and sugar. There is one almond (almendra) in the pudding, and the person who finds it gets a special present!