Iceland has amazing local food, known for its superb quality of meats and seafood, but there are also some unusual foods on offer. These more stranger foods of Iceland are the ones I’m going to focus on today.
While several Icelandic dishes on this list might seem a little odd to anyone but an Icelander, historically they were a valuable source of sustenance. Iceland might be a rather rich country now, but that wasn’t always the case. During a time when the country was poor and resources were scarce, almost every part of the animal was consumed.
Many of these dishes draw polarising views, but I’ll leave it up to you decide… and possibly try…
Hákarl aka Rotten Shark
Hákarl (which is Icelandic for shark) is a food from Iceland consisting of fermented and dried Greenlandic shark which is produced intentionally 3-hours away from Reykjavik because the smell is so bad!
The meat of the shark when fresh is actually poisonous due to its high content of urea and trimethylamine oxide. Sounds great, right?
Hákarl is traditionally prepared by gutting and beheading a Greenlandic or Basking shark. It is then placed in a shallow hole in gravelly sand, filled up, and then left for 6-12 weeks. Once removed from the sand, the Hákarl is hung up to dry for several months. During this stage, it ages and shrinks and the uremic acid evaporates leaving it non-toxic.
Trivia:The skin of the Hákarl is extremely sharp after drying. So much so, in the old days it was used as sandpaper. I told you Icelanders are resourceful.
Hákarl has an extremely strong ammonia-rich smell to it. However, the smell much stronger than the taste. Some people describe it as sweet, nutty, and surprisingly nice. Others, however, liken it to the taste of death!
The late TV chef Anthony Bourdain, who travelled extensively throughout the world sampling local cuisine for his Travel Channel show No Reservations, described Hákarl as “the single worst, most disgusting and terrible tasting thing” he has ever eaten!
A few year ago I tried it for myself when I visited the Shark Museum on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. My reaction wasn’t as strong as Bourdain’s, but I’m in no hurry to try it again.
Slátur aka Icelandic Black pudding
Slátur (pronounced slaughter ) is similar to British black pudding though without spice and offers a smoother texture. It is a traditional Icelandic dish first eaten in Viking times made from sheep’s innards.
The blood is first filtered and then mixed with a couple of cups of water, a tablespoon or so of sea salt. It is then blended with fresh sheep’s fat, rye flour, oats and seasoning, and once that is done, it’s held together inside a pouch made from the lining of sheep’s stomach and boiled for an hour to create a spongy, almost cake-like texture that can be eaten hot or cold.
Slátur provided Viking’s a good food source of protein, vitamins and iron over the winter period. It is still eaten to this day.
Svið aka Sheep’s head
Although it’s hard to find sheep’s head in Icelandic restaurants these days, it’s still considered a very traditional dish. Icelanders still cook it at home, and you can find it glaring back at you from within the frozen section of pretty much any supermarket.
To prepare, the head is cut in half, followed by the removal of the brain, then the fur is singed off before boiling.
It’s typically served with mashed potato or turnip and the whole head is eaten with the exception of the brain. Funnily enough, sheep’s brain is a delicacy in France – maybe they should start exporting their leftovers. The cheek and tongue are considered the best part for their meatiness. However, some folk prize the eyes due to their succulent, gooey texture.
The presentation is mainly what throws people off. A sheep’s head is probably too much of a visual reminder of the animal they’re used to seeing in nature. But I find this reaction to eating meat a bit ridiculous. In my opinion it’s important to have a connection of the food chain if you’re going to eat meat anyway.
In addition, you can also get sviðasulta (sheep head jam). The jam or pate is constructed by chopping up the meat from cooked sheep head, pressing it into moulds, and then rest to cool. When it’s ready, you can eat it as a bread topping.
Cod’s Head
Another head dish, only less terrifying! The export of cod is big business in Scandinavia and Iceland is no exception. The fillets are exported to Spain and Portugal who then turn it into mouth-watering bacalao. Iceland’s turn the left-over heads in a tasty dish for themselves.
Being resourceful, they eventually created a show-stopping dish that you can still find in some restaurants serving traditional Icelandic cuisine with a contemporary twist.
Such a restaurant is the award-winning Matur og Drykkur in Reykjavik. They cook it with a chicken and berry glaze before caramelising it with a theatrical blowtorch performance before serving. Yum, yum, yum!
Súrir Hrútspungar aka Sour Ram’s Testical
Ok, admittedly I haven’t tried this one because I simple don’t have the, erm, balls.
It’s no longer a common dish but you’ll find it as part of a traditional spread for Þorrablót, an Icelandic midwinter festival to honour the Norse god Thor associated with lightening, storm, strength and the protection of mankind. It typically takes place during the old Norse month of Þorri (mid-January to mid-February), which is considered one of the coldest periods of the year.
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Once the testicles are washed and boiled, they are pressed into moulds and cured with lactic acid. The end result is a loaf of sour ram’s testicles. You then just slice it much like a regular loaf of bread. Hmmm yummy! That makes it sound much more edible than it looks…
Baejarins Beztu Pylsur (the Best Hot Dogs in Town)
Maybe not a bizarre food like the rest of Iceland’s delicacies. What makes this hot dog stand unusual is that it is the most popular restaurant in the whole of Iceland!
That’s right, more people eat here than any other restaurant in Iceland, and it has played host to an assortment of famous people, from Ex-President Bill Clinton to James Hetfield of Metallica. Boosting their profile even further, in 2006 the Guardian named them the best hotdog in Europe.
Operating since 1939, the secret to Baejarins Beztu Pylsur’s success lies in the meat. Instead of pork or beef, the hot dogs are made from Icelandic lamb, a meat known for its quality. Fried and raw onions, sweet mustard, remoulade and a secret sauce is then added on top.
Brennivín aka Black Death
Now some of you might be asking what you can wash down with some of these Icelandic dishes. The answer is: Brennivín aka Black Death. The Black Death is a clear, unsweetened schnapps – Iceland’s signature alcoholic drink.
Brennivín is made from fermented grain or potato mash and flavoured with caraway and an assortment of other herbs native to Iceland. So that should give you an idea of the taste. It’s the drink of choice during Þorrablót (pronounced “thor-ra-blot”).
If you’ve tried Scandinavian liquor Akvavit, you’ll probably find a likeness. You can swing back Black Death at bars around Iceland or stock up in Vínbúð (Iceland’s alcohol shops). Brennivín has also recently started exporting intentionally and can be found in places like the US and the UK.
2 responses
Sheep’s head. Eek!