ICELANDIC CUISINE
Introduction
A Nordic island country in
the North Atlantic Ocean, Iceland is a mysteriously beautiful country with
its wonder of northern lights, pleasant cold climate and wonderful people with
their food habits.Because of the history of settlement in a harsh climate,
animal products dominate Icelandic cuisine is based on fish, lamb,
and dairy products, with rare use of herbs or spices.. A country of sharp
contrasts, Iceland is not easily defined. Home to the largest glacier in Europe
as well as some of the world’s most active volcanoes, it is widely known as
“The Land of Fire and Ice.”
The pure Icelandic nature is slowly getting known for its
wonderful and sustainable produces all around the local and global markets. For centuries, Icelanders, with their
innovative approach for producing, storing and preparing food, have astounded
the mainstream culture. Even with rough and cold landscape with unfavourable
conditions, the limited but excellent produces harvested in a responsible
manner are produced to the highest grade
• The animals of Iceland include
the Icelandic sheep, cattle, chickens, goats, the
sturdy Icelandic horse, and the Icelandic Sheepdog, all descendants
of animals imported by Europeans. Icelandic fish is renowned for its quality.
Icelandic lamb is also a source of national pride, known for its tender meat.
Iceland ,being an island country, seafood is certainly extensively consumed.
Organic vegetables are grown in geothermal greenhouses around Iceland, and
supply much of the country’s demand.
• Due to the island's climate, fruits and
vegetables are not generally a component of the traditional dishes. Popular
taste has been developing, however, to become closer to the European norm. As
an example, consumption of vegetables has greatly increased in recent decades
while consumption of fish has diminished.
More on Icelandic cuisine
Þorramatur
Left (from top to
bottom, left to right): Hangikjöt, Hrútspungar, Lifrarpylsa, Blóðmör, Hákarl, Svið. Right: Rúgbrauð(dark brown
in color), Flatbrauð
Smoked sheep’s head, Ram’s testicles, fermented shark, head cheese
History of Icelandic food
The roots of
Icelandic cuisine are to be found in the traditions of Scandinavian cuisine,
as Icelandic culture, from its settlement in the 9th century
onwards, is a distinctly Nordic culture with a traditional economy
based on subsistence farming. Several events in the history of
Iceland were of special significance for its cuisine.
With Christianization in 1000 came the tradition
of fasting and a ban on horse meat consumption. More
significantly in terms of farming and food supply was the onset of
the Little Ice Age in the 14th century. Farmers were not able to
grow barley anymore and had to rely on imports for any kind of cereal
grains. The cooling of the climate also led to important changes in housing and
heating: the longhouse of the early settlers, with its spacious hall,
was replaced by the Icelandic turf houses with many smaller rooms,
including a proper kitchen. This type of dwelling was used well into the 20th
century.
Seafood
Many types of
fish and seafood are abundant in Iceland, with haddock, carpelin, herring, cod,
plaice, lobsters, clams and shrimp being some of the most common varieties
eaten. Fish is traditionally served boiled and accompanied by potatoes. Fish is
often preserved by salting, smoking or drying. Shark and skate are
traditionally fermented to make a pungent and salty dish often served on
special occasions and accompanied by schnapps. Char, trout and salmon are
freshwater fish that are enjoyed by Icelanders as well.
Lamb
Lamb is the most commonly served
meat in Iceland. The sheep thrive on the grassy hills and provide a ready
source of meat as well as wool. Lamb and mutton are served in stews, sausages,
pate and as roast. Singed sheep’s head and jam made from the sheep’s head,
either fresh or pickled in whey, are traditional foods in Iceland.
Dairy
Dairy products are very
important to Icelanders. The average Icelander consumes about 100 gallons of
dairy products in one year.
Vegetables
and fruits
Iceland moss –
they put it in tea, soup, bread. Apparently the fungus has medicinal
powers.
Dulse –
seaweed. Harvested and dried into salty snacks.
Preparation Methods for Icelandic Cooking
People of
Iceland use cooking techniques that are used in other countries. However, due
to the ingredients that are used, the resulting dishes are unique. Fish is
widely used across the country and the great number of dishes based on this
ingredient is determined by the many ways in which it can be prepared.
Icelanders mostly prepare fish by smoking or drying it. There are also some
special dishes based on shark meat. The meat has to be buried for a long period
of time, until it putrefies. People also use spices and sauces and therefore,
seasoning and salting are other techniques that are common in Iceland. Besides
these, other frequently used techniques may include baking, boiling, frying and
grinding.
Special Equipment for Icelandic Cooking
Most Icelandic dishes don’t
require you to purchase any special tools. However, having a coffee grinder helps
with roasting and grinding spices and maximizes their volatile oils, which, in
turn, provides your food with more flavor. The cooking utensils that are used
in Iceland did not change very much in time. Although in restaurants the
equipment that is used for preparing, storing and serving foods is modern, the
traditional tools have only been developed a little. The modern utensils are:
forks, knives, teaspoons, tablespoons, pans, trays, pots, scoops, graters, food
containers, portioning tools, cutlery, glasses, bowls and cups and even
equipment for measuring the temperature and the weight of the foods.
Icelandic Food Traditions and Festivals
Icelanders take
advantage of many occasions to promote their national foods and beverages.
People enjoy supporting their culture and therefore, they organize many
festivals. One of the most important affairs is the Food and Fun Festival,
which is planned each year in the capital of Iceland, Reykjavik. This festival
blends the promotion of the traditional dishes with various competitions and
outdoor activities. A contest that features the most talented chefs is also
organized on this occasion. Each of them must display a unique manner of
cooking and they achieve that by either using special preparation methods or by
adding certain ingredients to the traditional foods, in order to obtain dishes
with unique identities.
Other popular
events are Beer and Food Festival, which is held in March and lasts for a week,
and Þorrablót, which is celebrated in February and lasts for a whole month. The
latter takes place in both restaurants and people’s home.
Iceland, Reykjavik. This festival
blends the promotion of the traditional dishes with various competitions and
outdoor activities. A contest that features the most talented chefs is also
organized on this occasion. Each of them must display a unique manner of
cooking and they achieve that by either using special preparation methods or by
adding certain ingredients to the traditional foods, in order to obtain dishes
with unique identities.
Paper-thin festive traditional bread, laufabrauð
Iceland storage cottages
Icelandic Ram
Traditional dishes of Iceland
Hakarl:
Kæstur hákarl ("treated
shark") is the one infamous Icelandic dish most tourists are made to try
at least once. Hákarl, in short, is Greenland shark -- or other sleeper shark
-- which has been prepared by a fermentation process (buried underground for
6-12 weeks, actually) and then hung to dry for four to five months. It has a
distinct tang of, well, urine, and is served in small cubes as a sort-of hors
d'oeuvre, often followed by shots of Brennivin
Harðfiskur:
It is basically fish jerky made
from wind-dried fish (often cod, haddock or seawolf). It can be found in all
supermarkets in Iceland. Harðfiskur, which Icelanders usually eat slathered
with butter, often comes in colorful packaging illustrated with comic figures
to attract young children. It's no surprise Icelanders get hooked on fish at a
young age.
Skyr:
It is a dairy product, closely
resembling full-fat Greek yogurt but with a much milder flavor. It's been a
part of Icelandic cuisine for more than a thousand years, and is made of
pasteurized skimmed milk and a bacteria culture only found in Iceland.It's
traditionally served with milk and a topping of sugar, often for breakfast, and
is usually an essential dish of all Icelandic childhoods. It's now begun making
the leap beyond Iceland's borders, having recently been introduced to
supermarkets in the US and UK -- in a variety of fruit flavors.
Plokkfiskur:
This is the one dish that'll
appeal to most visitors. Fish stew, or plokkfiskur, consists of boiled fresh
cod or haddock filets, mashed together with potatoes and a roux-based white
sauce. It's often served with Icelandic rye bread and butter.This is proper
family and comfort food, and most local families will have their own version.
In the past, plokkfiskur was a means to preserve leftovers, though today most
families buy fresh fish to make the stew.
Hangikjöt (Smoked Lamb)
Hangikjöt is smoked
Icelandic lambs. It is reputed to be especially good because of how the sheep
are farmed, which is quite old fashioned: they are free to roam around the
wilderness of the unspoiled and rather barren highlands all summer long without
any supervision at all. The sheep graze not only on grass, but also on plants
and herbs which contributes to their rich and complex flavour. In this way, the
meat has been marinated the entire life of the animal.After the slaughter, the
farmer smokes the lamb traditionally fueling the fire with birch or dried sheep
dung – each of which adds its own distinctive flavour. Smoked lamb is usually
served up with potatoes, béchamel sauce, red beets and green peas.
How to eat
like a Viking
Lengthy, dark and cold winter has
always been and still is one of the basic facts of life in the Nordic countries
that have to be dealt with seriously. Surviving through the winter depended on
food supplies stored during the short growing season. Viking lifestyle was
another reason that made Norsemen to learn early how to preserve their meats
and fish. Ship was a Viking’s home, and smoked, dried and salted foods were
usual supplies of Norse warriors during their prolonged raids.
Sea birds and their eggs were also a part of the Norse diet. Norsemen
harvested both the eggs and the birds from the cliffs on which the birds nested
by swinging down from the top of the cliff on ropes.
A variety of birds and their eggs
were collected and consumed. The great auk (Pinguinus), a large, meaty,
flightless bird now extinct, was an important part of the diet in Viking-age
Iceland, based on excavated bones.
“Ein með öllu” - the iconic Icelandic hot dog
One of the most typically
Icelandic foods is the pylsa hot dog. They contain lamb which gives them
an unusual flavour, but the magic is in the sauces. A real Icelandic hot dog is
served með öllu, with everything on it, which means ketchup, a sweet
brown mustard, raw onions, fried onions, and remoulade (a sauce made with
mayonnaise and relish).
Greenhouse
vegetation
Despite the
cool climate and restricted growing season, a variety of food crops are grown,
such as potatoes, turnips, carrots, cabbage, kale, and cauliflower. Other hot
crops (such as tomatoes, cucumbers and green peppers), cut flowers and potted
plants are grown in greenhouses heated with geothermal energy (of which Iceland
has an abundance)—in some cases artificial light is required to supplement the
shorter daylight hours at these northern latitudes. Even bananas and grapes
have been grown in this manner.
Limitation
Due to financial
and time constraints, we were unable to visit and study Icelandic cuisine and
collect the information and share the experience.Icelandic cuisine, being
rather unknown a fare, was tricky to gather extended and accurate details on.
Conclusion
Iceland is a cold country, and
being a part of the Scandinavia, the eating habits of their inhabitants has
been highly influenced by the raw materials and produces available in such
climatic conditions. Thus, throughout history, Icelandic residents have adapted
according to these conditions and thrived with their own unique and rare
cuisine.
References
•
http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/04/guide-to-food-iceland-fish-whale-skyr-hot-dogs.html
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