ICELANDIC FOOD, FROM THE MOST DISGUSTING TO SOME OF THE BEST

Food had to be preserved for generations by the Icelanders through smoking, pickling, or drying. As a result, the principal ingredients in traditional Icelandic cuisine are preserved lamb and seafood. You may find a list of some of the most revolting foods—including a shark that has been fermented—as well as some of the best foods below.

Shark, or Hákarl. Shark that has been fermented or “rotted” has been dubbed the world’s most repulsive cuisine by Mark Bittman, and its foul aroma is claimed to match its horrific flavor. Since the majority of Icelanders we spoke to said even their parents would never eat it, we made the decision not to try it.
Brennvin or Black Death. Schnapps called Brennivn is produced by fermenting potatoes with caraway. Although it has a strong caraway flavor, it primarily serves as a fast route to oblivion, which is probably not a bad thing if you are eating a fermented shark
Súrir hrútspungar – sour ram’s testicles. This is a difficult one: Ram’s testicles. In the past, Iceland was home to many subsistence farmers who would make the most of whatever they could find to eat. Thus, the ram’s testicles are also included. They were soured in order to keep them fresh throughout the winter. Although it isn’t a common dish anymore, some supermarkets still sell it, and we had a funny experience trying to understand the translation. When we eventually asked a local man who could only point and not remember the word in English but was able to point at his lower organ.
Rye bread from the Hot Spring. It’s a dark loaf of bread with a distinctive flavor that’s just a little bit sweet. The majority of the time, however, it is eaten on its own with butter, alongside fish, or with hung and smoked lamb (hangikjöt – see below). One method of preparing this bread is to place the dough into unique wooden casks, bury them in the nearby the hot spring, and then retrieve them the following day. Absolutely delectable and nutritious.
Dry fish – Harðfiskur. Fish that has been dried, mainly cod or haddock, is another common culinary item. This is quite well-liked by both Icelanders and some visitors. It’s similar to “fish jerky.” Icelanders consume a ton of seafood each year with butter on top since the fish has a very dry texture and the butter makes it softer. Before swallowing, you must properly chew each bite. It has a lot of protein; 100g contains between 80 and 85g. It was one of our go-to roadside snacks, and we even brought some back home. I adored it! I would classify this dish as a survival food because Bjartur of Independent People ate it mostly to stay alive.
Svið – Sheep’s head. Many Icelanders regard it as a delicacy. Almost any grocery will sell it frozen or prepared. Except for the brain (which is a delicacy in France! ), the entire head is consumed. The nicest parts are the face and the tongue. The eyes, in the opinion of some, are the best feature. It just tastes like lamb or mutton because that is what it is—lamb or mutton. What most confuses people is the presentation. It can be purchased at the drive-through counter at the caféteria at the BSI bus terminal in Reykjavik every day. You can also get sviasulta, or “sheep head jam,” which is made by cutting up cooked sheep heads and squeezing the meat into molds before cooling. That is used as a topping for bread. It was an exquisite sheep head jam that kept us alive while we were stranded in our Skalafell hotel during a 24-hour blizzard.
Blood Pudding – Slátur. ‘Slaughter’ is the direct translation of the word slátur. It is a meal created from the blood, fat, and internal organs of sheep. The sheep’s head is frequently served with this dish. At many gatherings, sweet rice pudding and blood pudding are also served, which is an unusual combination. Argentina and many European nations enjoy considerable popularity for a meal comparable to blood sausage.
Hung and smoked meat, or hangikjöt is a specialty that is primarily consumed at Christmas. In order to smoke the meat (lamb or mutton), either birch or dried sheep dung is used. After that, it is typically boiled and cut into slices before being served hot or cold with peas, potato mash, and a white sauce known as “uppstfur” (which is akin to béchamel sauce). Often, laufabrau (leaf bread), a thin cracker-type bread, is served alongside it. Similar to Italian prosciutto, ‘twice smoking’ meat has gained popularity in recent years. It is consumed raw and is very tasty. Additionally, supermarkets sell slices of hangikjöt that can be used as a topping for bread. It was another absolutely delicious type of food that also saved us during the blizzard.
Shark flesh. It is important to note that the minke whale, which has never been deemed endangered, is the only variety of whale consumed in Iceland. You can consume raw or cooked whale meat. If you cook it (or have it cooked for you), you must watch out that it doesn’t get overcooked because that will make it dry. Red meat from whales is similar to beefsteaks in texture and leanness, although it is softer. It’s frequently compared to tuna and beef, despite the fact that it doesn’t taste fishy at all. It tastes great raw, eaten like sushi with wasabi and soy sauce, but it also tastes great cooked rare and served with all the usual beefsteak toppings. We had it at the renowned Sea Baron restaurant (a former fisherman’s shack). It was one of the best meals we had in Iceland, but I still feel bad about eating whale meat. Though most Icelanders eat it, few people have ever tried puffin.
Cod tongues – Gellur. Gellur can be good when prepared in a novel way, as au gratin. On the other hand, boiling them is a traditional way to prepare gellur. less tasty. Gellur is frequently mistaken for fish tongues, but it’s actually a fleshy, triangular muscle that sits beneath and below the tongue. They are white and slimy, and although they are no longer as common, all decent fishmongers used to have them. We haven’t used them because we haven’t seen them anyplace
Fishballs, or fiskibollur. They are essentially just fish and onion or potato balls, much like meatballs. most people believe it to be somewhat dull.
Puffin – Lundi. Both smoking and boiling puffin in milk sauce are options. A specialty that may be found in restaurants across the nation is smoked puffin. Although puffin is one of the endangered species, it is a traditional dish in the Westman Islands, home to Iceland’s largest puffin colony, so we skipped it.
Meat soup, or kjötspa. With lamb chunks, potatoes, carrots, and onions, the classic Icelandic meat soup is a hearty and delectable clear soup. Delicious and excellent for warming up!
Fish soup, or fiskispa. Icelandic shellfish or fish soup differs from house to house. The fish soup is typically made with cream. You can find so much fresh fish and seafood in Iceland that you’re sure to have the finest fish or lobster soup you’ve ever had. Another type is lobster (langoustine) soup, which is particularly popular in the town of Hofn.
Skyr. A low-fat dairy product with similarities to yogurt but significant differences from yogurt is called skyr. Although it is very creamy and rich, there is hardly any fat in it. It is a product that is exclusive to Iceland and is incredibly well-liked by both locals and visitors. Skyr is used to make a variety of desserts, such as creme brulee, panna cotta, chocolate skyr, etc.