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10 of the Best Foods to Try in Iceland (and One of the Worst)
Maybe you’re planning a short winter visit to Iceland to see the Northern Lights when it’s dark for 18+ hours each day. Or maybe you’re planning a summer visit to Iceland to drive all over the island in 7 days, enjoying its main cities and attractions without ever seeing a sunset.
Regardless of when you plan to go or what you plan to do, there’s one aspect of Icelandic culture you won’t have to miss:
The food.
Icelandic food is a culinary adventure. You’ll see some dishes that are familiar. You’ll see others you’re unlikely to find anywhere else.
Seafood, lamb, bread, and vegetables are staples. However, the produce selection is more limited than in many countries with warmer climes and more fertile soil. Early Viking settlers relied on scurvy grass and berries to avoid scurvy. One especially interesting dish you’re not likely to find in restaurants is moss porridge (also known as lichen milk soup), made from boiled moss cooked with milk, sugar, and a pinch of salt.
If you’re wondering what else people eat in Iceland, keep reading for a selection of the most interesting, tasty, and terrible foods the country has to offer.
Lobster Soup
A warm bowl of lobster soup is the perfect comfort food on a cold Icelandic day. It pairs quite well with some bread and butter. Many would say that this is a must-eat food in Iceland.
Humar (Lobster)
Of course, there’s also lobster itself. Or technically langoustine, which is the small but exquisite Icelandic version of lobster. Try them with a salad and some buttered bread.
Note that salad is relatively expensive in Iceland because many vegetables are imported.
The city of Höfn is known for its langoustines and hosts an annual lobster festival.
Blalanga (Blue ling Fish)
Blue ling is a delicious Icelandic fish, a long and thin cod found in the deep waters of the North Atlantic.
It’s often served with peppers and a slice of lemon.
Icelandic Tapas
If you’d like a sampling of Icelandic foods during your visit, try their version of tapas. I enjoyed this delightful plate not far from Reykjavik, on the Snaefellesnes Peninsula. The meal included pumpkin and feta on bread, salmon and avocado on bread, herring and paprika on bread, cod croquettes, and eggs and toast.
The eggs and toast aren’t pictured. I’m sure you’ve seen those before.
Flatkaka með hangikjöti (lamb and flatbread)
This consists of thin slices of Icelandic smoked leg of lamb that can be eaten like cold cuts on rye flatbread. Mine was served with a small portion of what looked and tasted like olivye, a salad made with potatoes, carrots, peas, and mayonnaise.
Flatbread, by the way, is among the oldest Icelandic foods. It probably dates back to the Viking settlement of Iceland in the 9th century.
Lamb is the most popular red meat in Iceland.
Skyr (yogurt)
Skyr is one of the foods Iceland is known for. It’s a rich type of yogurt, similar to Greek yogurt or a soft cheese. It can be a bit sour unless sweetened with fruit like the example below. In addition to fruit, you can add sugar or oats like some of the locals do.
Harðfiskur (fish jerky)
Harðfiskur is essentially strips of dried fish jerky. It’s often made from cod, catfish, or haddock and consumed with butter. You can find it in local markets and supermarkets. Rich in protein, this snack food is also easy to transport during your travels across the country.
Herring, rye, and egg with Icelandic wildberry juice
This is a pleasant combination of flavorful herring with soft, cake-like rye bread and a boiled egg. Washed down with Icelandic wildberry juice (which consists of blueberry and crowberry juice), it’s a satisfying meal.
By the way, if you’re wondering what a crowberry is: it’s a small, black, hard berry that is more resistant to frost than many other berries.
Pylsur (Hot Dog)
The Icelandic version of the hot dog is made from lamb, pork, and beef. A pylsur is often topped with raw and fried onions, an apple-based ketchup, mustard, and remoulade (pickled mayo). Interesting.
A local guide told me Bill Clinton tried one and liked it.
Pönnukaka með sultu og rjóma (pancakes)
These are thin Icelandic pancakes/crepes filled with cream and jam.
The Worst: Hakarl – Fermented Greenland Shark
Is hakarl the most popular food in Iceland?
No.
But is hakarl a food you should at least try once during your visit to Iceland?
Also no.
Hakarl is perhaps the most infamous delicacy that Iceland is known for. It’s made from the Greenland shark, which is ordinarily poisonous and unfit for consumption without a special and lengthy preparation process.
Long ago, Icelanders learned that the flesh could be consumed if the shark were buried for at least two months. Afterward, the decomposed shark flesh is edible.
However, the stench from it is overpowering and disgusting. Think about roadkill and ammonia. Some travelers call hakarl the worst smelling dish they have ever encountered.
This traveler was not courageous enough to try it. I’m not Bear Grylls or Anthony Bourdain.
No photo for you!
Enjoy the Icelandic Culinary Experience
And there you have it. An overview of some of the main must-try, delicious, and not-so-delicious Icelandic foods.
