September 2, 2024, 4:16 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
On a remote island, you can get some strange ideas. For example, growing tomatoes – even though glaciers surround you. And then making beer out of them! This is just one of the mysteries that vacationers can get to the bottom of in Iceland.
Tomatoes in Iceland? You bet! How does it work? It’s simple: they grow here in greenhouses, some of which run on geothermal energy. After all, there’s a lot going on underground in Iceland. And the inhabitants cleverly exploit this. TRAVELBOOK rounds up some of the specialties eaten in Iceland.
The Fridheimar farm in Reykholt in the south of Iceland grows tomatoes in one of these greenhouses, and the menu is wholly geared towards them. Tomato beer is also available for those who dare. Yes, really. And that’s not the only surprise awaiting vacationers on a culinary voyage of discovery here. Iceland is more than just fish. Visitors can explore a creative food scene that combines cooking traditions with modern influences.
Icelanders now grow wasabi, for example. The spicy paste made from it is available in the island’s better restaurants. “A perfect example of how we use influences from other countries for Icelandic cuisine,” says Eliza Reid, the First Lady of Iceland.
Fermented shark is not to everyone’s taste
This also includes hákarl, fermented Greenland shark. The traditional dish is for the brave. “It’s a bit of a breakthrough,” describes Reid. “It’s mild at first, and you think it’s not as bad as everyone says. Then you swallow – it has this ammonia aroma that gets in your head and lingers. I wouldn’t order it in a restaurant.”
Hákarl is best washed down with a schnapps. And if you haven’t had enough after tasting it, visit the Hai Museum in Bjarnarhofn and find out how Hákarl is made.
The capital, Reykjavík, is also a good starting point for a gourmet trip. The Dill restaurant, which was the first restaurant in Iceland to be awarded a Michelin star, offers classic cuisine – although it did not receive the coveted award again in 2019. Here, ingredients from Nordic cuisine are served in a particular flavor.
You can also immerse yourself in traditional cuisine at the Grillid and Matur og Drykkur restaurants. They are also mentioned in the Michelin Guide. All are located in or around the capital’s center and can be reached on foot.
Things are more traditional on the island of Vestmannaeyjar further south. Here, you will find the Slippurinn restaurant, where dishes are spiced with locally grown herbs.
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Skyr and Kjötsupa
Holidaymakers can also explore farms where ice cream or skyr is made from milk. Tasting is, of course, encouraged. One of them is Efstidalur, east of Reykjavík. Many people are familiar with skyr – after all, the yogurt-like dish can be found on the shelves of most supermarkets in this country.
Kjötsupa is typically Icelandic, but without the influence of the sea: lamb soup with potatoes and vegetables. Iceland is particularly proud of lamb. Historically, it is the counterpart to fish on Icelanders’ plates, so to speak.