Icelandic cuisine. Dishes and recipes of Icelandic cuisine

The most important “ingredient” in Icelandic cuisine is its unique location. Iceland is famous for its abundance of fresh water, clean nature and fishing, while geothermal energy makes it possible to supply all year round fresh vegetables grown in organic greenhouses.

Over the past few years, Iceland has become one of the most dynamic food destinations in Europe, regularly introducing exciting new recipes. Chefs cooking modern dishes from traditional products, influenced by the philosophy of New Nordic cuisine, where freshness and local, seasonal ingredients play an important role.

The basis of Icelandic cuisine is fresh fish dishes. Some of the richest fishing grounds in the North Atlantic are off the coast of Iceland, where cool and warm ocean currents meet to create ideal conditions to replenish fish stocks. From time immemorial, fishing has been an integral part of Icelandic history and culture. It was the basis of the life of the nation, an important part of the diet, and a major export product. Iceland has strict standards to maintain sustainable fishing and has good laws to regulate catches. Visit one of Iceland's many fish restaurants and you'll understand why locals believe they invented fish cuisine.

Icelandic lamb is also a popular ingredient. Sheep roam the open countryside all summer, feeding wild berries and moss. Autumn comes and they are rounded up by shepherds on horseback, as has been done since the days of the first settlers. The aroma of local herbs permeates succulent Icelandic lamb, delighting chefs around the world.

Chefs throughout Iceland use vegetables and herbs grown in geothermally heated greenhouses, allowing you to enjoy the best quality products. Iceland's dairy products are also famous for their useful qualities and taste, especially Skyr yoghurt, which can already be found on sale throughout Europe.

Fish and lamb are traditional, but most restaurants offer beef, poultry, pork, game, lobster, shrimp and scallops, as well as vegetarian dishes. You will also find many themed restaurants in the country, such as Indian, Pakistani, Korean, Chinese, Thai, Filipino, Japanese, Italian, French, Spanish, Danish, American and Mexican cuisines.

The street offers tourists a particularly favorite Icelandic snack, the pylsa, or hot dog. Tell street vendor“eina með öllu” (with everything) and you will get a hot dog boldly topped with crispy fried onions, ketchup, sweet mustard, raw onions and curry sauce.

Along with new culinary delights, Traditional Icelandic cuisine is also widespread. In the era before modern technologies food storage, i.e. before the invention of the refrigerator, food was traditionally preserved using more primitive methods. This traditional food consists of pickled, salted, dried or smoked fish and meat various types. In order to survive the long winter months, all parts of the animals were used for food. Don't be surprised if you see fermented shark fillet, smoked sheep's head or pickled lamb testicles on restaurant menus. Try them at your own risk.

The most “disgusting” in the world is Icelandic cuisine

Here is a list of traditional Icelandic dishes, some of which may not be to everyone's taste.

While some traditional Icelandic dishes Considered a delicacy and some commonly eaten by locals and tourists, there are some dishes you may not want to eat in Iceland. And some tourists go so far as to claim that this is the most disgusting food! Luckily, Iceland is home to some of the world's best delicious dishes— especially when it comes to lamb or seafood.

For centuries, Icelanders had to smoke, salt or dry their food to preserve it during the harsh winters. As a result, traditional cuisine Iceland's food mainly consists of seafood and lamb that have gone through some kind of processing method.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are a fairly new addition to Icelandic cuisine (only since the last century!). Today the country is proud fresh products, and here there is whole line gourmet restaurants renowned around the world, and there is also a regular Food and Fun Festival where chefs from other countries use Icelandic ingredients to create some new and delicious treats.

But if you want to experience something a little more traditional, then check out following products power supply:

Hakarl (haukarl) – shark fillet

You've probably heard that the traditional Icelandic way of "preserving" shark meat is to bury it in the ground and then urinate on it before letting the meat rot for a few months. It is not true! Well, the “pee” thing is a little true, but the shark doesn’t rot, it ferments.

Shark meat actually smells like ammonia, which is what gave birth to this myth. To get rid of the smell, shark meat is packed in boxes with cracks and gravel and allowed to “dry” for 1.5-2 months. This is done to get rid of the acid in the meat, which prevents the shark meat from being eaten fresh. And then it is hung on hooks and it is air-dried for another 2 to 4 months. When serving, cut off the resulting crust.

The result is a product that is more for everyone. Connoisseurs of very sharp cheese may like this dish. As for the rest, well, let's just say that this is not a common dish in Iceland. Although older generation in Iceland they still eat and enjoy this dish. You can buy Hákarl at the Kolaportid flea market on the weekends in the produce section for a small fee. Icelanders just love selling pieces of Hákarl for tourists to see on their sour faces! For extra hardcore, wash it down with Iceland's famous drink Brennivín!

Brennivin - Black Death

Brennivín can be directly translated as "flaming wine", although it is mainly marketed as "black death". Brennivín is schnapps made from caraway and potatoes. This drink has a strong cumin flavor and will quickly send you into oblivion. Although, if you eat fermented shark fillet or pickled lamb testicles, it's probably not such a bad thing.

Surir hrutspungar - marinated lamb testicles

The history of the appearance of sheep's testicles goes back to ancient times. Iceland was a very poor country, and the poor peasants used whatever they could eat for food. Their menu also included sheep's testicles. They were pickled and did not spoil in winter.

Hot spring rye bread

Let's move on to something more delicious!

Icelandic Rye bread very popular in the country. This is dark bread that has a very specific taste, a little sweet. However, it is not a cookie and is mainly eaten with butter, fish or smoked lamb (hangikjöt - see below). One of the options for preparing this bread is to place the dough in special wooden barrels in the ground near the hot springs and pick it up the next day. Delicious!

Harðfiskur (hardfiskur) – dried fish

Another popular food in Iceland is dried fish, usually cod or haddock. It is very popular among Icelanders and some foreigners. It's kind of like "stockfish". Icelanders consume tons of it every year, smearing it with butter. The texture of the fish is very dry and the oil makes it softer. You need to chew each piece very carefully before swallowing it! Dried fish is very rich in protein, 100g of the product contains about 80-85% protein. You will either love it or hate it!

Svið (swid) - ram's head

Iceland's favorite local delicacy and national dish is lamb's head. You can buy it frozen in almost any supermarket. The entire head is cooked, except for the brain. Cheeks and tongue - best part. It tastes exactly like lamb or mutton.

At the café "Fljótt og Gott" ("Fast and Good") at the BSI bus terminal in Reykjavik, you can buy it daily. You can also get sviðasulta (in the form of brawn) - created by mincing the meat from boiled sheep heads, pressing into molds and then chilling. It is eaten as a side dish with bread.

Slatur – blood pudding

Slátur literally means "slaughter". This is a dish made from lamb entrails, blood and fat. This dish is often served with a sheep's head. This is Iceland's answer to Scottish haggis. Blood sausage is also often served with sweets rice pudding, which is a bit of an odd combination.

There are two types of slátur: blóðmör (blood sausage) or lifrarpylsa ( liverwurst). Blóðmör is reminiscent of English/Irish black pudding and lifrarpylsa is reminiscent of Scottish haggis, although Icelandic slatur is much softer in texture. Some people like slatur sprinkled with sugar.

Hangikjöt (hangikyot) - smoked meats

A delicacy that is eaten in Iceland mainly at Christmas. The meat (mutton or lamb) is smoked, either with birch wood or with dried sheep droppings. It is then usually boiled and served hot or cold in slices with peas, mashed potatoes and white sauce similar to bechamel sauce.

It is often accompanied by thin bread (laufabrauð). In recent times, it has become popular to eat hangikyot raw, just like Italian prosciutto. You can also buy slices of hangikjöt in supermarkets to eat as a sandwich.

Laufabrauð - sheet bread

This is a very thin round “bread” - similar in texture to flatbread. These can be variously flavored flatbreads and are eaten with butter, although laufabrauð is fried in hot oil. Before serving this bread to the table, it is cut into portions, which is often done as a family meal. new year tradition. There are many traditional cutting methods, but you can come up with your own twist to show off your creative side!

Saltfiskur - salted fish

One of the methods used in Iceland to preserve food is pickling. The fish is completely covered with salt, which dries and is absorbed into the carcass. Before use, Saltfiskur should be soaked in water for several hours or even 2-3 days. The soaking time depends on the size of the fish, how much salt you want to get rid of and how often you change the water.

Today you can buy “lightly salted” fish that does not need to be soaked. But nothing will give you the same taste and texture as “properly” salted fish. Traditionally, salted fish is simply boiled and served with potatoes and rye bread, but today it has become popular to prepare it in the Spanish or Italian style, with tomatoes or, for example, olives. Icelandic salted cod remains one of Iceland's largest exports and is a popular delicacy in Portugal, Greece and Spain.

Kæfa - pate

Favorite addition to bread. Icelandic kæfa is made primarily from lamb and is almost identical to pate - but it is made in different shapes, smooth or rough.

It is worth noting here that the only species of whale eaten in Iceland is the minke whale (which has never been on the verge of extinction!).

Whale meat can be eaten raw or cooked. If you cook it (or have someone cook it for you), you need to make sure the portion is not too big because whale meat gets dry quickly. Whale meat is red meat similar to steak, but softer and leaner than beef. It is often described as a cross between beef and tuna. Whale meat is also very tasty raw, as eaten with sushi with wasabi and soy sauce - but it is equally good when cooked, when served with a side dish, like a beef steak. Yummy!

Gellur – fish tongue

When fried, for example in breadcrumbs, gellur can be quite tasty. On the other hand, the traditional way of preparing gellur is by boiling only.

Gellur is often mistakenly called "fish tongue", but is actually the fleshy, triangular muscle from the back of the fish.

Reyka - Icelandic vodka

This vodka is produced in small batches only in Iceland.

When producers set out to create the first vodka distillery in Iceland, they chose this unique country for its natural resources. To make vodka, Arctic spring water is collected from a source that passes through 4,000-year-old lava fields. Lava stones naturally They filter the water, making it one of the cleanest in the world. The purity of the water makes it possible to impart “transparency” to the taste of this vodka. Did we forget to mention that this plant runs on geothermal energy from volcanoes? Reika Vodka isn't just made in Iceland. She was born in Iceland!

Fiskibollur – fish balls

Fiskibollur are balls of fish and onions or potatoes (similar to meatballs). You can buy them cheaply ready-made in supermarkets, where they are sold either tin can or in vacuum packaging. It would be much better to make your own fish balls, as buying from supermarkets is not very interesting. Store-bought Fiskibollur does not have a distinct flavor and is too bland.

Lundi – puffin bird

Lundi (puffin bird) can be boiled in milk sauce or smoked. Smoked puffin is a real delicacy, which can be found in restaurants across the country. Lundi is the national dish of the Westman Islands, home to the largest colony of puffins in Iceland.

Kjötsupa ( kyotsupa)- meat soup

Traditional Icelandic meat soup is hearty and tasty soup from pieces of lamb, potatoes, carrots, onions and rutabaga.

Fiskisupa - fish soup

The recipe for Icelandic fish soup or seafood soup varies from family to family. Fish soup is most often prepared with cream, and one of the most interesting recipes involves blue cheese and curry.

Iceland has such an abundance of fresh fish and seafood that you should definitely try the best fish soups in the world, which are prepared only in Iceland!

In conclusion, I want to mention one thing that every foreigner always likes. No list of traditional Icelandic cuisine would be complete without mentioning dairy products.

Skyr is low-fat milk product, which resembles yogurt, but it is very different from yogurt, it is more like soft cheese. He has a very creamy taste, contains practically no fat, but it has a lot of protein! This is a product that is unique to Iceland and is very popular among locals and foreigners. Many of Iceland's skyr desserts have gained popularity abroad, and now you can buy skyr in some other countries!

February 2nd, 2016

Traditional Icelandic food is largely influenced by Danish cuisine. It must not be forgotten that the country was under Danish rule from medieval times until the nineteenth century. Of course, this also affected cooking. Many recipes for cakes and cookies come from Denmark, which is famous for its baked goods, as well as other dishes. But the people of the first settlements in Iceland, who existed in very difficult climatic conditions, had to make do with what they could get on the harsh land and in the cold sea. Involuntarily we had to become inventive.

IN these days Icelanders can afford many gastronomic delights imported from all over the world, but at the same time there are several Icelandic recipes that represent something sacred, which have been passed down from generation to generation for hundreds and hundreds of years.

Naturally, the Icelandic recipe contains a large number of seafood, which is explained by the geographical location of the country - scallops, salmon, shark meat, shrimp, cod, halibut and much more. The most common meat is lamb. Icelanders are very scrupulous - the import of meat into the country is prohibited, so that local residents do not pick up any infection.

Several historical events and natural disasters were of great importance for the development of the Icelandic gastronomic tradition. Lent traditions following the adoption of Christianity in the year 1000, the prohibition of eating horse meat, the onset of the Little Ice Age in the fourteenth century, which severely limited agricultural options and people could no longer grow barley. Centuries-old culinary traditions are associated with the autumn slaughter of cattle and limited possibilities for preserving meat. Therefore, most of the tastes of the country's traditional dishes are determined by storage technologies - drying, smoking, fermentation in fermented whey or brine.

The unique “surmatur” or whey for marinating meat and fish is a key product, and products prepared accordingly in it constitute Torramatur. Sliced meat or fish served with rugbrøid (rye bread, dense, dark color, usually sweetish), butter and brennivin (cumin schnapps).

Torramatur is a Tori month tradition. In Norse mythology, the personification of frost or winter. In the Orkney Saga, the Norwegian King Torry is the son of snow. In the old Icelandic calendar, the name of the fourth winter month - it always begins on Friday, between 19 and 25 January and ends on Saturday, between 19 and 25 February.

Associated with the Torrablot holiday tradition, Torramatur is served buffet style. Festivals were very popular in the 1950s and 1960s, and some are still held every year. If we look within the boundaries of Reykjavik and other Icelandic cities, then, as a rule, many restaurants offer meat and fish food prepared “according to ancient custom.”

It should be noted that the word “torramatur” itself was not mentioned anywhere until 1958, when the Nøistid restaurant in Reykjavik, founded in 1954, first presented the torramatur menu. This menu (1958) is displayed/advertised in the restaurant, reminiscent of the first "torramatur". The food was served in large wooden tubs (exactly copied from the old tubs in the National Museum of Iceland). The idea was not only to, to a certain extent, become imbued with the national culture by tasting ancient food. This was also an attempt to “revive” the low season for restaurants. And as it turned out, it was so successful that it immediately gained great popularity not only at the Neusted restaurant, but was copied by other restaurants. Very soon, many regional and student associations that organized torrablót festivals, known for its many entertainments, dances and copious libations, began serving torramatur food at their events.

Of course, over the past decades, “torramatur” has changed, adapting to modern tastes. A traditional method of preserving meat by immersing it in fermented whey, which gives the product its characteristic sour taste, is not familiar to the younger generation of Icelanders in general. Therefore, "torramatur" today offers a choice - serving the same food - the "sour portion" and usually cooked - on separate trays (since acid instantly oxidizes any food). In addition, many new dishes have been added to the Icelandic " buffet"-torramaturs, including strictly regional ones, are for this reason rare and little known. The method of serving (in wooden tubs) has also changed - today, in most cases, food is served on ordinary trays.

Kaistur Hvalur - whale meat soaked in whey.

Hardfiskur, simply put “ram” or dried fish (cod, haddock, striped catfish). In past times, in houses where they could afford flour, they baked something like pies with it. Hardiskur is eaten with butter or red seaweed and is a popular snack in Iceland.

Sweed is a lamb's head, cut in half, singed (to remove the wool) and boiled without the brain. Sometimes it is previously kept in lactic acid for prevention. Svid often serves as the basis for svidasult (brawn).

There are several superstitious signs associated with eating lamb's head. For example, ears are considered a forbidden area, as they are usually marked (the owner of the animal is indicated) and the person who ate them can allegedly be accused of theft. If the small bone under the tongue is not broken, the child will remain mute. Many Icelanders believe that the eye is the most delicious part of the head.

Well, here are some interesting and unusual dishes for you.

Saltfiskur - salted fish

In Iceland, one of the most used methods of food preservation is pickling. The fish is completely coated with salt, which then dries out the meat. Before cooking such fish, you need to let it sit in water for several hours (or several days, depending on the size of the fish). Traditionally, this fish is simply boiled and served with potatoes and bread. Nowadays Icelanders increasingly prefer to do salted fish in Spanish or Italian styles, with tomatoes and olives, for example.

Hangikyot - smoked lamb

A festive dish, the name translates as “hanging meat”. The meat is smoked over birch wood or with the addition of dried sheep droppings. Then it is boiled and served hot or cold with peas, mashed potatoes and white sauce, similar to bechamel.

Gellur - cod tongues

If you cook gellur, as, for example, in the photo, in the oven, then it is very tasty. But usually gellur is simply boiled and served.
Gellurs are often mistaken for fish tongues, but they are fleshy, triangular muscles just under the tongue.

Hardfiskur - dried fish

Another popular dish among Icelanders and even foreigners - dried or dried fish, usually haddock or cod. Icelanders eat literally tons of it with butter, without which, frankly, you can’t swallow it, since the fish meat is very dry.

Volcanic bread

Icelandic rye bread is very popular in the country. It is dark in color and has a sweet taste. They eat it with butter and fish or meat. One of the methods for preparing it is very interesting - the finished dough is placed in a metal mold and left for a day where volcanoes heat the upper layers of the soil. This type of bread is also called volcanic bread.

Lundi - puffin bird

Usually the meat is boiled in milk sauce or smoked. The dish is most popular in the Westman Islands, where there is a whole colony of these birds. There are a lot of puffins in Iceland, like we have, for example, pigeons, so they eat them without a twinge of conscience.

Hvalspeak

Hvalspik means "whale oil". It is boiled and smoked in lactic acid. It was considered one of the main delicacies of the country, but now almost no one eats it.

Slatur - blood sausage or pudding

"Slatur" literally means "bloodshed". Slatur is prepared from the entrails, blood and fat of sheep. Sometimes blood pudding is served with sweet rice pudding - a rather strange combination.

Hrutspungur - young lamb's eggs

It is a delicacy in Iceland, although now almost no one eats it, except on holidays. The origin of this dish is explained by the fact that Iceland was once a poor country and farmers used everything they could. The eggs are first pickled and then pressed into cookies or filled with gelatin.

Whale meat

In Iceland they eat minke whale (a species of whale that is not endangered). Whale meat is used to make steaks, kebabs, or eaten raw with wasabi and soy sauce. The taste is something between tuna and beef.

Kyotsupa - meat soup

Traditional meat soup is made from lamb, potatoes, carrots, onions and rutabaga. They say it is a very tasty dish.

Skyr

Maybe not a traditional dish, but very popular among Icelanders and foreigners. Skyr is a dairy product with low content fat, resembles a little yogurt, although it is not it. Many desserts are made from thick skyr.

Brennivin - "black death"

And finally, the popular alcoholic drink “Brennivin”. Translated as “burnt wine”, it is made from potatoes and caraway seeds. The Icelanders themselves call it the “Black Death”.

By the way, alcohol prices in Iceland are very high. You can buy a glass of wine or beer in restaurants, bars and government stores, but you will have to pay a fortune for alcohol.

Here are some other types of cuisines: here, for example, and here, or for example, and

Icelandic cuisine is not very diverse or rich. This is largely due to the fact that the land is not very fertile and the climate is unfavorable. Therefore, from time immemorial, Icelanders have been trying to get out as best they can - they use absolutely everything for food, and it even feels like they have no such thing as food waste.

We have selected 15 dishes of national Icelandic cuisine, some of which, perhaps, can only be eaten by real Vikings.

Haukarl - rotten meat of the Greenland shark
IN fresh the meat of these sharks is poisonous - it contains a huge concentration of ammonia, since this type of shark does not have a urinary tract. This is why haukarl takes a very long time to prepare to remove toxic urea. In fact, shark meat is placed in special containers with gravel, where it rots for 6-8 weeks. The meat reaches the desired condition by drying in the fresh air for another 3-4 months. In total, the fish rots for about six months.
By the way, the characteristic smell remains in finished product, however, this does not reduce its popularity among the local population.

Saltfiskur - salted fish
In Iceland, one of the most used methods of food preservation is pickling. The fish is completely coated with salt, which then dries out the meat. Before cooking such fish, you need to let it sit in water for several hours (or several days, depending on the size of the fish). Traditionally, this fish is simply boiled and served with potatoes and bread. Nowadays, Icelanders increasingly prefer to make salted fish in the Spanish or Italian style, with tomatoes and olives, for example.

Hangikyot - smoked lamb meat
A festive dish, the name translates as “hanging meat”. The meat is smoked over birch wood or with the addition of dried sheep droppings. Then it is boiled and served hot or cold with peas, mashed potatoes and white sauce, similar to bechamel.

Gellur - cod tongues
If you cook gellur, as, for example, in the photo, in the oven, then it is very tasty. But usually gellur is simply boiled and served.
Gellurs are often mistaken for fish tongues, but they are fleshy, triangular muscles just under the tongue.

Hardfiskur - dried fish
Another popular dish among Icelanders and even foreigners is dried or stockfish, usually haddock or cod. Icelanders eat literally tons of it with butter, without which, frankly, you can’t swallow it, since the fish meat is very dry.

Volcanic bread
Icelandic rye bread is very popular in the country. It is dark in color and has a sweet taste. They eat it with butter and fish or meat. One of the methods for preparing it is very interesting - the finished dough is placed in a metal mold and left for a day where volcanoes heat the upper layers of the soil. This type of bread is also called volcanic bread.

Lundi - puffin bird
Usually the meat is boiled in milk sauce or smoked. The dish is most popular in the Westman Islands, where there is a whole colony of these birds. There are a lot of puffins in Iceland, like we have, for example, pigeons, so they eat them without a twinge of conscience.

Hvalspeak
Hvalspik means "whale oil". It is boiled and smoked in lactic acid. It was considered one of the main delicacies of the country, but now almost no one eats it.

Slatur - blood sausage or pudding
"Slatur" literally means "bloodshed". Slatur is prepared from the entrails, blood and fat of sheep. Sometimes blood pudding is served with sweet rice pudding - a rather strange combination.

Svid - ram's head
A whole lamb's head is first cleaned of wool and brains, boiled and sometimes kept in lactic acid. Absolutely everything in this dish is eaten, even the eyes. The most tasty parts cheeks and tongue are considered.

Hrutspungur - eggs of a young lamb
It is a delicacy in Iceland, although now almost no one eats it, except on holidays. The origin of this dish is explained by the fact that Iceland was once a poor country and farmers used everything they could. The eggs are first pickled and then pressed into cookies or filled with gelatin.

Whale meat
In Iceland they eat minke whale (a species of whale that is not endangered). Whale meat is used to make steaks, kebabs, or eaten raw with wasabi and soy sauce. The taste is something between tuna and beef.

Kyotsupa - meat soup
Traditional meat soup is made from lamb, potatoes, carrots, onions and rutabaga. They say it is a very tasty dish.

Skyr
It may not be a traditional dish, but it is very popular among Icelanders and foreigners. Skyr is a low-fat dairy product that resembles, although it is not, yoghurt. Many desserts are made from thick skyr.

Brennivin - "black death"
And finally, the popular alcoholic drink “Brennivin”. Translated as “burnt wine”, it is made from potatoes and caraway seeds. The Icelanders themselves call it the “Black Death”.
By the way, alcohol prices in Iceland are very high. You can buy a glass of wine or beer in restaurants, bars and government stores, but you will have to pay a fortune for alcohol.

The traditions of Icelandic cuisine go back to the distant Middle Ages. The basis of the Icelandic diet is dishes prepared from seafood, local varieties of fish and. Invariable interest among guests gastronomic festivals also enjoy exotic dishes from the meat of wild animals according to the recipes of the ancient Vikings, which are carefully preserved by Icelandic chefs.

Along with traditional dishes, local chefs are developing modern Icelandic cuisine. There was a place in it for vegetables grown in the country’s geothermal greenhouses, as well as for imported products. However, gourmets from all over the world flock to the land of the ancient Vikings to taste local exotic delicacies (“torramatur”) made from environmentally friendly products.

general characteristics

The unique Icelandic cuisine is based on seemingly ordinary ingredients: meat, fish and seafood. At first glance, it may seem too simple, even “rustic”. Not every tourist who visits the country will risk trying very exotic traditional dishes, fearing for their stomach. However, those who try the local cuisine are amazed unusual taste the most ordinary dishes at first glance and the originality of their preparation.

The culinary traditions of Icelandic cuisine are determined by the history of the formation of the state and the peculiarities of its geographical location. Very little information has survived to this day about products that have been used for a long time. Thus, the love for lamb is a conscious choice of Icelanders, who for centuries have been wary of importing meat products due to contamination with various ailments. disappeared from the menu of the local population in the tenth century, after the population of the country adopted Christianity, and only eight centuries later it began to slowly return to the diet of Icelanders.

Declining temperatures in the fourteenth century (Little Ice Age) made it impossible to grow fruits, vegetables and grains in the country. , and cabbage appeared here only in the twentieth century, but only in certain regions of the country. Residents of a country with a harsh climate showed considerable ingenuity to provide themselves with food. Climatic conditions and everyday life predetermined the preference of the Irish: high-calorie dishes prepared from shelf-stable products.

Icelandic cuisine is believed to be influenced by Danish cooking, as the country was under Danish rule from the Middle Ages until the nineteenth century.

Dishes prepared from products familiar to the inhabitants of this country are not particularly diverse or refined, but you will not find them in other parts of the world. Icelandic chefs carefully preserve and pass on ancient Viking recipes from generation to generation.

Characteristics and main dishes

The main characteristic of Icelandic cuisine is its consistency. For centuries, the main ingredients used by local chefs have been fish, seafood and lamb. Moreover, all products in Iceland are of the highest quality.

The culinary experts of the country of glaciers, volcanoes and geysers use natural features in a very original way to prepare national dishes. This is evidenced, for example, by the original method of baking local bread “laufabraus”, thanks to which thin Icelandic bread was nicknamed “volcanic”. Its secret is that the dough in a special iron container is simply buried in the ground, heated by volcanoes. At hot springs, the Irish also set up greenhouses in which they grow vegetables.

Local environmentally clean products, from which chefs prepare hearty dishes, are present on the tables of Icelanders all year round. These include:

Seafood: fish and seafood. Cooks prepare from local species, as well as mackerel, and even sharks variety of dishes and sandwiches. Fish is served smoked, pickled, dried and salted. Popular in Iceland are marinated salmon "gravlax" and spiced herring "sild", fried or dried fish "hardfiskur" served with butter or red seaweed, or "scented" shark called "hákarl". This spicy, pungent-smelling dish is considered a unique business card countries. It is “prepared” in a unique way: shark meat is kept in special containers with gravel or sand for several weeks, and then “languished” in the fresh air for another three months. It is believed that such manipulations disinfect the meat of the sea predator. Another traditional dish called "gellur" is boiled or baked "cod tongues", which are actually triangular muscles under the fish tongues. In the country's restaurants, dishes made from seafood (, and) and marine mammals are popular, for example, marinated whale lips, whale steak and “Kaistur Hvalur” - soaked in. In addition, every family here prepares the usual fisherman’s stew, the recipe for which is passed down from generation to generation.
Meat products. Rams and sheep are raised in all regions of the country. In particular, such “Viking dishes” are prepared from lamb as “svid” - a boiled sheep’s head, “hrutspungur” - the testicles of a young sheep in a variety of sauces and marinades, as well as a lamb stomach stuffed with frozen sheep blood, chopped sheep liver “ slatur”, fried meat “bleikya” or smoked lamb “hangikyot” (“suspended meat”). Lamb meat is smoked over birch wood, then boiled and served with sauce and a side dish of peas and potatoes. No less popular are the original lamb kebabs. It is also common to cook here blood sausage made from the entrails, fat and blood of sheep - “slatur”, which is served with sweet rice pudding. Traditional national dish in the Westman Islands is "lundi" - puffin poultry meat, which is boiled in milk sauce or smoked. Recently, in addition to lamb, Icelanders have been using, and, for preparing hot and cold dishes.
Milk and dairy products. Icelanders drink a lot and use it to make porridges, sauces and side dishes. Particularly popular is “skyr” - Icelandic cheese, whose consistency resembles a very thick one, as well as cheeses made from natural and environmentally friendly Icelandic milk. It is also used to make excellent yoghurts.
Eggs are certainly present in the daily diet of the country's population.
Bread and flour products. In addition to volcanic, Icelandic cooks also prepare other types of bread, in particular, juniper, sweet, and bread with. Baking is represented by sweet “brushwood” - kleinur, pancakes with berries, as well as many types of cakes and cookies prepared according to recipes borrowed from Danish chefs.
The range of cereals is very limited; they are used to season soups and prepare porridges. The traditional first course is Icelandic stew.
Vegetables and fruits are mainly imported to the country of glaciers. Only potatoes, cabbage and cabbage are grown on local lands, as well as in greenhouses. The Icelanders' diet also includes northern berries, which they eat fresh and make jelly and jam from.
Icelanders prefer drinks, which became popular in the country three centuries ago. Nowadays, many coffee shops here charge only for the first cup of coffee, and all the rest are presented as a gift. Icelanders drink little because of its high price. Traditional alcoholic drink here is “brennivin” - something between and. This drink, which is prepared from potatoes and cumin seeds, is popularly called the “black death”. Also in the country, European alcoholic drinks are widely represented.
Of particular note high quality local, which you can safely drink from a tap or reservoir. There is only one “but”: when heated, the water acquires a distinct sulfur smell.

Beneficial features

Few people know that the Scandinavian diet is no less healthy than the widely advertised Japanese or Mediterranean diet. Meanwhile, according to the results of a study recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the diet of residents Scandinavian countries has a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect.

Its beneficial effects on health Scandinavian cuisine obliged high content, the very restrained attitude of local culinary specialists towards seasonings, as well as the presence of rich and rich seafood on the menu.

Preparing plokkfiskur

Plokkfiskur is a very popular hot fish dish in Iceland. Roughly translated into Russian, the name means “ fish stew and potatoes in sauce.”

The recipe for plokkfiskur goes back centuries, but the dish remains consistently popular to this day. The reason for this is simple - preparing this dish does not require too much time, the ingredients are affordable, and the result exceeds all expectations.

The history of Plokkfiskur is similar to one of the versions explaining how pizza began to be prepared in Italy. Let's remember that a very common theory is that pizza was invented thrifty housewives, seeking to “recycle” food leftovers from family dinners. At the same time in Iceland sea fish for centuries it remained a food product that was present daily in the diet of the local population. As a rule, after dinner, individual fragments of boiled fish remained on the plate. Over the course of a few days, so many of them were collected that it was quite enough to prepare a full dinner.

Traditionally, plokkfiskur is made from cod, flounder or. You can also use fish fillets that have not been previously boiled, but fried without the use of breadcrumbs. Please note that the fillet must first be cleaned of skin and small bones. There are Plokkfiskur in two versions: baked with cheese and stewed. Both have wonderful taste.

To prepare this dish you will need: 500 g white fish fillet, skinned and boned, the same amount of potatoes, one medium-sized onion, 50 g butter, about 400 ml of milk, 2-3 tablespoons, and white pepper to taste.

Option one, stewed

Boil the water. Salt it and place the fish fillets in the pan. Bring the water to a boil, and then immediately remove the pan from the heat. Cover with a lid and leave for a quarter of an hour.

Peel the potatoes. Boil it in well-salted water. Cut the finished potatoes into large pieces and put them in a warm place.

Remove the fish from the pan, cut into large pieces and also put it in a warm place.

Prepare the sauce. In a large saucepan over low heat, fry the onion until it becomes translucent. Add flour there and mix thoroughly.

Stirring constantly, pour in the milk. Warm the mixture, stir so that there are no lumps left. Season with salt and pepper.

Put in hot sauce pieces of potatoes and fish. Stir, but very carefully so that the fish does not fall apart. Bring to a boil over low heat and immediately remove from heat. Let the dish sit, covered, for 10 minutes and serve.

Option two, baked

On last stage When preparing the sauce, add any spices to it, for example, curry. Place the finished potatoes and fish in a baking dish, pour over the hot sauce. Sprinkle with grated cheese and place in a preheated oven. Bake at 180 degrees for twenty minutes until the cheese has melted and turned golden brown.

After ready dish will be removed from the oven, let it brew, and then put it on plates.

Plokkfiskur is usually served with Icelandic brown bread, rugbrez, with butter.

Cooking Icelandic brown bread rugbrake

To bake traditional black yeast-free bread, you will need: 250 g wheat flour with, 400 g with bran, 0.8 liters of milk or kefir, three dessert spoons sugar syrup, two dessert spoons of salt, two dessert spoons of soda.

Mix two types of flour, add salt and pour in water. Stir thoroughly. After this, pour milk or kefir into the mixture and stir until the mass becomes homogeneous. Add syrup and stir again.

The dough is quite thick, so it will take some effort to knead it properly. Ready dough Place in a greased pan, having previously covered it with baking paper. Level it out.

The bread is baked for four hours at a temperature of 100 degrees. Please note that during baking the dough rises slightly and also acquires a dark shade. Remove the pan from the oven, cover the bread with a towel and let it cool before removing.

Preparing Icelandic pancakes for coffee

Coffee in Iceland is a cult drink. In coffee shops, they often order pancakes with an invigorating drink. They are prepared according to a recipe that dates back to the eighteenth century and has remained virtually unchanged since then.

To prepare this dish you will need: one cup of flour, two and a half cups of milk, a couple of eggs, a tablespoon of butter, two tablespoons of sugar, half a teaspoon of baking powder, a quarter of a teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Boil the milk in a saucepan and let it cool.

Meanwhile, sift the flour and add baking powder, sugar and salt. Add half a portion of milk there and knead the dough until the lumps disappear. Pour the other half of the milk into it and add the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix the dough well and add melted butter, mix again.

Heat the frying pan well, after greasing it with oil. Pour the dough in small portions and spread it over the surface of the pan. Bake pancakes for one minute on each side.

Use for filling pancakes. Before serving, top the pancakes with whipped cream.

It is extremely unique; some of the traditionally accepted local dishes can harm the stomachs of tourists accustomed to European food. Roots culinary traditions Iceland still lies in the Middle Ages. However, the products from which Icelandic cuisine is prepared are highly environmentally friendly. The water here is clean, the air too, and the cattle graze on clean, fresh grass.

The cuisine of Iceland is not very rich and varied due to the generally meager nature and not very favorable climate. The geographical location of Iceland determined the presence of most dishes seafood And fish. This scallops, shrimp, salmon, shark meat, cod, halibut and many others. Meat predominates mutton. Recently, products successfully grown in geothermal greenhouses have begun to appear on the table of Icelandic residents more and more often. vegetables.

The general name for local delicacies is torramatur. Very often, marinated salmon with the addition of dill called "gravlax". Herring is marinated with spices, it is called "sild". The most popular snacks are often offered different variants fish sandwich in or "hardfiskur", which is simply fried or dried fish.

Considered local exotic "hakarl"- fish “with a smell”. The dish consists of the meat of a shark or some marine mammal, which is allowed to stew in the sand for six months before being served.

Lamb dishes are also quite unusual, and the recipes are quite ancient. Often the whole head of a sheep is boiled or pickled, sawing it in half and calling the whole thing "date" Tourists can also try to dine on meat fried until charred. "bleikia", smoked lamb "hangikyot" or chopped sheep's liver "slatur". As an option they offer lamb kebab.

Another unique dish - "hrutspungur", which is the testicles of a young lamb, pickled and under pressure turned into a kind of cookie. All this is served with very thin bread. "laufabraus". The local method of baking bread is interesting, thanks to which the latter received the name “volcanic”. The dough in an iron container is simply buried in the ground, where, thanks to the hot springs, the bread bakes itself.

The most famous national soup is traditional Icelandic stew. Among dairy dishes, the most widespread is "skyr", which is a kind of intermediate state between yogurt and cottage cheese.

Beer in Iceland it is quite expensive and not very popular. You can buy European-made wines everywhere. But local alcohol is Brennivin, which is a “hybrid” of vodka and whiskey. Among soft drinks Icelanders prefer coffee. Only the first cup is paid for at the coffee shop; the rest are given out free of charge.

Both local dishes and European cuisine can be sampled in one of the great restaurants countries. Due to strong competition in the area restaurant business The quality of food and service ratings in Iceland are extremely high.