Food in Iceland...

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Well you can find pretty much anything food wise in Iceland, whether it be Italian, Nepalese, etc. Personally when I’m travelling I like to have as much of an ‘authentic’ experience as I can and that was one advantage of staying in a Apartment/Hotel where we can get local food from the grocery store and try it out.

In Iceland you’ll find allot of organic food simply made. You’ll also find a lot of food based around seafood, lamb, open flat bread sandwiches. I tried fish stew when I was there and loved it! I also tried Haggis (not the biggest fan but it was edible, the texture I had a bit of difficulty with). Finally, I also tried Hákarl.

So what is Hákarl? Picture this, shark meat buried in the ground for 3 months. Dug back up and cut into cubes and served with a shot of Brennevin (Icelandic Scnapps nicknamed the ‘Black Death’). I actually tried it and the taste is something I will always remember. The Hákarl comes to your table in a sealed container. The reason why it comes sealed is because, as the server told me, it’s good to eat it quickly before you smell it as the smell can be ‘intimidating’.

Intimidating is a word for it. I went for the largest cube (I had a feeling I wouldn’t be going back for seconds and I wanted to get a good healthy dose). I put it in my mouth and chewed. The first bite I noted that it is extremely chewy and bad, but really not that bad. I chewed again, again not too bad and upon the third chew it hit me, I think it must be the ammonia within the shark meat and the sent and taste filled my mouth nose and throat and I couldn’t get it down fast enough with a shot of Brennevin. Everyone in the restaurant was watching me and laughing. After it was down (mind you I did spew a bit of my Brennevin on myself in my frantic action to get the putrid stuff down). I will say never again, but I am glad I tried this authentic delicacy!

Speaking of food, there is one thing that really bothered me in Iceland. In many restaurants I saw whale meat being offered, specifically ‘Minke’. It turns out that whale meat is no longer a common food item for Icelanders and the reason why it is offered is because tourists want to try it. It disgusts me that whales are being killed for tourists to eat them, and I ask anyone who reads this to please not partake in the eating of whales!

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Photos

Pönnukökur (Icelandic Crepes)
These are so yummy!!!

Iceland Plate
Dried fish, lobster, Icelandic Haggis, Fish Stew

Hákarl
Only for the brave - rotten shark. It is presented sealed for a reason - the scent is beyond intimidating. With a strong scent and taste of amonia - this was the one and ONLY time I will try it.