Travel for Food Hub The Food Blog for Travel Lovers
Last Updated on March 13, 2023
While Iceland is known for its natural landscape beauty, when it comes to food and drink, many tourists aren’t aware of the delicious dishes that await. If you happen to be a foodie and a trip to Iceland is on the cards, here are 6 of the best Icelandic foods and drinks that you must sample when in the country.
1. Skyr
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Made from cheese, skyr is a dairy product that is high in protein and low in fat. Regarded as one of the most cultural Icelandic foods there is, skyr has been consumed by locals for more than one thousand years. If you fancy sampling skyr, be sure to have it served with cereal and add a couple of sweet toppings like berries.
2. Hakarl
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As the national dish of Iceland, hakarl (fermented shark) is enjoyed by thousands of tourists when in the country. Although this dish isn’t as popular with the locals, it’s recommended to try it so you can get a better idea of what Icelandic food is all about.
3. Hot Dogs
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If you enjoy traveling to new places, but are a bit hesitant to dive into the local cuisine, many Icelanders love to eat hot dogs. If a trip to Reykjavik is on the cards, you must check out Baejarins Beztu Pylsur which serves delicious pork and lamb hot dogs. While it may only be a small hot dog stand in the city, it’s regarded as the most popular restaurant in Iceland, serving tasty hotdogs since 1937.
4. Brennivin
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If you like to pair local food with alcoholic drinks in the places you visit, you are going to love Icelandic foods and drinks. A good place to start is brennivin, which is a local spirit that shares close similarities with unsweetened schnapps. As Iceland’s national alcoholic beverage, brennivin tastes similar to vodka. If you’re heading to the country for the Winter Lights Festival, you can expect to find many tourists and locals with brennivin in their hand.
5. Djúpur
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For those who have a sweet tooth, no trip to Iceland is complete without trying djúpur. Coated with generous milk chocolate, djúpur are tiny balls that are filled with Icelandic licorice. If that wasn’t enough to whet your appetite, the sweet is topped off with white frosting. There are various other Icelandic Candies that you can sample on your trip which are sure to get your taste buds wagging.
6. Plokkfiskur
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Fish stew (commonly known as plokkfiskur in Iceland) is a traditional Icelandic dish which is made from boiled cod or haddock that is mashed together with onion, potatoes, and white sauce. Many Icelanders love to fish, so if you’re into seafood, you can be confident that you’re never too far away from your favorite dish. This famous fish stew can be accompanied with dark rye bread and butter. There are numerous seafood restaurants dotted across Iceland that serve plokkifiskur.
No matter how long you have in Iceland, there are numerous bars, cafés, and restaurants that serve up all the foods and drinks listed, as well as many more delicious dishes that are sure to appeal to everybody’s taste buds.
