Icy Iceland: Food and Drink

Bjór (beer)

The good beer of Iceland!

Let’s start with the drink since that is always a fun, top priority for us - ha, ha. Beer is the way to go in Iceland with an outstanding and tasty selection available. Surprisingly, Icelanders had no beer tradition of their own, and they only discovered the stuff when Brits and Americans stationed here during WWII brewed their own. (No soldier can possibly survive without a pint!) And although the soldiers drank their own during the war, beer was illegal in Iceland until 1989 as a result of some old prohibition-era regulations. These days, local brewers are working hard to catch up, and we were happy to sample their efforts.

Icelandic Beer

Here are some examples of Icelandic beer:

Beers of Iceland

Enjoying Icelandic Beer

Those draft "Gull" beers were superb!!

Getting started with a small salad

Foodie Heaven

The food of Iceland was a delightful surprise too. Everything we ate was super fresh and so well presented that we had to take pictures of it all and hope the resulting pix did justice to the food! This place has become a true foodie paradise. The only downside is the price, but the quality makes it worth the high cost.

Perfect scallops in spicy tomato sauce

Anne savors a delicious Icelandic "Skyr"

We especially enjoyed two Icelandic specialties: dense, dark rye bread and the very creamy yogurt-like confection called “Skyr,” which is made from sheep’s milk (and considered healthier than yogurt).

"Ling" fish over pasta with alfredo-wine sauce

Fish, as you may have guessed, is a big staple here on this island. We especially liked a white cold-water fish called Ling that is similar to cod. All the fish was fresh from the sea and melt in the mouth.

Our "foodie" group with Dan, our food guide, in white T-shirt

One of the most fun things we did in Reykjavik was to take a Food Walking Tour. Our guide Dan has to be one of the most affable guys in Iceland. Our original 3-hr. walking tour lasted over 5 hours, and we were having so much fun none of us even noticed the time!

Lamb stew is a big staple in Iceland - and sooooo delish!

Dan led us all around Reykjavik’s old city center, hopping from one eating establishment to another.

Icelanders eat some pretty strange things, like the Puffin Bird (how could you?) and fermented shark (ugh). Some whaling is still done here too, so you will find certain whale meats in various restaurant kitchens.

The puffin is on the menu in Iceland !

Minke Whale chunks with a caramel sauce

We did not try anything too bizarre, but we did eat some Minke Whale (shown here) – similar to a slice of beef filet but with a slight fishy taste. As we understand it, all whaling will soon be outlawed in Iceland, and eating whale (Minke or otherwise) will be illegal.

Smoked Salmon, with
pickled beets, capers, & potato salad

Also, we ate great Atlantic Salmon. The smoked salmon fillets were a smooth, rich, & fulfilling meal served in most restaurants here in Iceland.

Rye bread ice cream with rhubarb & caramel topping

Much to our liking though was Rye Bread ice cream! Sounds peculiar (and it was), but it was delicious! Kind of like Cookies and Cream but not as sweet.

Cheese chunks and meat slices.From left: brie and lamb;
middle: gouda &horse meat; right side: blue cheese & goose
breast with raspberry sauce

These are just some of the new and different food things we experienced. Here is an assortment of some of the delectable foods we enjoyed; we’ll let the pictures tell the story: