Iceland.. the land of surreal landscapes, unpronounceable names, geothermal hot-springs and Northern lights. Yes, these are the images that flash in literally everyone’s minds at the mention of this country. Mostly because of Game of Thrones’ episode that featured Jon Snow losing his virginity in a natural pool, episode Kissed by Fire. Also, the extremely famous Blue Lagoon is a part of everyone’s Iceland itinerary.
Enough about Iceland’s hot spring, but hey – have you ever heard about Icelandic food? I’m specifically talking about Iceland’s strange but interesting food local food that every meat lover should try if they like to get adventurous with food.
Due to Iceland’s harsh weather conditions, the locals are known to preserve their food for a long time so that nothing goes to waste. Not just cultural significance, these dishes also hold a tremendous historical importance. Even if you have already seen pictures of Icelandic food, these below things are sure to shock you. In fact, the first picture did shock me on Instagram, which in turn inspired me to write this post.
Strange Things to eat in Iceland –
01 | Svid (Svið) – Boiled Sheep Head
Svid is a local delicacy in Iceland that is made with a boiled sheep head. Sounds disgusting? But here’s the thing – this dish originated from the time when people couldn’t let any part of the caught animal remain unused. Would you ever try it? I’m not sure if I will. If your imagination hasn’t run wild already, here are a few pictures that I found on Instagram that will make you go crazy.
Hákarl is fermented shark and is Iceland’s national dish. It is usually made with Greenland Shark which has high content of urea and is poisonous when it’s fresh. To prepare this, freshly caught shark is cured with preservatives and hung to ferment for four to five months. It is usually consumed as a side dish but also alone.
Saltfiskur is dried and unsalted codfish. This dish again demonstrates Iceland’s old tradition of preserving food by drying. Many locals describe it as a local equivalent of bread.
What’s the weirdest food that you have tried while traveling? Let me know in comments.
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Namaste, Guten Tag!
I'm Sonal from India, living in Germany and exploring Europe. I've been writing about my travel adventures since 2015. I often travel alone (and sometimes with my husband & our toddler).
I love nature, adventure, hiking to viewpoints, Yoga, and road trips. I love creating itineraries and in-depth travel guides which will help you make the most of your trip.
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Woow, this looks really amazing,
This is really on my have to do list before i get into my 40’s
Keep posting,
Kind regards
Stefanie
Hey Stefaine, that sounds good! Let me know if and when you do this – i’d love to know how it went.
Thank you for giving out this amazing information.