Icelandic national cuisine is not for weaklings
The cuisine of Iceland is not very diverse and rich. This is largely due to the fact that the land is not too fertile and the climate is unfavorable. Therefore, from time immemorial, Icelanders have been getting out as best they can — absolutely everything goes into their food, there is even a feeling that they do not have such a thing as food waste.
We have selected 15 dishes of national Icelandic cuisine, some of which, perhaps, can only be eaten by real Vikings.
In fresh form, the meat of these sharks is poisonous — there is a huge concentration of ammonia in it, since this type of shark does not have urinary tract. That is why haukarl has been preparing for a very long time to remove poisonous urea. In fact, shark meat is placed in special containers with gravel, where it goes out for 6-8 weeks. The meat reaches the desired condition, drying out in the fresh air for another 3-4 months. In total, the fish goes out for about six months.
By the way, the characteristic smell persists in the finished product, however, this does not reduce its popularity among the local population.
In Iceland, one of the most used methods of preserving food is salting. The fish is completely covered with salt, which then dries its meat. Before cooking such fish, it is necessary to let it lie in the water for several hours (or several days, depending on the size of the fish). Traditionally, such fish is simply boiled and served with potatoes and bread. Now Icelanders increasingly prefer to make salted fish in Spanish or Italian styles, with tomatoes and olives, for example.
A festive dish, the name translates as "suspended meat". Meat is smoked on birch firewood or with the addition of dried sheep droppings. Then it is boiled and served hot or cold with peas, mashed potatoes and white sauce, an analogue of bechamel.
If you cook gellur, as, for example, shown in the photo, in the oven, then it is very tasty. But usually gellur is simply boiled and served.
Gellur is often mistaken for fish tongues, but these are fleshy triangular muscles just under the tongue.
Another popular dish among Icelanders and even foreigners is dried or dried fish, usually haddock or cod. Icelanders eat it literally with tons of oil, without which, frankly, you can't swallow it, since the fish meat is very dry.
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 ways of its preparation is very curious — the finished dough is put in a metal mold and left for a day where volcanoes warm up the upper layers of the soil. This bread is also called volcanic.
Usually the meat is cooked in milk sauce or smoked. The dish is most popular on 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.
Khvalspik 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" literally means "bloodshed". Slatur is prepared from the entrails, blood and fat of sheep. Sometimes black pudding is served with sweet rice pudding — a rather strange combination.
A whole sheep's head is pre-cleaned of wool and brains, boiled and sometimes soaked in lactic acid. Absolutely everything is eaten in this dish, even the eyes. The most delicious parts are cheeks and tongue.
It is a delicacy in Iceland, although almost no one eats it now, 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. Eggs are first marinated, and then pressed into cookies or filled with gelatin.
In Iceland, they eat the minke whale (a species of whale that is not threatened with extinction). Whale meat is made into steaks, kebabs or eaten raw with wasabi and soy sauce. It tastes like a cross between tuna and beef.
Traditional meat soup is made from lamb, potatoes, carrots, onions and rutabaga. They say it's a very tasty dish.
It may not be a traditional dish, but it is very popular among Icelanders and foreigners. Skir is a low—fat dairy product that resembles yogurt a little, although it is not. A lot of desserts are made on the basis of thick skir.
And finally, the popular alcoholic drink "Brennivin". Translated as "burnt wine", it is made from potatoes and cumin seeds. The Icelanders themselves call it nothing but 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.