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Icelandic Recipes

8 recipes

Icelandic cooking was shaped by a harsh climate, a short growing season and centuries of isolation, so it relies on what the sea, the sheep and the farm provide. Lamb, haddock, cod, salmon and Arctic char are the base of everyday meals, along with potatoes, root vegetables, rye bread, skyr and butter. Old preservation methods such as smoking, salting, drying and fermenting still define the holiday table: hangikjöt, smoked lamb, is the centerpiece at Christmas, and the midwinter feast of þorrablót brings out traditional foods such as fermented shark and singed sheep's head. Everyday home cooking is simpler, with fish and potatoes or a pot of lamb soup. Baking is a strong tradition, with pönnukökur, kleinur and layer cakes served with coffee at every gathering. Greenhouses heated by geothermal energy now supply tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs all year, and Reykjavik's restaurants use the island's lamb, langoustine and fish in a modern Nordic style.

Staple ingredients

Soups

Main Dishes

Breads

Desserts

Snacks

Common questions

What is Icelandic food known for?

Lamb soup, fish dishes such as plokkfiskur, skyr, dark rye bread, smoked lamb and the hot dogs sold from street stands. Midwinter foods include fermented shark and dried fish, though most meals at home are simple.

What is the national dish of Iceland?

There is no official one. Kjötsúpa, lamb soup with root vegetables, is often named as the most typical everyday dish, and hangikjöt, smoked lamb, as the most traditional festive one.

Is Icelandic food spicy?

No. Seasoning is restrained: salt, pepper, dill, thyme, mustard and sometimes curry powder in fish dishes. The flavor comes from fresh, smoked and salted ingredients.