Food For Thought: Iceland’s Unique Food and Drink

The natural wonders of Iceland are already well known, but many visitors have no idea what to expect when it comes to Icelandic food and drink specialties.

The roots of Icelandic cuisine lie in Scandinavia because the settlers who first populated the previously uninhabited island starting in the 9th century introduced the typical Nordic foods and drinks of their homelands, in particular Norway and Denmark.

An especially important aspect of cuisine at that time was to preserve food as long as possible because there was no refrigeration. For this reason, a lot of meat was dried or fermented.

Fresh vegetables and fruits were also scarce in early Iceland: the weather was too cold and the soil too hard. But there was one plentiful ingredient then, as there is today: fish. And since Iceland is surrounded by the sea, it’s not surprising that seafood is a big part of local cuisine.

Since the age of the Vikings, Iceland’s culinary diversity has expanded. Nowadays, you can buy mostly the same products in Iceland as your own country. But most traditional dishes still revolve around fish, lamb, dairy products, bread and potatoes.

To learn more about Icelandic cuisine — and find out which iconic dishes you should sample during your visit to the island — check out this blog from Iceland ProTravel: www.icelandprotravel.com/icelandic-specialities.html