A Magical Place Called Iceland

Everything I Saw and Ate in Iceland

Réttir is when the sheep get herded back after spending months freely grazing all over the country.

This special newsletter is made in partnership with Icelandic Provisions, the only skyr brand in the USA that uses Certified Heirloom Icelandic Cultures passed down through generations of Icelandic families.

From what I’d seen on television and in magazines, I knew Iceland would be stunning, but I wasn’t prepared for how dramatic and spellbinding the landscape would actually be in real life. When the folks at Icelandic Provisions asked me if I'd be interested in joining them on a trip to Iceland for a culture and food immersion experience, you can only imagine my excitement. Seeing how Iceland greatly honors its food heritage and traditions was amazing.

My first impression of Iceland when I got off my plane at the Keflavík airport in Iceland was how dramatic the landscape was. Whatever I’d seen earlier on the television or in magazines hadn’t prepared me for it. At the airport, I met the folks from Iceland Provisions, our local host and Iceland expert, Gunnar Gunnarsson, cookbook author Jessie Sheehan, and recipe developer Justine Doiron. We grabbed some coffee and a few cinnamon rolls and were immediately off on our journey, we’d start at the Stóra Sandvík Beach to see the black sand dunes. Going on this trip to Iceland would take me behind the scenes to learn about skyr and its importance to the Icelandic diet. I was in for a special treat!

Scenes from the Stóra Sandvík Beach and Skyrland

Skyr often comes up in this newsletter, so let me explain what it is. Technically, skyr is considered a cheese but consumed like a yogurt. Skyr is a thick and creamy fermented dairy product that might remind you of Greek yogurt, but it has a higher protein content, and Icelandic Provisions Skyr has a smoother and cleaner taste. Skyr can easily be substituted in recipes that call for yogurt (I use it for baking cakes and dishes like Çilbir). Skyr is a pantry staple for Icelanders, and it was incorporated into almost every meal I had in Iceland. They even use it to make a cultured butter called skyr butter. We also took a trip to Skyrland, a museum solely devoted to the history and science of skyr making.

Selfoss Food Hall and Geothermal Bread Baking at Gunnihver Hot Spring

We started off with a very special trip to meet local legend and baker Nanni, who showed us how to bake rye bread in the geothermal springs at Gunnhiver Hot Springs. Nanni loves experimenting and showed us the difference between 24, 48, and 72 hours of baked bread and the noticeable difference in texture and flavor. I loved the 72-hour one!

Our guide, Gunnar, was an excellent resource; I learned a lot from him. Iceland is a country that’s not only rich in culture and traditions but there is a spirit of optimism - þetta reddast - it will all work out in the end, so carry on, that runs through the fabric of the country. I saw this first hand when we went to see the réttir (more on that next); the weather kept switching back and forth from rain gusty winds to completely calm, and despite this, everyone was smiling, having a good time, and taking it all in their stride.

Here are some practical and fun things to note before you visit Iceland.

• The North American and European continents touch in Iceland. 

• The strong coastal winds can easily flip your car over, so keep those windows closed.

• Iceland is very smart about green energy and the environment. They use the geothermal energy available and grow much of their food year-round. 

• Cod liver oil shots are a breakfast staple (for folks that grew up in India, remember the SevenSeas cod liver oil capsules?).

• There is no Uber/Lyft in Iceland, so plan to rent a car to get around.

• Get an Icelandic sweater and blanket. They make the best gifts.

  

  

  

  We cooked an Icelandic dinner at Reykjadalur Lodge with Chef Hafliði Halldórsson

Réttir is a major and ancient practice in Iceland, and we were lucky that the farmers invited us to join them at Skaftholtsréttir. After months of grazing freely over the island, the sheep return home, get sorted by their IDs on their ear tags, and return to their farms. It rained a lot that day, and we consumed copious quantities of hot soup, smoked lamb and salmon with skyr butter, and Hjónabandssæla, or ‘happy marriage cake” that’s made with oats and rhubarb and, of course, served with Icelandic Provisions Skyr for dessert.

Réttir at Skaftholtsréttir

Hotels, Things You Must Eat in Iceland, and The Restaurants! 

Along with skyr, Icelanders deeply appreciate butter, sweets, and licorice. The Greenhouse Hotel has one of the best cinnamon rolls I’ve eaten in a while. Their tops are crisp, but the insides are soft and not overloaded with frosting. 

Friðheimar is one of the most popular and well-known farm-to-table restaurants. The restaurant is housed inside a massive greenhouse, and tomatoes form a major part of the menu. They grow 40% of the country’s produce, use geothermal energy to keep the plants growing, and their tomato plants grow up to 9 to 12 months!

Friðheimar

We stayed at Hotel Geysir, next to the original Geysir, and foraged for berries to eat with our skyr. Iceland’s landscape is filled with wild berries like blueberries and these tiny dark black crowberries. Crowberries are a little more potent in flavor than blueberries and contain larger seeds than blueberries. Once people saw us foraging, they joined in.

Hotel Geysir, Foraging, plus scenes from Skogafoss

We also stayed at Hotel Rangá, which runs the Viking Cave Feast in the Hella Caves. Through the meal, our host explained the different ancient traditions brought by the Vikings to the country and how these ancient man-made caves were used to house the sheep during the rough winters. I also visited the internet-famous Blue Lagoon, one of the 25 wonders of the world and a popular geothermal spa, and had lunch at their Lava restaurant, where the food was excellent. As you can see, big scoops of skyr butter show up a few times in these photos.

Hotel Rangá, Viking Cave Dinner, The Blue Lagoon

Regrettably, I didn’t get to eat an Icelandic hot dog. This unique hot dog is made with lamb and served with raw white onions, crispy fried onions, ketchup, a sweet brown mustard called Pylsusinnep, and remoulade, a sauce made with mayo, capers, mustard, and herbs. We’ll save that one next time, along with the Northern Lights.

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