Iceland is home to some of the healthiest people in the world. This tiny Island situated close to the Arctic Circle praises itself on sustainability. In Icelandic culture it is not uncommon to see wild game meats on restaurant menus.  I recently visited Iceland and indulged in some not so common traditional foods.

As a nutritionist I believe it’s my responsibility to experiment with food and culture. I enjoy world cuisine and Iceland offers some of the world’s most exotic dishes.  I sampled many flavors of Iceland but one meal in particular I will NEVER forget. 

First of all I should mention that I travelled to Iceland on a tour with 30 other Canadians including my best friend Jenna. Infact it was our first time to Europe and we made a pact to try as many traditional dishes as possible. In Iceland common delicacies can include: fermented shark, sheep’s head, puffin, reindeer and whale just to name a few.

A tour guide suggested we eat at a traditional Icelandic restaurant Isleniski Barinn; it’s where the locals eat and serves traditional foods.  The menu was quite extensive and written in Icelandic and English.  I ordered the wild game sampler which included a sample of marinated puffin, goose and lamb served with garlic mashed potatoes and roasted root vegetables.  Jenna ordered the minkie whale with the same side dishes.  I chose to wash down my meal with a local microbrewery beer Kaldi, while Jenna choose a glass of red wine which was recommended by our attractive waiter Ulsive.

When our food arrived we decided to sample each other’s dishes, and savored the flavors in small bites.  First was the whale which neither of us had tried and had heard mixed reviews from others on our tour. I’d compare the whale to a medium rare cooked sirloin steak. It tasted more like beef and less like fish. It was a hit for both of us. Our next choice was the puffin, which looks like duck but tastes like poultry. The meat was hard to cut and very chewy. It was my least favorite. Next was the goose which I had tried before, followed by the popular lamb.  Both were tasty, so much so that I ordered another Kaldi!

Did you know that the most popular restaurant in Iceland is a hotdog stand? That’s right, but Icelandic varieties are made from a mixture of lamb and horse meat. It is dressed with 2 sauces and onions. Only Jenna was brave enough to try this one and she detested it.  Others on our tour gave the hotdogs a bad review.

Another traditional food I enjoyed is skyr, a high protein low fat yogurt sweetened with sugar.  Skyr is sold in corner stores and supermarkets as a fast food snack. It’s sold in many flavors and forms.  You can even buy it with cereal on top, and each skyr is sold with a folded plastic spoon. Perhaps that’s why it’s called Icelandic fast food.  I loved it and ate it every day! In North America most yogurts are sweetened with artificial sweeteners which are banned in Iceland. Even Icelandic chewing gum is sweetened with xylitol, a natural sugar substitute.

The most traditional Icelandic food is hakarl, otherwise known as fermented shark. During famine times, Icelanders needed to eat whatever foods we’re available on land or in ocean. The largest shark in northern waters, the Greenland shark, is toxic to eat unless fermented.  In traditional Icelandic culture they had to learn how to preserve the shark for human consumption. It requires leaving the meat to rot under a rock for 3 months then cutting it into strips. The strips are tied to strings and hung to dry in open windows for up to 3 months.  After this process is complete, the shark is ready to eat.  Unfortunately I was unable to find hakarl on a menu or at the grocery store. I must admit I didn’t look overly hard. Once I learned how it was made I lost my appetite.

My biggest complaint while eating in Iceland was the price of alcohol. A beer or glass of wine cost $10 Canadian and most meals averaged about $25. On a positive note, most Icelanders speak English and they are taught to do so in elementary school.

If you ever have the chance to visit Iceland, please do. I thoroughly enjoyed the food, people, scenery and safety of the world’s most sustainable country.  My tour was organized by George Stewart at Sears travel Charlottetown, and he plans on taking another crew in June and September 2011.

Stay tuned for part 2 of my Icelandic adventures…..the Spas!