Traditional Foods
Iceland's cold climate and long winters meant that the settlers' original diet was low in vegetables and high in cereals, fish and meat, with preserved foods playing a big role. Some of the following traditional foods are still eaten on a daily basis, others crop up mainly at special occasions such as the mid-winter porramatur feasts, though restaurants may serve them year round. Something found everywhere is hardsfiskur , wind-dried haddock or cod, which you'll see airing on huge racks outside fishing villages; it's commonly eaten as a snack by tearing off a piece and chewing away, though some people like to spread butter on it first. Most Icelandic seafood is excellent, though hakarl (Greenland shark), is a more doubtful delicacy, as it can only be consumed after being buried for up to six months in sand to break down the high levels of ammonia and neurotoxins contained in its flesh. Different parts of the rotted shark yield either white or dark meat, and the advice for beginners is to start on the milder-tasting dark ( gler hakarl ), which is translucent - rather like smoked glass. Either way, the flavour is likely to make your eyes water, even if connoisseurs compare the taste and texture favourably to a strong cheese. Don't feel bad if you can't stomach the stuff, because neither can many Icelanders. As for meat, there's ordinary hangikjot , which is hung, smoked lamb, popular in sandwiches and as part of a traditional Christmas spread; svid , boiled and singed sheeps' heads; haggis-like varieties of slatur ("slaughter"), of which blood pudding ( blodmor ) is a favourite; and a whole range of scraps pressed into cakes and pickled in whey, collectively known as surmatur - leftover svid is often prepared like this, as is sursadir hrutspungar , or pickled rams' testicles. Game dishes include the grouse-like ptarmigan ( rjupa ), which takes the place of turkey at Icelandic Christmas dinners; an occasional reindeer ( hreindyr ) in the east of the country; and puffin ( lundi ) in the south, which is usually smoked before being cooked. In a few places you'll also come across whale or seal meat, as both are still hunted in limited numbers. Rather more appealing to non-Icelandic palates, salmon ( lax ), trout ( silingur ), and char ( bleikja ) are all superb and relatively inexpensive. In addition to smoked salmon, try the similar-looking gravad , whereby the fish is marinated with herbs until it's soft and quite delicious. About the only endemic vegetable is a type of lichen that's dried into almost tasteless, resilient black curls and snacked on raw or cooked with milk. Home-produced cheese and dairy products are very good, and it's worth trying yogurt-like skyr , sold all over the country plain or flavoured with fruit. Pancakes known as flatbraud or laufabraud are traditionally eaten at Christmas, and a few places - notably near Myvatn in northeastern Iceland - bake a delicious rye bread called hverabraud in underground ovens .
ANDREAandrea cuevas says "to make better foods// and to cut diz web site
" IcelandAaliyah says "Iceland is a beautiful country! Make sure to bring all your necessities. And have fun,exploring this wonderful country!" This Has To Be!PoorStudent says "This has to be the lamest country ever!" coolioomjay im so cool says "omjay iceland is like sooooo totally awsome ya knw check it out" Icelandcrackhead says "iceland sux, go f*** yourself" ................ says ".........................................is diz tirng ern ?????????????????????????????????????......................................................................" alohaAshley says "this sounds like a good country but you need a liitle more food" alohaAshley says "this sounds like a good country but you need a liitle more food" greathorse world says "the food here is amazing, don't knock it until you try it. this is a place where you can expierence the breathtaking landscapes, the extreme outdoors, delicious foods, a distinctive culture, and many other wonders. " how rude!unknown says "This is a well recpected web sit and it is upsetting to know some of you guys are leaving rude comments. I understand that you have your opinons but if you don't have anything nice to say then don't say nothing all. Well I been to Iceland and the place is absoultly beatuiful." yUR MOM`UNkNOWN' says "AlRiTE lETSz CEE'h hERE,
i CANt EVEN BEGiN tOO' StARt WitH WHy` yEW GUySz EAt ALl tHAT NASty StUFF...MANNNN...
lEMME`h tElL yEW GUySz NEEd tO COM tO tHE UNitEd StATES Of AMERiCA`ANd HAVE SOM CHiCkEN OR PATAtOES, BEANSz && RiCE, AHAHAHHHAHA,,,
HOpE yEW liKE WHAt i ROtE M.P,,, = ]
lAtERRR`*" WTFNot 4 u 2 know says "y da h3!! d0 u guys 3at dat nasty m3ss ram t3sticl3s wow ya!! must hav3 nothin 3!s3 to 3at im d0in a r3p0rt 0n u guys n i hav3 2 ask wat da fr3akin he!! was in ur mind w3n u at3 that crap , u guys need 2 c0m3 2 da U.S n get some human food cuz seriously ram t3sticl3s wtf . (d0nt 4get chick3n , p0tat0es , bread !0! . 1 m0re qu3sti0n y da h3!! do u guys 3at sharks i rath3r lick puss.i !0!" lollipoplanie says "lick lick lick like a lollipop!!" lolandrea says "lmbo!!! (laugh my butt of)" lolandrea says "lmbo!!! (laugh my butt of)" ~Giggle~ASH says "Iceland sux why waste your time!!" you sucknot gonna tell ya says "All you pu**y B***h people suck... So f**k off" reall f0000dsAnge Burns says "you icelandics shoruld really try thaiiii foooood"
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