ExploFood · Europe
What to eat in Iceland
Five dishes to try in Iceland, the most typical first. Two are vegetarian.
Five dishes to try in Iceland
Hangikjöt
Smoked lamb, boiled and served in slices with white sauce, potatoes and peas.
How to have it: A Christmas dish, also eaten cold on flatbread; supermarkets sell it sliced year round.
Hákarl
Fermented and dried Greenland shark, with a strong ammonia smell.
How to have it: Eaten in small cubes at the Þorrablót midwinter feast, chased with a shot of Brennivín.
Harðfiskur
Wind-dried cod or haddock, torn into strips and eaten like jerky.
How to have it: Sold in bags at petrol stations and supermarkets; eat it with butter spread on top.
Rúgbrauð
Dense, sweet dark rye bread traditionally baked slowly in hot ground.
How to have it: At Laugarvatn Fontana you can see it dug out of the geothermal sand; eat it with butter and smoked trout.
Skyr
Thick, mild cultured dairy similar to strained yoghurt.
How to have it: Eaten for breakfast or dessert with berries and cream; every supermarket stocks it.
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Questions
What food is Iceland famous for?
Hangikjöt (smoked lamb, boiled and served in slices with white sauce, potatoes and peas) comes first on our list, followed by Hákarl, Harðfiskur, Rúgbrauð and Skyr.
What is the national dish of Iceland?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for Iceland is Hangikjöt: smoked lamb, boiled and served in slices with white sauce, potatoes and peas. A Christmas dish, also eaten cold on flatbread; supermarkets sell it sliced year round.
Which dishes in Iceland are vegetarian?
Two of the five on this page are vegetarian as usually made: Rúgbrauð and Skyr. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.
How reliable is this list?
The dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, where you can also tick off the ones you have tried. Recipes vary by region and by family, so take it as a starting point.
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Get ExploDishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.