What Iceland Tastes Like - No. 11
And other icy nonsense from two spicy gals.
Welcome to another Tuesday with Vegarie! If you’ve made your way here—to Iceland, where I’m currently writing—by floating on a lil iceberg that you carved off the coast, and you paddled through the rocky rocky waters just to reach me…I’m impressed by your efforts. And you must be hungry! Worry not. Click below to subscribe and you’ll receive fun biweekly dip recipes or accoutrements you can easily make at home, along with inspiring stories from women in food without having to make the adventurous voyage across the ocean.
While I’m not including a recipe this week that would help your theoretical hunger, I am including a lot of delicious food photos. You can eat those…but with your eyes. This week I’m writing to you from a land overflowing with fish. Smoked fish, fermented fish, charred fish, boiled fish, fish stew, even WHALE. This overflowing land is also known for its potatoes and tallow, for deliciously fresh dairy, for crispy crispy waffles, and for…hot dog carts? Yes, dear, I’m talking about Iceland. Reykjavik, to be specific. What am I doing here, you ask? Well, I’m visiting a lovely Icelander, and one of my best friends Brittany. She moved here about a year ago now and I’m so impressed with how quickly she’s been able to integrate into a completely new country, climate, and culture. I found a quote that felt fitting for adventurous moves—a change that I can relate to having moved across the US last year—but I feel it especially applies to the energy Britt carries and how she handles these momentous changes in her life.
“If you pay attention to the patterns of your life, you’ll realize everything works out. Everything takes you to a greater destination. You think you can’t survive and somehow you divinely make it through. More than surviving, you’re growing into something you never expected.”
As you’d imagine, the week I spent here was full of giggles, snowy hikes that kicked my ass, and lots of pastries. Rather than bore you more with sweet notes about my friend and this quaint snow-covered city, I’ll share some photos of some of the things I ate in Iceland instead. A relatively pricey city, I tried my best to balance eating out and eating in. When I wasn’t making Icelandic crepes, barberry rice, or curry in Britt’s cozy apartment, I tried a lot of pastries, fish, stew, ramen, and incredible lamb. I also may have grown my yogurt obsession to an unhealthy level with my introduction to skyr. I know, I know, we have Siggi’s back in the States which claims to be true Icelandic skyr, but it has nothing on the “Skyr,” brand skyr that I tried here. Specifically, the kaffin skyr. Picture the thickness of greek yogurt, plus the smoothness of a coconut cream, plus the flavor of coffee and vanilla. It’s Val’s dream. I’m speaking directly to you (no one, because I’m the most single person you’ll meet) if you want to marry me—buy me a lifetime supply of kaffin skyr and stock my fridge. I turn around, you’re down on one knee. I’d say yes.
Bakeries
I would say the highlight of Reykjavik—besides the live music spilling out of warm pubs and into the streets almost every night—has to be the bakery scene. Bakeries here are the coffee shop of Seattle, found on every corner and each one better than the last. Even with my eight glorious days here, I couldn’t try them all. But of what I did try—seedy loaves of rye, flaky croissants, kleinur (Icelandic doughnut), Danish, and kanil (sort of like a cinnamon roll, but better)—my favorite had to be the sourdough at Sandholt bakery. Theirs was light and fluffy with pumpkin seeds, and it was served with a side of freshly whipped Icelandic butter.
Chocolate
Nordic countries just do candy better than anywhere else in the world. Hands down. Someone prove me wrong because my bag is now filled with dark chocolate, milk chocolate, caramels with coffee filling, and yes, chocolate covered black licorice. And I will fight you.
Fresh & Seasonal
One of my first nights here, Britt treated me to dinner at Grillmarkaðurinn, an Icelandic fine-dining spot in the city that specializes in fresh, seasonal produce, fish, and meats. Besides being blown away by the complex sauces and textures of the dishes we ordered—the smoked fish with fennel, mustard seed, and dill, beef tenderloin with a mushroom sauce, lightly salted cod with grilled applesauce, and homemade ice cream—I was impressed by the calmness of the cooks out front. A signature sign of a team that is experienced and comfortable with the cuisine. Truly admirable.
Coffee
Finally, I have to shout out my favorite coffee shop where I spent hours reading, writing, and drawing. After trying a few near the apartment, Reyjavik Roasters was my spot for a coffee in the morning. Everything felt cozy and quirky, from the eclectic paintings and illustrations (see above) to the record players, plants, and tiny open kitchen area behind the coffee bar. And although my pictures don’t exactly do the space justice, I can’t lie that my time spent here far surpassed my time spent anywhere else in Reykjavik.
Okay, that’s all for today, friends. I’m going to cozy up with some cocoa and watch the snow fall. As usual, thank you for reading and bless bless from Iceland.
Iceland looks oh so cold, but the sound of those delicious pastries and Skyr has me rethinking :) This was a lovely read.