As an Island isolated from the rest of Europe, Iceland developed its own unique culture in various ways. As an island, there are only a few people who were on the island. Because of this every Icelander is related somewhere down the family tree. And because the population is small, they can trace their family history back through the Sagas. The Icelandic language has hardly evolved from the original Scandinavian language so they can still read their original Sagas and ancient texts from other Scandinavian countries. Iceland was always one of the more literate countries in Europe, but were stuck in the medieval ages without technology until WWII. Most people in Iceland attribute their literacy to their rapid transition from the medieval ages to the modern age. Because of the harsh environment and their isolation, Iceland's food was developed out of necessity so the people ate whatever they could. The isolation, that the animals they eat for food, means that they have not been exposed to most outside diseases so an import of animals and meat is banned to keep their animals healthy.
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SheepIceland is home to one native mammal, the arctic fox. Because of this, the vikings had to import sheep and goats to Iceland. These animals survived, evolving into Icelandic sheep and goats, though the goats have come to the brink of extinction. Icelandic sheep are Iceland's most dangerous animals because they cause car crashes on the road.
The sheep graze on grass, herbs, and berries they find on Iceland's landscape making their meat more flavorful than most others used for meat.Sheep and lamb meat is the most common meat on the island and they eat every single part of the animal including the head and testicles . The wool of the Icelandic sheep is unique because it has two layers keeping the animal warm and dry. |
Shark HákarlIf you go to Iceland, one of the foods that will be recommended for you to try is hákarl. Not because it tastes good, but because it tastes foul and it traditionally drank with a liquor that people claim is equally as bad known as brennivín.
Hákarl was one of the foods developed out of necessity, the harsh winters made food on an island scares and the people had to eat anything to survive. The shark used to make hákarl is the Greenlandic Shark, whose meat is poisonous when fresh, so to eat the shark it needs to be left to ferment. It is traditionally prepared by digging a shallow hole, covered with rocks, left for 6-12 weeks, and cut into cubes. One tour guide told us that she cannot stand eating it, but her husband loves it. |
WhaleDue to outside pressure and the price of whaling, this is a food that is not as common as it used to be. Traditionally, only beached whales could be used for food because the boats they had were not sturdy enough to bring in whales. The type of whale that the people eat is minke whale which is not an endangered species of whale.
Once Icelander I spoke with claimed that she and a number of others have never ate whale and that it is a past tradition mostly kept for tourist attraction. Whale, salmon, and scallop are on the fork, the whale is the dark, steak-like meat. |
HorseHorse and sheep were the only two grazing animals that were able to survive the climate and evolve into their own sturdy species. Because of that, horse and sheep were the two easiest animals to eat. Even today, horse meat is common.
One of Iceland's conditions for becoming a Christian nation was that they needed to preserve the right to eat horse meat so the people will not starve. Horse meat was commonly ate in all of Europe before Popes Gregory III decided that it should be taboo. The horses that are raised for consumption are not the same horse that are raised as pets and for riding. |
FishAs an Island, fish is one of the major foods people eat. There is a variety of different fish and ways they prepare them. Traditional fish are dried and preserved, but in modern times, fish are served fresh.
Icelanders eat mostly haddock, plaice, halibut, herring, and shrimp. Skate is a type of fish that is normally ate around Christmas. The Cod Wars were fought between Iceland and England over English fishermen infringing upon Icelandic waters and catches. The United States and the Icelandic Coast Guard fought, because Iceland has no standing army. |
AlcoholIsolation and long dark winters meant that the Icelandic people had to find ways to keep themselves occupied. This led to a drinking culture because bars are a good place to go get warm, talk with other people, tell stories, and sing songs. Of course having a drinking culture can cause problems. Iceland went through prohibition before the United States in 1915, but quickly learned that taking away people's alcohol does not work. The result was heavy taxation on alcohol.
Because of the harsh environment, most Icelandic liquor is strong. Brennivín is the national drink of Iceland and is the liquor that is drank with hákarl. An indication of the taste, brennivín is known outside of Iceland as Black Death Schnapps. Do not drink during the day, even one glass of alcohol at dinner will mark you as an alcoholic. Feel free to drink a whole bottle or two during the night though. |
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Trivia
- Raw fresh puffin heart is a delicacy
- Iceland grows bananas
- They love licorice
- Their hot dogs are famous
- A Clinton is a hot dog with only mustard named after the previous US president
- Reindeer is a common food in the east side of the island
- Skyr is a flavored cheese that tastes like Greek yogurt
- Most food used to be dried and preserved but now is mostly fresh
- The vikings who came to Iceland were mostly farmers
- The America Bar only serves burgers, ribs, and chicken wings
- They love Coca-cola so much there are stores dedicated to it