Food of Faroe Islands

Faroese food is shaped by sheep, fish and the sea, with wind drying and fermenting as long-standing preservation methods. Fresh cod, haddock and salmon are common, while dried lamb and root vegetables fill winter tables. Rhubarb, potatoes and barley bread are home staples, and coffee with a cake is a daily ritual.

Skerpikjot
National dish

Skerpikjot

Wind-dried lamb with a rich, strong flavor, thinly sliced.

Staples

  • lamb
  • cod
  • haddock
  • potatoes
  • barley
  • rhubarb
  • salmon

Signature flavors

  • salt
  • butter
  • thyme
  • dill
  • pepper

Main dishes

Skerpikjot
Skerpikjot

Wind-dried lamb with a rich, strong flavor, thinly sliced.

Key ingredients: lamb, salt, sea air
Rast fisk

Fish aged in the cool, salty air, boiled and served with potatoes.

Key ingredients: cod or haddock, salt
Fresh cod
Fresh cod

Fresh cod boiled or pan-fried with potatoes and butter.

Key ingredients: cod, potatoes, butter
Faroese lamb

Roast lamb from mountain-grazed sheep, rich and tender.

Key ingredients: lamb, potatoes, thyme

Breakfast

Barley bread
Barley bread

Dense barley bread with butter.

Key ingredients: barley flour, buttermilk
Cheese and rye
Cheese and rye

Open sandwich with cheese.

Key ingredients: rye, cheese

Street food

Pylsur
Pylsur

A hot dog served with remoulade.

Key ingredients: hot dog, onions, remoulade

Soups

Fish soup

A creamy fish soup with dill.

Key ingredients: fish, cream, carrots

Desserts and sweets

Rhubarb cake
Rhubarb cake

Cake and compote made from garden rhubarb.

Key ingredients: rhubarb, sugar, flour

Drinks

Coffee
Coffee

Strong coffee served with cake.

Key ingredients: coffee
Milk
Milk

Fresh milk.

Key ingredients: milk
Hot chocolate
Hot chocolate

Rich hot chocolate.

Key ingredients: chocolate, milk

Fruits and produce

Rhubarb
Rhubarb

The classic garden plant of the islands.

Key ingredients: compote, cakes
Blueberries
Blueberries

Wild berries.

Key ingredients: jam
Potatoes
Potatoes

Small potatoes grown in home gardens.

Key ingredients: boiled, roasted
Apples
Apples

Imported and sheltered-garden apples.

Key ingredients: cakes
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More cuisines of Northern Europe

About this page

Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.

Photo credits
  • Skerpikjøt (2): Erik Christensen, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Atlantic Cod, Atlantischer Kabeljau (Gadus morhua): Wilhelm Thomas Fiege, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Barley bread: Chabrol.simon, CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Market Bread, Riga, Latvia: Ken Eckert, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Hot dog with mustard: Czar, original photographed by Renee Comet, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Rheum rhabarbarum.2006-04-27.uellue: Dieter Weber (User:Uellue), CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Latte and dark coffee: Bex Walton, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Glass of Milk (33657535532): NIAID, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Chocolate cup Chantilly porcelain 18th century: World Imaging, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Blueberries: The original Uploader was Oven Fresh at English Wikipedia, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Patates: Scott Bauer, USDA ARS, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
  • 95apple: Agricultural Research Service (Research agent of United States Department of Agriculture), Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)