Food of Iceland
Icelandic cooking is shaped by the North Atlantic and a volcanic landscape: very fresh fish, lamb raised on mountain pastures, dairy such as skyr, and rye bread baked in geothermal heat. Hearty soups, fish stews and hot dogs are daily food, while coffee and pastries are enjoyed in cafes everywhere. Greenhouses heated by geothermal energy grow tomatoes and herbs year-round.
Kjotsupa
A warming lamb soup with root vegetables and rice, popular in cold months.
- Main dishes (7)
- Breakfast (3)
- Street food (3)
- Soups (2)
- Salads (1)
- Breads (2)
- Desserts and sweets (2)
- Drinks (3)
- Fruits and produce (5)
Staples
- lamb
- cod
- haddock
- skyr
- potatoes
- rye
- dairy
Signature flavors
- dill
- angelica
- thyme
- caraway
- butter
- sea salt
Main dishes
A comforting fish stew of flaked cod or haddock, potatoes and onion in white sauce.
Key ingredients: haddock, potatoes, onion, butter, milkA warming lamb soup with root vegetables and rice, popular in cold months.
Key ingredients: lamb, rutabaga, carrots, potatoes, rice
Smoked lamb served sliced, often with potatoes in white sauce.
Key ingredients: smoked lamb, potatoes, white sauce, peasTender pasture-raised lamb grilled or roasted with herbs.
Key ingredients: lamb, thyme, sea salt
Fresh cod fried in butter with potatoes and lemon.
Key ingredients: cod, butter, potatoes, lemonSoft fish balls in light sauce.
Key ingredients: white fish, onion, milk, flourSalted cod stewed with tomatoes and potatoes.
Key ingredients: salt cod, tomato, potatoes, olive oilBreakfast
Thick, tangy strained dairy product eaten with berries.
Key ingredients: skyr, berries, honeyFull guide →Warm oat porridge with milk and cinnamon.
Key ingredients: oats, milk, cinnamon
Dense sweet rye bread, steamed in the ground by hot springs.
Key ingredients: rye flour, molasses, baking sodaStreet food
A lamb-blend hot dog with crispy onions, ketchup and remoulade.
Key ingredients: hot dog, crispy onions, remoulade, mustard
Twisted fried doughnuts dusted with sugar.
Key ingredients: flour, sugar, butter, cardamomThin Icelandic pancakes rolled with sugar or jam.
Key ingredients: flour, eggs, milk, butterSoups
A creamy tomato-based fish soup.
Key ingredients: fish, tomato, cream, potatoes
A fruity dessert-style soup of wild blueberries.
Key ingredients: blueberries, sugarSalads
Cucumber and tomato salad with greens.
Key ingredients: cucumber, tomato, greensBreads
Soft rye flatbread served with smoked lamb.
Key ingredients: rye flour, wheat flour, water
Thin patterned leaf bread, fried crisp.
Key ingredients: wheat flour, milk, butterDesserts and sweets
A no-bake cake with skyr, cream and berries.
Key ingredients: skyr, cream, biscuit crust
Layered cake with prune or cardamom filling.
Key ingredients: flour, prunes, cardamom, butterDrinks
Strong coffee, drunk all day.
Key ingredients: coffeeA traditional mix of malt extract and orange soda.
Key ingredients: malt drink, orange soda
Thick hot chocolate with whipped cream.
Key ingredients: chocolate, milk, creamFruits and produce
Wild blueberries picked in late summer.
Key ingredients: skyr, pancakes, soup
Dark berries from heaths.
Key ingredients: jam, juice
Tart stalks in jam and pies.
Key ingredients: jam, pie
Tomatoes grown in geothermal greenhouses.
Key ingredients: salads, soup
A red seaweed snack.
Key ingredients: snackDish guides from Iceland
Explore Iceland on Geographical EffectMaps, capital and cities, population, climate, landscapes and landmarks.More cuisines of Northern Europe
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Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.
- Hangikjöt: Martin Sønderlev Christensen, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Atlantic Cod, Atlantischer Kabeljau (Gadus morhua): Wilhelm Thomas Fiege, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Skyr.is með vanillu: Schnee (talk), CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Rúgbrauð and Flatbrauð: The blanz, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Njbrkfast: Alvis at English Wikibooks, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
- Kleina: Steinninn ♨, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Blåbärssoppa: Dnor, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
- Laufabrauð before and after frying: Surya Mjöll, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Vínarterta: Navaro, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Latte and dark coffee: Bex Walton, 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)
- Empetrum nigrum by Maseltov 2: Maseltov, CC BY-SA 3.0 de (Wikimedia Commons)
- Rheum rhabarbarum.2006-04-27.uellue: Dieter Weber (User:Uellue), CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Tomato je: Softeis, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Palmeria palmata: Cwmhiraeth, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
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